Wall Street Journal Staffers Push Back: We're Not 'Fox-ified'

[Derechos]

snip

But while the Journal hasn’t been ignoring the scandal in recent days, staffers say the paper hasn’t been knocking it out of the park either -- especially when their work is being closely scrutinized. “It’s been serviceable and workmanlike,” said another Journal staffer. “But when covering yourself, you’ve got to do a great job.” Multiple staffers said the News Corp. scandal is just another example of the Journal not living up to its pre-Murdoch trademark of aggressive corporate coverage

Several staffers, whether they thought the Journal's coverage was solid or behind the curve, told The Huffington Post that Joe Nocera's brutal critique in the New York Times, in which he wrote that the Journal has become "Fox-ified," was over-the-top. (Nocera took another swipe at Murdoch's Journal in Tuesday's column).

Nocera wrote that the Journal’s interview with Murdoch last Thursday “might as well have been dictated by the News Corporation public relations department.” He wrote there was “no pushback” against Murdoch’s statements and assumed that “the Journal reporter had either been told not to ask those questions, or instinctively knew that he shouldn’t.”

However, Journal staffers defend their colleague, pointing out that Murdoch called the London bureau chief late Thursday night regarding uncomfortable questions reporters had been asking about James’ future with the company. Orwall, a Journal veteran who pre-dates the News Corp. takeover, then got Murdoch to answer a few questions on the record. He wrote up the responses -- which appear more off-the-cuff than anything carefully written by PR professionals -- and quickly published the newsworthy story. While Orwall may not have provided significant scrutiny, Journal staffers argue that the bureau chief had a legitimate scoop -- Murdoch's first interview in weeks -- and therefore needed to quickly get the comments up online. In hindsight, they acknowledge, it doesn't look like a tough interview.


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/07/19/wall-street-journal-rupert-murdoch_n_903855.html

[Rex]

1. True, not all the people working for The Rupert are souless assholes

destined for hells shores...justt the people that work at the WSJ.