Dow Jones employees suddenly having second thoughts about that whole "will of the marketplace" thing

[Elidor]

Few Choices for Workers at Dow Jones

Looking at the potential bidders for Dow Jones & Company — Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation and a joint effort by General Electric and Pearson — some reporters and editors at The Wall Street Journal are calling the decision a choice between “trash or slash.” And they are wondering which might be worse.

Ever since the News Corporation bid for Dow Jones, The Journal’s owner, journalists there have predicted that Mr. Murdoch would dumb down and politicize the news pages. But now that G.E. and Pearson are weighing whether to make a rival offer, Dow Jones employees fear the results would be deep job cuts and a devotion to the bottom line, not great journalism.

(snip)
“I think our history shows that we value and nurture the things that make our acquisitions unique, and we don’t slash and burn,” said a G. E. executive who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the matter he was laughing like a hyena.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/21/business/media/21dow.html?_r=5&ref=media&oref=slogin&oref=slogin&oref=slogin&oref=slogin&oref=login

I would urge Dow Jones employees to remember: that pink slip is like a purple heart for capitalism. You took one for the team! Your former employer will emerge stronger, leaner, and more competitive. Thanks so much for your sacrifice! There's the door, kthxbye, lol!

[MrModerate]

1. Either way you look at it, everybody loses . . .

If Murdoch dumbs it down and Fux it up into a RWRag, it will lose influence in the financial community and advertising revenue will drop; if GE savages it and turns it into a front for a subscription Web site, it will lose influence in the financial community and advertising revenue will drop.

Any way you look at it, the WSJ's credibility -- and ability to sway opinion, more importantly -- will be compromised.

[wtmusic]

3. The WSJ's "credibility" will be safe with Rupert

and they already are a RWRag.

[MrModerate]

5. I don't think most investors would agree with you.

And investors come in all political stripes.

For a long time, the news pages have been considered to be out of synch with the editorial pages, with the editorials firmly rightwing while the news pages were understandably pro-business but otherwise neutral. That's unlikely to survive a Murdoch takeover. Compare CNBC with Fux News for a before-and-after analogy.

[wtmusic]

2. All that journalistic integrity at the WSJ will be replaced

by the journalistic integrity of Fox News. A tragedy. :cry:

[ashling]

4. And always remember

the market works :sarcasm: