Reuters editorial: back to the future

Rob Doherty, pictured, former Washington bureau chief, is returning to Reuters to head up the operation in the US capital. He left in 2008, since when he has been working for the Hatcher Group, a public affairs and communications firm that connects non-profit organisations and foundations to policymakers and the media.

Michael Stott, global editor for the Top News Desk, is appointed regional editor for Europe-Mideast-Africa. He will oversee text journalists in the region with the exception of commodities and energy staff and the International Financing Review, which will continue to report to Richard Mably and to Dayan Candappa, respectively, on a global basis.

Announcing the moves, deputy editor-in-chief Paul Ingrassia said Stott would continue in his present role on an interim basis, pending moves to further integrate the Top News Desk into the regional news structure.

“The sum of these moves means that we are returning, in some respects, back toward the regional text news structure that Reuters had in years past,” Ingrassia said in a note to staff last week.

Region-specific general managers will report to Stuart Karle, chief operating officer and former Wall Street Journal general counsel, who joined Reuters last month in an editorial restructuring announced by new editor-in-chief Stephen Adler. They will focus on “the critical role of supporting editorial operations, unencumbered by the demands of the file”. They will supervise operations, logistics, and safety, and coordinate editorial’s partnership with teams from human resources, public relations, legal, real estate and facilities, finance and security. Their role will include budgets, technology, and representing Reuters.

The general managers are

• Sarah Edmonds - UK, Ireland and Nordic states 
• Olaf Zapke - Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Balkans, Russia/CIS and Turkey 
• Michael Bergmeijer, a new hire - France and Benelux  
• Barry Moody - Southern Europe
• Christina Pantin - Bangalore
• Duncan Pitcairn - South Asia
• Phil Smith - North Asia
• Jean Yoon - South East Asia and Pacific
• Caroline Drees - Middle East
• Matthew Tostevin - Africa
• Saul Hudson - Latin America
• Michael Christie - Northern Latin America and US states on the Mexican border other than California
• Richard Baum - New York and Canada
• Rob Doherty - Washington DC and bureaus not covered by Baum and Christie.