The Audit

Murdoch and that Lying Thing

Will be a problem for the Journal

By Dean Starkman Fri 7 Dec 2007 03:02 PM 

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He said that he admired the Dow Jones chief executive, Richard F. Zannino, and the newly appointed top editor, Marcus W. Brauchli, and would leave them in place. He said that he did not plan on bringing any News Corporation editors to the paper, but that he did plan to call on Robert Thomson, the editor of his Times of London and the former editor of the United States edition of The Financial Times, for advice. (1)

“He” is Rupert Murdoch. Yesterday, well, Zannino was forced out and two News Corp. executives were brought in. Brauchli stays!

News Corp. Duo Set To Lead Dow Jones As Zannino Resigns

So, one out of three.

Hey, I don’t want to make too big a deal out of this. We’re all grownups here at The Audit, you know, savvy to the ways of high finance, etc. We know that in the real world, the world of fast-moving events, tough decisions of capital allocation, the world of stocks and bonds, calls and puts, a man of business can’t always, um, divulge, shall we say, future intentions, which, of course, can change day-to-day, especially regarding senior-executive-level personnel, which, as many of you know, is a highly sensitive subject that implicates numerous issues of law and strategy. Plus, things in the hurly-burly world of mergers-and-acquisitions—that “high-octane” world, as thedeal.com calls it—move so fast.

‘Theengs chaynge, ya ‘now, Pahdray?

And, yes, Murdoch’s style of, um, lying has probably made his shareholders a lot of money over the years. I don’t know anything about big media companies. And, News Corp. certainly looks like a bit of a rat’s nest.
Still, I don’t think you need to be a Boy Scout to own The Simpsons, American Idol or ReganBooks.

But call me old-fashioned, humorless, a relic living in an Ivory Tower, but news organizations really should avoid becoming founts of complete and utter b.s.

Newspapers are in the business of finding and telling the truth, remember?

And, see, newspaper readers are pretty stupid, we all know that. But even they will sense some disconnect when they see the newspaper holding leaders to account, matching what they say today against what they said in the past, sorting through spin and attempts to misrepresent the record—doing what newspapers do all day, every day—and the news organization misrepresenting the record, avoiding accountability for what it said in the past, doing the opposite of what it said it would do.

So, what I’m saying here is that l-y-i-n-g and j-o-u-r-n-a-l-i-s-m don’t go well together.

Eets jes ‘ah beyhd combo, mate—like spreading vegemite on a goddamn kangaroo.

Don Graham, chairman and chief executive officer of The Washington Post Co., recently gave a report to shareholders in which he summarized the company’s various operations this way: “We believe they can be successful businesses and can also do a lot of good in the world.”

Yes, people still talk like that.

The Journal’s credibility and reputation—its ability to do “good in the world”—will now and forever be inextricably tied to that of News Corp.

For readers, that’s a grim prospect.

1. New York Times, May 4, 2007

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Comments

padikiller

Fri 7 Dec 2007 10:20 PM

A CJR "Watchdog" Bewails

So, what I’m saying here is that l-y-i-n-g and j-o-u-r-n-a-l-i-s-m don’t go well together.

padikiller notes

Once again, another p-a-d-i-k-i-l-l-e-r-i-s-m makes it into the CJR lexicon...

Imitation is truly the sincerest form of flattery....

For a guy who regularly feels the pain of the CJR censor's axe.... It is the bitter end of irony to be stylistically copied by so many CJR "wathdogs"...

So "lying" and "journalism" don't go well together?....

LOL!....

We're in McLearyland, remember?!...

We can't be in Realityville!....

Otherwise... WHERE is CJR's castigation of Dan Rather over the TANG memo silliness?... Or TNR over the "Shock Troops" baloney?... Or Reuters over it's smoke-enhanced photojournalism?... Or the AP over its "burned alive Sunni" sutpidity?...

HUH?....

Why is CJR's ire evoked ONLY when conservative ink runs on newsprint?...

HUH?....

Anyone have an answer?....

Anyone?... Anyone?.....

Bueller?....

Jack

Sat 8 Dec 2007 03:09 PM

padikiller,
You're obviously less than satisfied with the veracity of the content of the CJR reports. You cast aspersions at the contributors as a defense of the offensive behavior of people des described in their reports and CJR in
general, as in the case of Mr. Murdoch.
Assume for a moment that all your critigues of the behavior of others were correct; how wood that excuse the deceit of Murdoch? Of course the more basic question is, why do you choose to read CJR if its reports are as unreliable as you claim?

padikiller

Sat 8 Dec 2007 10:28 PM

Jack wrote

Assume for a moment that all your critigues of the behavior of others were correct; how wood that excuse the deceit of Murdoch?

padikiller responds

WHAT "deceit"?...

To infer without basis, and then to publicly accuse, a man of being a "liar" over this change in management at the WSJ is just irresponsible, if not outright libel.

In FACT (CJR often has little use for these inconvenient "fact-thingies" when it comes to conservative-bashing)Zannino plainly admitted that it was HIS choice to resign because HE thought it would be the best thing to do...

How in the HELL can any responsible "professional journalist" possibly to claim that Zannino was "forced" out?

Where is the "lie" here?...

Murdoch said he admired Zaninno and that Murdoch had no plan to get rid of him... WHERE is the evidence that Murdoch lied about this?...

Murdoch plainly stated that though he had no pending plans regarding the managment of the WSJ editorial staff, that he was seeking advice...

How in the HELL does this make him a liar?...

Jack wrote

Of course the more basic question is, why do you choose to read CJR if its reports are as unreliable as you claim?

padikiller responds

Rather than deal with Reality the way it comes... Moonbats unite in a witchhunt to expel critics..

"Why do you come here if you don't like what CJR writes?...."

Frankly, this is a silly question... The PURPOSE of a comments section is to provide criticism...

CJR has a declining, but still prominent, influence in journalism, and I believe that it is important to illustrate the plain liberal bias that pervades CJR's "watchdogging"...

Nobody is making you read my comments, Jack... Why don't YOU leave, if you have nothing substantial to add to the debate?..

HUH?

padikiller

Mon 10 Dec 2007 09:46 PM

Headline Comparison Time With Padikiller

The Realityville Herald

"WSJ Editor Unhappy With New Management- Resigns Voluntarily"

The McLearyland Times

"Lying Boss Lies -Then Fires Innocent WSJ Editor For Laughs"

TDC

Wed 12 Dec 2007 03:15 PM

Mr Starkman, anyone who works for a publication run by Victor Navasky should be very carefull who they call a liar.

AhmNee

Wed 12 Dec 2007 03:22 PM

"Nobody is making you read my comments, Jack... Why don't YOU leave, if you have nothing substantial to add to the debate?"

There's no debate. There's never a debate. Mostly because you can't debate with a zealot.

Certainly that's a double edged statement. Some of us look at Padikiller and see a neo-con wingnut zealot. I'm sure he sees most others here at leftist moonbat zealots and neither of us think the other sees reason.

So be it.

In all honesty, I never expect a serious debate when I come here and challenge Padi. I just think it's fun to keep him running his mouth until he shows how skewed and hypocritical he is.

After all, his map to "Realityville" was drawn by the inmates running the asylum.

BTW, Padi. 41 more dead by 3 suicide bombers in Iraq. Good thing those casualty rates are going down.

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