NY Observer > Rupert Murdoch

Those 95 New Hires for Dow Jones Aren't Going to The Journal

John Koblin — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 17:19:38 -0400

In the memo in which Dow Jones editor in chief Robert Thomson announced there would be job cuts at The Journal, he also said: "Our new budget includes an ambitious expansion of our web and international operations, both for the Journal and for Newswires, where we are adding 95 journalists over coming months."

So where exactly are those 95 people going? Not to The Wall Street Journal.

A spokesman for The Journal, Bob Christie, told Media Mob that those new hires will all be assigned to Dow Jones news wires, not at The Journal. Mr. Christie reminds us, however, that wire copy can be used, of course, inside the pages of The Journal.

And what's the time frame for these hires? He said they'll start now, and there's no end date in mind. So, conceivably, Mr. Thomson can take as long as he wants to hire.

Wall Street Journal: 'The goal is fewer editors, more reporters'

John Koblin — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 12:46:43 -0400

A story in the North Brunswick Sentinel has some valuable updates on the job cuts that are going down at The Wall Street Journal.

Bob Christie, spokesman for The Journal, tells the Sentinel that The Journal will cut 39 jobs from its South Brunswick office, and relocate 11 people to the paper's office in Manhattan (so the '50' number we were all using is a bit off). The 39 who are getting the ax will have a chance to "apply" for positions in New York. The majority of those people were from "the pagination desk and the copyediting desk," he said.

Mr. Christie also concretely lays out the new philosophy of The Journal that we've all been interpreting for a few months: Who needs editors?

"The goal is fewer editors, more reporters," Christie said. read more »

Arthur Sulzberger, Jr. on Rupert Murdoch: Competitors 'Can't Steal Our Readers'

John Koblin — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 14:14:21 -0400

Ad Age scored an extremely rare interview with Arthur Sulzberger Jr. today. It's good placement for The New York Times publisher and chairman: his company is days away from releasing second-quarter earnings results, which aren't looking particularly great. Some good press is a welcome event since this year has arguably been one of Mr. Sulzberger's most challenging as publisher. The paper lost money last quarter; he's getting divorced from his wife; the paper experienced lay offs in the newsroom for the first time.

But you won't find any mention of the divorce in the profile, and only a small bit on the company's terrible year. read more »

Times vs. Journal Digital Battle Royale! Landman Says WSJ Has Done 'Nothing' With Its Web Site

John Koblin — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 16:43:43 -0400

It's a late, sleepy summer Friday, but New York Times online editor Jon Landman has some choice words for Rupert Murdoch, Robert Thomson and The Wall Street Journal's online editor, Alan Murray, this afternoon.

Well, technically speaking, he doesn't name any of those people in his weekly memo, or the paper itself, but in his weekly briefing designed to discuss accomplishments for nytimes.com, he comes out swinging! Namely, he says wsj.com has accomplished nothing!

As Mr.Landman writes:

There's some financial newspaper out there, on Wall Street or maybe in midtown, we aren't sure. There's new ownership, it seems, some rich guy who says he wants his paper to be more like ours. read more »

Jane Friedman, Day 2

Observer Staff — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 10:59:57 -0400

The Times and the Wall Street Journal have Day 2 stories on Jane Friedman’s abrupt exit from HarperCollins; both have interviews with Brian Murray, the new C.E.O., who says News Corp. chairman Rupert Murdoch, who has owned the publishing house for about 20 years, first summoned him about a promotion on Monday.

An unnamed Times source says Ms. Friedman didn’t discuss vacating her post with Mr. Murdoch until two days later, a couple of hours before Gawker.com floated a rumor that she’d been fired.

In the Journal, Mr. Murray reiterates what he told his staff at yesterday morning’s marketing meaning—that he talked to Mr. Murdoch and was assured that HarperCollins is not going up for sale.

"He told me that the company won't be sold, that HarperCollins is a content company and that News Corp. is a content company," Mr. Murray is quoted as saying.

Why this is all happening now is no clearer today than it was the other night when the news first broke. read more »

Murdoch Says Journal Will Worry About Structure First, Then Find the Talent

John Koblin — Thu, 29 May 2008 16:49:24 -0400

Rupert Murdoch spoke at The D Conference this week, and laid out more non-specific but interesting plans for The Journal.

For months, it's been speculated that Murdoch cares more about figuring out the actual structure of the paper, and then he'll get down to the dirty business of assigning the right reporters to the right assignements, and signing a few superstars. read more »

The Journal at the News Corp. Castle! Opening Winter 2009

John Koblin — Fri, 23 May 2008 15:46:43 -0400

The Wall Street Journal and Dow Jones are less than a year away from moving their editorial departments to midtown. Dow Jones CEO Les Hinton said that the whole thing is pretty "fluid" but it's likely that the Journal--and the Dow Jones news wires--will pack their bags for the News. Corp castle at 1211 Avenue of the Americas by February or March of next year. read more »

Journal Editorial Independence Committee Unanimously Agreed Over 'Excellent' Thomson Hire

John Koblin — Tue, 20 May 2008 19:32:06 -0400

We just spoke to Tom Bray, the de facto spokesman of the Wall Street Journal's special committee for independence that has approval rights over new announcements for a managing editor.

"We approved it today," he said.

He said that Mr. Thomson was approved by the committee unanimously and that it was a rolling vote conducted by e-mail and conference call. Mr. Thomson could have been approved with a majority 3-2 for the five-person committee.

He said that the committee was first informed about Mr. Thomson "over a week ago." read more »

Thomson as New Journal Editor: 'I Feel Privileged'

John Koblin — Tue, 20 May 2008 18:53:59 -0400

We just caught up with Robert Thomson, who, it was just announced, will be the newspaper's next managing editor, on the phone. "I feel privileged," he said. "I'm looking forward with much excitement to making the Journal, and its news wires, which is the greatest news organization in the world, even greater."

He will move down to the newsroom's ninth floor tomorrow, and will take over chief editing duties over the paper immediately. read more »

Dolans on the Brink of Owning Newsday

John Koblin — Mon, 12 May 2008 08:13:47 -0400

Later this morning, Newsday should belong to the Dolans.

Their $650 million bid will likely be accepted by Tribune owner Sam Zell later this morning, and the only thing that stands in the way are "minor details," said Charles Dolan in an interview last night with Newsday. The Times reports that Charles and James Dolan were in Chicago two weeks ago talking to Sam Zell, and Cablevision bankers and lawyers are there now hashing out the final terms of the deal. read more »