Comments on: So it’s not all about preserving editorial integrity http://issuesblog.com/2007/07/27/so-its-not-all-about-preserving-editorial-integrity/ Blather on business, pontification on politics, & mutterings on miscellanea Tue, 16 Mar 2010 03:49:05 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Michael Patton http://issuesblog.com/2007/07/27/so-its-not-all-about-preserving-editorial-integrity/comment-page-1/#comment-252 Michael Patton Mon, 30 Jul 2007 18:42:11 +0000 http://issuesblog.com/2007/07/27/so-its-not-all-about-preserving-editorial-integrity/#comment-252 Being a laughingstock in journalism (presumably laughed at by journalists?) isn't nearly the stinging indictment that it was back before it became clear that many news sources are laughable these days, to one degree or another. That said, the WSJ really is a cut above, and concerns about its voice being degraded or destroyed have resonance with me. But here's the thing - say what you will about Murdoch, but he's demonstrably not a stupid man, doesn't run a bad company, doesn't buy good things to destroy them, and arguably doesn't destroy the things he buys, in any event. I can't think of any conceivable argument that would support an assertion he plans to do anything other than pay a lot of money for Dow Jones, and then to provide capital to make it into a better business. He would be hard-pressed to make the WSJ a radically better paper, but he can do something that DJ hasn't been able to do - fix an underlying business model that's been in need of fixing for many years. Being a laughingstock in journalism (presumably laughed at by journalists?) isn’t nearly the stinging indictment that it was back before it became clear that many news sources are laughable these days, to one degree or another.

That said, the WSJ really is a cut above, and concerns about its voice being degraded or destroyed have resonance with me. But here’s the thing – say what you will about Murdoch, but he’s demonstrably not a stupid man, doesn’t run a bad company, doesn’t buy good things to destroy them, and arguably doesn’t destroy the things he buys, in any event.

I can’t think of any conceivable argument that would support an assertion he plans to do anything other than pay a lot of money for Dow Jones, and then to provide capital to make it into a better business. He would be hard-pressed to make the WSJ a radically better paper, but he can do something that DJ hasn’t been able to do – fix an underlying business model that’s been in need of fixing for many years.

]]> By: Michael http://issuesblog.com/2007/07/27/so-its-not-all-about-preserving-editorial-integrity/comment-page-1/#comment-248 Michael Mon, 30 Jul 2007 14:35:39 +0000 http://issuesblog.com/2007/07/27/so-its-not-all-about-preserving-editorial-integrity/#comment-248 I wonder if Gov. Spitzer (D-NY) finds the NYPost to be a laughingstock after their journalists broke the Troopergate story? Your comment, Joe, is a reflection of knee-jerk liberalism that seeks to tarnish any commentary that doesn't adhere to the prevailing leftist views of most media in this country. I wonder if Gov. Spitzer (D-NY) finds the NYPost to be a laughingstock after their journalists broke the Troopergate story? Your comment, Joe, is a reflection of knee-jerk liberalism that seeks to tarnish any commentary that doesn’t adhere to the prevailing leftist views of most media in this country.

]]> By: Joe Shea http://issuesblog.com/2007/07/27/so-its-not-all-about-preserving-editorial-integrity/comment-page-1/#comment-243 Joe Shea Mon, 30 Jul 2007 08:12:04 +0000 http://issuesblog.com/2007/07/27/so-its-not-all-about-preserving-editorial-integrity/#comment-243 When you realize that the same man whose Sunday Times in London runs anti-Semitic headlines (remember the Arab germ?) and whose New York paper is a laughingstock of journalism ("Headless Corpse in Topless Bar") is about to gain control of the one paper that can singlehandedly influence the American economy - that can make or break virtually anyone or any company - the nightmare that would result after the deal is done should put off anyone considering it. When you realize that the same man whose Sunday Times in London runs anti-Semitic headlines (remember the Arab germ?) and whose New York paper is a laughingstock of journalism (“Headless Corpse in Topless Bar”) is about to gain control of the one paper that can singlehandedly influence the American economy – that can make or break virtually anyone or any company – the nightmare that would result after the deal is done should put off anyone considering it.

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