The Wall Street Journal was founded in July 1889. Ever since, the Journal has led the way in chronicling the rise of industries in America and around the world. In no other period of human history has the planet witnessed changes so dramatic or swift. The Journal has covered the births and deaths of tens of thousands of companies; the creation of new industries such as autos, aerospace, oil and entertainment; two world wars and numerous other conflicts; profound advances in science and technology; revolutionary social movements; the rise of consumer economies in the U.S. and abroad; and the fitful march of globalization.

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News Mission

We are the definitive source of news and information through the lens of business, finance, economics and money, global forces that shape the world and are key to understanding it. Our audience is anyone who wants or has a job, a career or an ambition; who seeks money, makes money, spends money and saves money; who desires an edge as an investor, an employee, a manager or an entrepreneur; or who simply wants to better understand how the world works.

We provide facts, data and information, not assertions or opinions. We believe in full separation between News and Opinion. We pursue exclusive stories, with the goal of breaking all important scoops in our core areas; deep insight and analysis; and actionable intelligence—being the first read and the last word. We have a unique, trusted responsibility as a watchdog and custodian. Across coverage, we seek a genuinely diverse set of voices and experiences with every story striving to speak to as wide an audience as possible.

As journalists, we are humble, curious, empathetic, informed and open-minded. Our work is plain, direct, concise and accessible, but not simplistic. Trust in our news, information and authority is the currency we seek to earn with all we produce.

We have an important social purpose. Society benefits from a common set of verifiable facts and a broad set of voices that reflect our world, even in times of stress and division—indeed, especially in such times. Providing those facts informs debate and contributes to the greater good.

Newsroom Standards & Ethics

Our adherence to the highest and most rigorous standards of fairness and integrity have enabled The Wall Street Journal to flourish for more than 130 years. Our reputation is our most cherished possession. We strive to be a model for ethical, fact-based, ambitious news reporting.

This dedication is a central reason we are so trusted by readers. National surveys repeatedly rank The Wall Street Journal among the most trusted news organizations in the U.S. on both sides of the political divide. Readers trust us because they see us as fair, accurate and impartial. There are many journalistic practices that are the bedrock of this trust.

Our journalists are committed to the most ethical conduct in pursuing our work and aim to uphold the legacy of integrity above reproach, including adherence to the Dow Jones Code of Conduct. We aspire to honest and ethical conduct in all iterations with colleagues, competitors, sources, subjects and our readers. We avoid the perception of bias as rigorously as we do any real bias. We forswear financial entanglement with, or perceived obligation to, our sources or the subjects of our work. We avoid partisan political statements or activities. We offer professional support for our colleagues to raise ethical concerns.

No Surprises Journalism

We adhere to a long legacy of 'no surprises' journalism. That means performing the highest level of due diligence to assess the credibility of our sources, and providing an opportunity for full and fair comment for all parties involved in an article before it publishes. We never pursue an agenda other than an unwavering commitment to the truth, which is why we strive to attribute all disputable facts as precisely as possible to relevant parties, and write in a neutral declarative tone.

Reaching The Wall Street Journal

We take seriously all communications from our subscribers and readers about how we are doing our job. While we can assure you that your email will be read by an appropriate member of the staff, we cannot guarantee that you will receive an additional response from us because of the volume of emails that we receive and because your email may concern a matter that is outside the purview of the staff. Contact the newsroom, opinion, or customer service.

Corrections

Readers can alert The Wall Street Journal to any errors in news articles by emailing wsjcontact@wsj.com or by calling 1-888-410-2667. See recent corrections.

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Our FAQs

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1. What is the Journal's ownership structure?

Dow Jones & Co., a unit of News Corp, publishes The Wall Street Journal, Barron's, MarketWatch, Factiva and Dow Jones Newswires.

2. Why is the Journal’s newsroom separate from the editorial department that publishes Opinion pieces?

The Wall Street Journal separates news and opinion. The news department, led by Editor in Chief Emma Tucker, operates independently of the opinion pages, led by Editorial Page Editor Paul Gigot. Both report to Dow Jones CEO Almar Latour. This longstanding practice is designed to allow both departments to flourish. The news pages offer readers the highest standards of rigorous, factual, impartial news reporting, while the opinion pages offer a panoply of contributors who add to societal debate in the U.S. and elsewhere, promoting the principles of free people and free markets. The Journal is committed to clear labeling, so readers know when they are reading an editorial or opinion piece, as opposed to a news article.

Graphic explaining the differences between news & opinionGraphic describing the hints in an opinion piece
3. How does the Journal avoid conflicts of interest with advertisers or sponsors?

The news department of The Wall Street Journal operates independently from the corporate teams executing marketing, advertising sales and general business operations. This independence ensures the Journal’s coverage remains free from outside influence or commercial considerations. That commitment is as old as the Journal itself, which noted in its first-ever edition on July 8, 1889: “The fundamental principles in carrying out our news business are these: To get the news, to publish it instantly, whether bull or bear. No operator controls or can control our news. We are proud of the confidence reposed in our work. We mean to make it better. And we mean to have the news always honest, intelligent and unprejudiced.”

4. How big is the Journal’s news staff and where are they deployed?

The Journal’s global newsroom has staff members across the United States and in many other countries.

5. How does the Journal decide which stories are open for member commenting and how are comments moderated?

We aim to host thoughtful conversations among members on a range of stories each day. The Journal encourages subscribers to join conversations with other readers. News stories that best reflect the day’s coverage are opened for comment by editors and reporters, often with a prompt. All Opinion pieces are open to comment. You can find a list of news stories that are open for responses in a “Join the conversation” box along the right side of an article page.

Responses are screened by an artificial-intelligence filter for toxicity and may also be moderated by journalists on our Audience Voices team. We don’t edit responses or practice censorship, but we do require our readers to comply with our commenting guidelines. Email moderator@wsj.com with any questions or comments about the moderation process.

6. How can I contact the newsroom?

We take seriously all communications from our members and readers about our work. While we can assure you that your email will be read by an appropriate member of the news department staff, we can’t guarantee that you will receive an additional response from us because of the volume of emails we receive and because your message might concern a matter outside the purview of the news department. Contact the newsroom.

7. How can I alert the Journal to an error in its news coverage?

The Journal maintains an open response to critique, honest exploration of potential errors and publishes full corrections when warranted. Readers can alert us to any errors in news articles by emailing wsjcontact@wsj.com or by calling 1-888-410-2667. See recent corrections.

8. What is the Journal style and standards bulletin?

The Journal publishes a monthly bulletin on language, style, standards and issues of journalistic practice called Style & Substance. Originally launched in 1987, it is today available to readers online.

9. What are anonymous sources and how are they handled?

We believe on-the-record sources are always preferable because they can be held personally accountable for what they say and generally are more likely to be scrupulously accurate as a result. Readers also are better able to assess the reliability of those whose identities are provided. It is our practice to make certain from the outset of an interview that both the reporter and the person being interviewed understand the ground rules, including whether or not he or she will be identified by name. In limited cases where we determine a person’s identity should be protected, we take pains to indicate in our coverage where his or her biases might lie.