Does Rupert Murdoch pose a threat to the editorial integrity of The Wall Street Journal?
This is the front-burner question. “Readers can rely on this,” Journal publisher Gordon Crovitz vowed Wednesday in a note to readers. “The same standards of accuracy, fairness and authority will apply to this publication, regardless of ownership.” Murdoch detractors aren’t buying it, including Slate.com press critic Jack Shafer: “It takes decades for a newspaper to establish its good reputation. Murdoch will show the world how little time it takes to trash it.” However things turn out, one thing that both sides can probably agree on is that a decline in the credibility of the Journal’s news pages will likely have a swift impact on the newspaper’s bottom line.
