Reporter Alex Roth is leaving The San Diego Union-Tribune for the Wall Street Journal, where he will work in Atlanta covering railroads, shipping and the South.
Roth, who came to the Union-Tribune in August 1999 from the Detroit Free Press, works his last day April 11 and starts with the Journal on May 1. He’s worked on the Union-Tribune‘s enterprise team since 2003 and most recently has been covering the San Diego city attorney’s race. His coverage has drawn the scorn of incumbent City Attorney Mike Aguirre, who has urged Roth to seek counseling.
I just spoke to Roth. He said the Wall Street Journal job was “too good an opportunity to pass up.” He added:
And it was a really difficult decision. I’ve loved my time at the Union-Tribune. I have a lot of faith in the people at the Union-Tribune and I’ve had a tremendous experience there. But this was too good to pass up. I have nothing but tremendous respect for the people at the Union-Tribune. There are some fabulous journalists there and I’ll miss them a lot.
Roth promised to follow the city attorney’s race “as a very interested observer.”