Murdoch tells WSJ staffers there’s no ‘Conservative’ agenda

In his first visit to the Wall Street Journal’s D.C. bureau, Rupert Murdoch told staffers Friday that he would put more resources into Washington coverage and take on the New York Times, while reassuring them that he is not a “conservative” pushing an agenda in the news pages.

Murdoch’s visit came as a complete surprise to most staffers.

Originally, only Journal publisher Robert Thomson had been expected to attend the early evening meeting. Both men were in town for the Gridiron Dinner the following night. 

But shortly before 6 p.m., word spread in the newsroom that Murdoch was in the building.

For roughly 90 minutes, Murdoch and Thomson spoke to Journal reporters and editors assembled in the paper’s conference room, which also doubles as a reading room strewn with sofas and chairs.

At a leisurely pace, Murdoch answered many questions from the group, which included bureau chief John Bussey and executive Washington editor Gerald Seib.

“It was a great meeting,” Seib told me by phone Monday, declining to discuss internal specifics. “Everyone left feeling happy.”

Really? Could Journal reporters—many who strongly opposed the Dow Jones sale—be content with their first encounter with Murdoch?

Well, according to staffers present, the meeting with Murdoch was nothing like Sam Zell’s recent tumultuous stop in Tribune’s D.C. bureau.

Regardless of Murdoch’s reputation, he made clear that more money would be allocated for Washington and political coverage, a stark contrast from his billionaire competitor Zell, who wants to slash the LA Times staff in D.C. 

Ever since the first days after Murdoch’s unsolicited $5 billion bid to purchase Dow Jones, the media mogul said publicly that the Journal should increase its focus on the capital.

“I might put more emphasis on Washington,” Murdoch told the NY Times last May.

In the Friday meeting, Murdoch acknowledged that politics coverage has increased in the paper—evident in the growing presence on A1—but added that there will be more through November.

That said, the Journal has not hired a big political gun since John Harwood left for New York Times, a move primarily made because of his television deal with CNBC (rival to the upstart Fox Business Network).

According to newsroom sources, Chris Cillizza was one high-profile political reporter that the Journal approached since the takeover. However, Cillizza’s staying at the Washington Post.

Bussey, named bureau chief in September, has asked staffers for names that could be added to a “wish list” of potential hires, according to a source.

So at a precarious moment in the industry, when the NY Times is talking about layoffs and buyouts—and facing a challenging shareholder revolt in April—Murdoch could be in the ideal position to beef the D.C. bureau if he’s willing to open his wallet.

Aside from politics, Murdoch also discussed on the Friday the idea of transforming the Saturday paper into something more akin to the NY Times Sunday edition—livelier, with added cultural coverage.

– By Michael Calderone

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Of course Rupert has no “conservative agenda”. He has just his enormous ego and a severe paucity of knowledge about how real, honest journalism works. He has, in short, a sleazy tabloid mind. So
forget about conservatism; Rupert is interested only in - - ahh, RUPERT !