Rupert Murdoch Launches Old-Fashioned Newspaper War Against New York Times

Two of the publishing world's most influential editors approached the tower at 1211 Avenue of the Americas in Manhattan with apprehension. Headquarters of News Corp., the limestone-clad tower houses the company's pugnacious New York Post and Fox News Channel, favorites of the boss, Rupert Murdoch. When he's not hopscotching the seven continents, Murdoch rules his empire from his eighth-floor office here, which is decorated with a backlit, floor-to-ceiling map of the world--the better to pinpoint his hundreds of media properties, from Los Angeles-based Fox Broadcasting and the Silicon Valley headquarters of MySpace to the United Kingdom's BSkyB satellite-TV company. The dining suite where Murdoch hosts his guests has three separate rooms, each themed to one of the media Murdoch controls: newspapers, movies and television. The place whispers discretion, so the powerful who call on Murdoch needn't fret about surfacing the next day in the tittle-tattle of the New York Post's Page Six. Given the nature of their visit, discretion was important to the guests on a late spring day three years ago, the then Time Inc. Editor in Chief Norman Pearlstine and his deputy John Huey. The two men had come seeking support from the one media mogul whom other moguls most fear and respect.

Pearlstine and Huey were facing a potential public-relations nightmare. For months, they'd been trying to untangle Time magazine from "Plamegate," the scandal involving press leaks from the Bush West Wing that had compromised the identity of an undercover CIA agent, Valerie Plame. Cornered by a special prosecutor who was probing the mess, the magazine editors were still pressing for legal relief, but also realized that their only other recourse might be to cross that most sacrosanct journalistic line: revealing their reporter's confidential source--who in this case happened to be Vice President Dick Cheney's chief of staff, I. Lewis (Scooter) Libby. So they called on Murdoch to seek support for their legal position, recalls Pearlstine. Huey says they were also looking for a promise of a restrained response from Murdoch's minions if it were necessary to out the confidential source. They didn't want to land on the New York Post's front page with their heads superimposed on rats, for instance (such is the power of the Post over Manhattan's media elite). "Done," Murdoch said quickly, to the surprise of the editors.

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Comments

[totalliberal]

This a great example of a past perfect plutense. Within months he will become a nobody and not even know it.

[iPolitics]

I knew Rupert Murdoch came from the land down-under. I only learned in the last decade it was waaaaay down-under in that burning hot locale.

[truthyguy]

"All the news that's fit to print" vs. "All the Bullshit we see fit to print"

What happened to those promises about independence and integrity Murdouch made in order to acquire the WSJ and other news outlets?

[Podewumun]

LOL! You're kidding, right?

[aj4321]

If Murdoch wants to be taken seriously, he needs to first close FOX. No one will take him or the new WSJ seriously, as long as he keeps this train-wreck alive.

[speakingtruth2power]

Who is the Grand Lizard of Fascism?

[elcojonu]

Let's start a movement, strip Murdoch of his citizenship ( if he IS a citizen ) and DEPORT him.
What do you all think ?

[ch0828a42008]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjRpdVVWFAM

[JackNasty]

It seemed the New York Times had hit bottom when it published Judith Miller's so-called reporting. Now in a newly declared war with Rupert Murdock, it may be possible to sink lower still. Who knew such a descent was possible?

[sammy333]

Hiring Bill-the-smiling-murderer-Kristol made another statement of their political position. Between FOX and NYT, NYT is clearly worse, it is achieves its goals through deception and tricks.

[retreadite]

Wow;

Bloomberg rumored to buy NYT? Interesting.

Gray Lady better do something. Rupert's gonna crush them.

[bikerdude]

I wouldn't say crush them, maybe crush the Sulzbergers, but look at what Murdoch has done with most of his other properties...The NY Post was on its last legs when he bought it and made it a current day contender. The NY News has steadily lost circulation and NY Newsday is gone...He will tweak them, and make them viable or just sell them again. The Sulzbergers have made a huge mess of what was once a great paper. I think it would be terrific if Bloomberg bought the NYT and went head-to-head against Rupert at the WSJ...A titanic battle that would greatly benefit the readers of both papers.

[mydogshakespeare]

Bush to appear on a game show? An audition for post-presidency, I suppose.

[cramos]

Close them down...........NO integrity No readers

[BethStuart]

If ever there were a case for restricting the number of media outlets under the control of one man, this is the case. The need for divestiture is obvious.

[AnnieinOR]

cobwebs need to be clean - murdoch your views and that of your Fox News are outdated and skewed. If you want to be taken seriously, do what Hef did, turn your media organizations over to your daughter.

[bikerdude]

Are you kidding? I think that if Hef had not turned control over to the brat, Playboy would be soaring. What Hef and Rupert have in common is huge business savvy and great love for the media business. The brats are way out of that league...