US: Murdoch calls WSJ reporters to have them stay

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on August 27, 2007 at 10:36 AM

Everybody’s reacting to news that Rupert Murdoch has made personal phone calls to three Wall Street Journal reporters who wanted to leave the publication.

These calls were seen as either Murdoch’s commitment to keeping a high-quality staff, or on the other hand as a sign of his hands-on approach to newsroom affairs.

The reporters, Tara Parker-Pope, Kate Kelly and Henry Sender, were considering taking up positions at two of the Journal’s biggest rivals, the New York Times (Parker-Pope and Kelly) and the Financial Times (Sender).

The effects of Murdoch’s calls aren’t precisely known. Parker-Pope had already decided to leave, Kelly had decided to stay, and Sender is still undecided.

Although Murdoch’s move encourages speculation about his involvement in the Journal’s newsroom, it’s too early to make any clear-cut judgments on the matter.

Source: Los Angeles Times