Daily Front Row

2011 August 18

Ruth Altchek Named Editor of WSJ's Off Duty Section

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Ruth Altchek
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(NEW YORK) The Wall Street Journal’s Off Duty section put a new editor on duty—at least formally—this afternoon. Ruth Altchek, formerly deputy editor of the paper’s recently retooled weekend lifestyle coverage, has been appointed editor of the section. Altchek has been with the Journal since last June, when she joined the publication as a news editor and worked with WSJ. mag editrix Deborah Needleman to craft a revamped Saturday section. In September 2010, Needleman appointed Altchek as the deputy editor of the Off Duty section, which debuted in late September as part of WSJ Weekend—in tandem with the stylishly spruced-up section’s fifth anniversary. "Ruth is a star!" said Needleman. "She manages to crank out a smart, interesting, visually inspired section every week—and on top of that, she is nice and her team loves her." 

Prior to joining the Journal, Altchek was senior editor at Martha Stewart Living from March 2009 through March 2010, where she spearheaded the magazine’s product coverage. Needleman and Altchek first crossed paths at Domino, where Altchek held the titles of editorial projects director and features editor and Needleman was editor-in-chief of the now-shuttered Condé shelter glossy. "Ruth was an amazing editor at Domino rising through the ranks, and the first person I called when Off Duty was greenlighted," said Needleman. Altchek is a native New Yorker and alumnus of Columbia University, where she studied art history. 
ALEXANDRA ILYASHOV