From My 'Boycott News Corp' Facebook Group:

[Hissyspit]

Don't have any verification links, but thought I'd throw this out:

"Just a quick reminder...

The Dow Jones industrial Index, the universal judge of the stock markets, is owed by News Corp.

Recently, the index hasn't been managed as responsibly as it as in the past. Companies with low stock prices have not been removed from the index in the same manner as in the past.

Just passing on the information. Help spread the word."

[FrenchieCat]

1. The DJ is owned by Newscorp?

Why would a news organization own something like that?

[Donnachaidh]

2. it's true -- here's a link --

http://www.editorsweblog.org/newspaper/2007/12/murdochs_news_corp_owns_dow_jo.php

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on December 17, 2007 at 10:41 AM
Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp. has finally acquired Dow Jones & Company after shareholders approved the takeover bid last Thursday.


Murdoch is now in control of the well-respected Wall Street Journal, which had been owned by the Bancroft family for the last 105 years.

Murdoch gave a speech to Journal newsroom employees in the hours that followed the vote. He said he understood “the very high bar you’ve set for yourselves” but added that, “if anything, you’ll find we set a higher bar.”

Robert J. Thomson, former editor of The Times of London, is now publisher of The Journal. Les Hinton, executive chairman of News Corp’s British papers, will head Dow Jones.

[Hissyspit]

3. Why would Rubert Murdoch want to own our economy?

[Occam Bandage]

5. They own the investment news company Dow Jones, which publishes the index.

I do not at all understand Hissyspit's claim that this means he "owns the economy." Dow Jones doesn't control the price of the stocks, nor do they have anything to do with the stock exchange. They simply report on the numbers.

The claim of conspiracy in the OP is that Dow Jones is including bad stocks in its index of 30 on purpose. Which would make sense, if it weren't for the fact that:

A. Doing so would cause the rich bastards who run this country to lose a shit-ton of money, which they do not want, and
B. The DJIA hasn't particularly underperformed any other blue-chip index.

[Hissyspit]

6. I was being a bit snarky hyperbolic to make a point. Of course, Murdoch does not "own the economy"

but I don't think anyone should doubt his desire to have as much ability to influence our economy as he can.

[Occam Bandage]

8. Oh, certainly. I think his acquisition of the WSJ had an eye on the broader influence

that would give him.

[Occam Bandage]

4. The DJIA is calculated by Dow Jones, which is owned by News Corp.

I'm not sure about the complaint that "companies with low stock prices haven't been removed." Since Feb 1, 2008, three companies have been swapped out. That's pretty normal. Sure, the index has lost a ton of value, but it's not like the S&P's done any better. This just reads like "OMG THEY CONTROL EVERYTHING" fearmongering to me.

[MadBadger]

7. So how do you go about boycotting News Corp?

Would you recommend I stop watching Family Guy?