Why liberals should care about Murdoch’s bid for the Journal


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It would be easy for liberals (and Democrats generally) to yawn about the dustup over Rupert Murdoch’s play for the “venerable” Wall Street Journal: after all, the Journal’s (anything but venerable) editorial page is every bit as extreme a right wing rag — in the nuttiest sense of the term — as anything penned by the likes of Drudge, Malkin or Coulter.

But the editorial board’s lunacy doesn’t fairly characterize the Journal as a whole, which is widely regarded as having a first rate news page. It is also one of a very small fraternity of major newspapers that still have the resources to do in-depth reporting, including investigative journalism.

Losing even one of these surviving “old media” giants would be a tremendous blow: turning it over to Murdoch’s tender mercies is unthinkable.

But then unthinkable things seem to happen all the time anymore.

(AP) Journal Bid is Talk of Wall Street

(New York) — Financial analyst Edouard Morin slid from his lunch seat at the swanky Harry’s Cafe around the corner from Wall Street and sized up the latest merger talk that has the business world abuzz.

“The Journal is an American icon,” he said. But this is Wall Street after all, so he added an important caveat: “Everything is for sale these days, at the right price.”

Some on Wall Street said Rupert Murdoch’s attempt to buy The Wall Street Journal was a bad idea, while others said it was merely capitalism: you have to do what’s best for the business.

The Bancroft family, which controls Dow Jones & Co., says it is warming to the idea of selling the company, with Murdoch being the most visible suitor. His media conglomerate, News Corp., includes the New York Post, Fox News, and MySpace.

Murdoch claims, of course, that if he does acquire the journal, he’ll take steps to assure its editorial independence. Coming, as it does, from the man who brought us the “fair and balanced” reporting of Fox News, somehow I don’t feel that reassured.

2 Responses to “Why liberals should care about Murdoch’s bid for the Journal”

  1. Larkrise Says:

    Murdoch will turn the Journal into another branch of his pro Right-Wing spin machine. He wouldnt recognize editorial independence if it bit the old , nasty, arrogant fart on the nose. Murdoch is a megalomaniac. He imposes his greed, his ego, his personal poison on everything he touches. The man is a piece of work. If the Bancroft family sells out, they can kiss the Journal goodbye. It wasnt exactly a bastion of impartiality, anyway. Nevertheless, Murdoch will use it to spread slime and disinformation to the four corners of the earth. What dignity the WSJ once had will evaporate like rain on hot asphalt. Too bad the buck is always the bottom line in this country. Objectivity, ethics, moral honesty, logic and reason must struggle to survive in the current corrupt climate of society. Murdoch is one of the most public of this crackpot crop of curmudgeons, but he has a legion of clones.

  2. Again Says:

    But then unthinkable things seem to happen all the time anymore.

    if this would be a Science Fiction story, i would say - Ladies and Gentlemen, time for the Great Show Down!

    imagine how Ragnarok would look like: The Last Fight between Light and Darkness, Good and Evil, when the Insatiable Monsters Fenris and the Midgard Serpent, Murdoch and Cheney devour even the Gods in Heaven

    while hurricanes and floods, starvation and war weaken the good guys…

    the Big Evils grow and unite for the Final Countdown

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