Wall Street Journal names new Asia editor

The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) has announced the appointment of Deborah Ball as Asia editor.

A veteran journalist with over 25 years at the WSJ, Ball brings experience and a track record of covering some of Europe's most significant events, including the Ukraine war. Her background includes stints in Milan, London, Rome, and Zurich, where she covered a wide array of business, finance, and political stories. Ball is also the author of House of Versace, which delves into the intricate world of the fashion empire.

Ball's appointment is effective from April 1, and she will be based in Singapore overseeing Australia, China, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Singapore and South Korea—with frequent visits to Hong Kong. She will assume her new role while maintaining her position as deputy chief for world coverage and will continue reporting to WSJ world coverage chief Gordon Fairclough. 

The appointment comes as Andrew Dowell, former Asia editor, transitions to a role as the Middle East editor based in Dubai. Dowell's tenure in Asia (just over seven years) was marked by number of key achievements including a Livingston Award, multiple awards from the Society of Publishers in Asia (SOPA), and a Pulitzer Prize finalist designation. His new role will see him overseeing the bureau's coverage in the Middle East, including rising regional tensions and the US relationship with Saudi Arabia. Dowell's career at Dow Jones began in 1997 as a Cairo-based stringer, and he now makes his return to the Middle East.

Finally, as part of the reshuffle, Brendan Moran, who has been leading world coverage in Asia, will transition to a new senior role within the world team in the coming months. 

Dow Jones, WSJ's parent company appointed Mother and Mediahub as its new global creative and media agencies in November 2023, as reported by Campaign at the time. The move concluded its long-standing partnership with The & Partnership and MSix & Partners, signalling a new relationship for Dow Jones' consumer publications like WSJ, Barron's, and MarketWatch, as well as its business intelligence offerings including Factiva, Risk & Compliance, and Opis.