Dangers of Murdoch, WSJ Merger
Why the Wall Street Journal Will Lose if News Corp Takes Over
Jun 10, 2007
By getting a better understanding of why the Wall Street Journal matters in American media as an established, and respected voice on the side of conservatism, we can see why it is all the more troubling that Rupert Murdoch wants to buy this paper.
So far, the merge between the WSJ and Murdoch is still really only a pipe dream of the Australian media magnate. The Dow Jones Company has said that they do not want to sell to Murdoch, and so far, they have been able to thwart his advances. However, one should not read too much into the situation at this point: Rupert Murdoch is a man who, at the end of the day, gets what he wants.
Fox News, that beacon of light for conservatives across America, scared of the supposed liberal-leanings of the mainstream media, has Murdoch’s name all over it. Murdoch seems to run a tight ship at Fox, and there are numerous cases of those who disagree with him being quickly let go. Without going too much into the specifics of the bias perpetuated by those at Fox News, it is evident that the commentator that shouts the most vulgarities at liberals wins every time.
The Wall Street Journal, as mentioned in the previous article, also has a conservative, business-oriented approach. Historically, this has been because the paper has focused on being the media voice for those who work in the world of commerce. The type of conservatism preached by the WSJ, however, is very different than that of Fox News. If one is to take the shenanigans of Fox, and to imagine these replayed to the same degree at the Wall Street Journal, it is easy to see how different this respected paper would become.
To simply offer opinions that are pro-business does not necessarily mean that the paper is thus a Republican mouthpiece. The ideals of free trade and limited government are principles that individuals from all political stripes and colors claim to espouse. Therefore, any biases that the WSJ might have are seen as acceptable by many for the simple reason that the Journal is consistently conservative, but not consistently pro-Republican.
If Murdoch were to take over the WSJ, there is no doubt that the apolitical nature of the paper would change. Murdoch’s history, from his early beginning in Australia to his dominance in the American and British media world, points to the face that the Wall Street Journal would lose much of its credibility if Murdoch succeeds with his plans. The Dow Jones Company would do well to continue to resist any takeover goals of Rupert Murdoch and family.
