Wall Street Journal to Launch Weekly Book Review Section

Posted on September 9, 2010

The New York Observer is reporting that the Wall Street Journal will soon be launching a weekly book review. This will be the first standalone book review ever for the Wall Street Journal.

The New York Observer says Robert Messenger, a former editor at The Weekly Standard and The Atlantic, will be in charge of the new weekly book review at the WSJ. The length of the book review section is not known at this time.

The New York Times notes that the Wall Street Journal's launch of a weekly book review section comes at a time when many newspapers have cut book review sections. The New York Times writes, "In the last few years, newspapers including The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, The Chicago Tribune and The Boston Globe have ended their freestanding book review sections."

Forbes speculates that the WSJ is launching a book review standalone because Rupert Murdoch hates the New York Times. Even if that is the reason it is good to see the declining book review trend reversed for a change.