Our Mission

The Wall Street Journal’s mission is to provide readers with essential news, information and insight that helps them make better decisions in business, finance and their daily lives. We are committed to the highest standards of journalistic integrity, accuracy and independence.

Our reporters and editors operate across more than 60 bureaus worldwide, covering every continent and every major financial market. The Journal has won more than 40 Pulitzer Prizes, including the 2024 Prize for Explanatory Reporting.

Our History

The first edition of The Wall Street Journal was published on July 8, 1889, by Charles Dow, Edward Jones and Charles Bergstresser. The paper was originally a four-page afternoon daily serving the financial community of lower Manhattan.

Over the next century, the Journal grew from a niche financial publication into one of the largest newspapers in the United States. In 2007, the Journal was acquired by News Corporation, led by Rupert Murdoch, in a $5.6 billion transaction that also included Dow Jones & Company.

Today, the Journal reaches more than 45 million readers across its print and digital platforms.

Editorial Independence

The Wall Street Journal maintains strict editorial independence from its parent company, News Corporation. Editorial decisions are made by the Journal’s newsroom leadership without input from corporate executives or advertisers.