William Safire to Monitor Murdoch’s Grammar?The biggest sticking point in the Bancroft-Murdoch dialogue about the fate of Dow Jones is seeming to be the Wall Street Journal’s storied editorial independence. The Bancrofts want Murdoch’s cash, but they don’t want him mucking with their newsroom. The solution? To create an outside board with the power to hire and fire top editors. This leads to intriguing idle amusement for the rest of us: Who will sit on the WSJ board? Today’s Times gamely speculates. An ideal candidate would be a big-name journalist at the sunset of his or her career with no Dow Jones ties. Ben Bradlee, Joe Lelyveld, and even William Safire are suggested. For its own part, the Journal’s editorial page got into the act yesterday, with a unique screed touting its own integrity: “Our owners have allowed us to speak our mind.” Which is particularly easy in cases like this, no doubt, in which they all agree.
Independence Still the Issue at Dow Jones [NYT]
Earlier: Rupert Murdoch, Constructivist?