United States

A lighter and paper shredder helped make Mika Brzezinski the symbol of television journalism's guilt trip about Paris Hilton. Brzezinski used both to destroy a script calling for her to read about Hilton's release from jail on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" program recently. Part serious, part an act, it has become an Internet sensation. More than 2 million people have watched a clip of the incident...

Senior executives at the Wall Street Journal have given cautious backing to a deal between parent company Dow Jones and Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation over preserving editorial independence, according to reports. But in a statement that paves the way for a potential $5bn (£2.5bn) takeover of Dow Jones by News Corp, the executives issued a veiled warning to Mr Murdoch not to meddle with the...

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The Los Angeles Times, reeling from months of staff cuts and management shake-ups, said on Thursday that one of its two managing editors, Douglas Frantz, would leave the newspaper next month. Frantz, a former foreign correspondent named managing editor in 2005, will depart from the nation's fourth-largest daily on July 6, though he did not offer a specific explanation for...

If Rupert Murdoch succeeds in buying Dow Jones & Co., he would be able to hire and fire top editors of The Wall Street Journal under the editorial independence agreement reached with the company, The New York Times reported Thursday. “That is a far cry from the demands made by the Bancroft family, owners of a controlling interest in Dow Jones, and it remains to be seen how the Bancrofts — most of...

Unionized Wall Street Journal reporters didn’t show up for work Thursday morning to protest Rupert Murdoch’s bid for the Journal’s parent company, as well as Dow Jones & Co.’s proposals for a new labour contract. The half-day walkout, which lasted until 2 p.m. ET, had very high participation by members of the Independent Association of Publishers’ Employees, which represents all Journal reporters...

News Corp. Chairman and Chief Executive Rupert Murdoch said any deal with Dow Jones & Co. would likely be resolved in the next two or three weeks, or “not at all.” “Everything is done. We are just waiting for a final approval of the Bancroft family,” Mr. Murdoch told Reuters during a visit to Warsaw. “The final approval is in the next two, three weeks’ time or not at all,” he added. Although the...

NEW YORK — News Corp. (NWS) CEO Rupert Murdoch holds most of the cards when it comes to his $5 billion offer for Dow Jones (DJ). But the bargaining continues, and he still may need to use his skills of persuasion if he succeeds in acquiring the parent of The Wall Street Journal. After a deal, Murdoch would nominate top editors. But hiring and firing decisions would have to be approved by a five...

If Rupert Murdoch succeeds in buying Dow Jones & Co., will the unusual editorial-independence provision in the deal — which would apparently limit his involvement in The Wall Street Journal newsroom — really work? And should it? Veteran editors and newspaper executives who spoke with E&P today offered mostly criticism of the arrangement, from both the newsroom and ownership sides, saying the...

Rupert Murdoch appears to be a step closer to acquiring The Wall Street Journal, a move that would set off what promises to be culture shock at the venerable financial news institution. The Journal’s parent, Dow Jones & Co., and Murdoch’s News Corp. have agreed in principle on a set of editorial protections for The Wall Street Journal, according to a report on WSJ.com. Protecting the editorial...

Negotiators reached an “agreement in principle” Tuesday for guarding the editorial independence of The Wall Street Journal if its parent, Dow Jones, is sold to News Corp., people briefed on the talks said. That agreement clears the way for discussion of price and other remaining issues. But some of these people cautioned that certain details on editorial independence remained to be settled, and...