Baltimore Sun
Central Michigan University's
John K. Hartman seems more pessimistic than most Murdoch-WSJ observers.
Michael X. Delli Carpini, dean of the Annenberg School for Communications, also sees "red flags" in
Rupert Murdoch's promise to broaden the appeal of the Journal and increase its profitability. "While at first blush these are positive things ... the most common way for media conglomerates to achieve these ends often come at the expense of the quality of the news. In households that receive both, Fox News often has broader appeal than the Lehrer NewsHour, but I would not consider this a step forward for journalism."
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Mark Jurkowitz writes: "Much of the
Darth Vader speculation about [Murdoch] may represent a simplistic view of someone who has proven to be a complex operator."
(Newsday)
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"It's unpopular to portray Murdoch as anything but a villain" (MW)
