baker's tenure at the "journal" was a tumultuous one, with buyouts, layoffs, and discontent among some reporters. in 2015, the "journal" began a new round of large-scale layoffs of reporters and staff. some sections of the paper's print edition, including greater new york, were cut, while others were consolidated. the "journal" also undertook "a sweeping newsroom strategy review" called wsj2020, in a bid to save $100 million in costs. as editor, baker also mourned the death of "journal" reporter david bird, who had been missing and whose body was later found in a river. in november 2015, baker was one of the moderators at the fourth republican primary debate during the 2016 presidential primaries. he is the first briton to moderate a u.s. presidential debate. baker's performance became popular on social media, with the "daily telegraph" reporting that baker had "bemused" and "flummoxed" america.