Category Archives: Media

Labor vs Capital at the WSJ

The Wall Street Journal’s reporters want Rupert Murdoch’s money – and
they’re not shy about asking for it.
Continue reading

Posted in Media | Comments Off on Labor vs Capital at the WSJ

Nostalgia for Glass Steagall

Yves Smith at Naked Capitalism submits: Boy, is sentiment changing. The latest indicator: an article in MarketWatch bemoaning the demise of Glass Steagall, the law enacted in 1933 that separated commercial banking from investment banking. The article by Thomas Kostigen … Continue reading

Posted in banking, Media, regulation | Comments Off on Nostalgia for Glass Steagall

The Journal Tells Us Quants Have Suffered

Yves Smith at Naked Capitalism submits: Readers have probably figured out that I think the reporting in the Wall Street Journal is overrated. We have a prime example on page one today, “How Market Turmoil Waylaid the ‘Quants’.” My understanding … Continue reading

Posted in investing, Media | Comments Off on The Journal Tells Us Quants Have Suffered

The Wall Street Journal Touts Dubious Research (CEO Performance Edition)

Yves Smith at Naked Capitalism submits: Will someone, please, teach the reporters at the Wall Street Journal the basics about scientific research? I know it’s hard finding stuff to write about day in, day out. But the story “Scholars Link … Continue reading

Posted in governance, Media | Comments Off on The Wall Street Journal Touts Dubious Research (CEO Performance Edition)

Cash-Out Refis: The Missing Actor in the Subprime Drama

Yves Smith at Naked Capitalism submits: Ah, fall is upon us, and with it comes the spectacle of renewed discussion of what to do about the snowballing subprime/housing mess. Members of Congress will compete for air time to Bemoan the … Continue reading

Posted in banking, bonds and loans, housing, Media | 6 Comments

The WSJ’s Greg Ip Defends Bernanke Against Martin Wolf

Yves Smith at Naked Capitalism submits: Frankly, this is pathetic. If Bernanke and his minions can’t take the heat of some well-deserved criticism from the highly-regarded Martin Wolf of the Financial Times, they don’t belong in public service. To recap: … Continue reading

Posted in Media, Politics, regulation | 4 Comments

How Greenspan Diminished the Fed

Yves Smith at Naked Capitalism submits: It must be miserable to be a central banker these days. Not only are they confronted with the worst mess in at least a generation, but too many interested parties, from the financial services … Continue reading

Posted in Media, Politics, regulation | Comments Off on How Greenspan Diminished the Fed

Press Burnishing of Presidential Image

Yves Smith of Naked Capitalism submits: The media is typically kind to newly-elected leaders, so now it’s Sarkozy who is getting favorable press treatment. And when we say “burnishing image,” we mean it literally. From the BBC: The French magazine … Continue reading

Posted in Media | Comments Off on Press Burnishing of Presidential Image

The MySpace-WSJ Barbell

WSJ.com had 4.5 million unique visitors in
July
. That’s less than the LA Times, and less than a third of what nytimes.com
gets. Even a second-tier blog like consumerist.com can boast
over 2 million uniques.
Continue reading

Posted in Media, publishing | Comments Off on The MySpace-WSJ Barbell

When Dynastic Control Fails

Equity Private says that dual-class share structures don’t
do what they’re designed to do
:
Continue reading

Posted in Media, publishing, stocks | Comments Off on When Dynastic Control Fails

Cramer’s Meltdown Spills Into Print

There’s a school of thought that Jim Cramer just plays a screaming
nutcase on
TV
, that in reality he’s actually quite smart and knows his onions.
Continue reading

Posted in housing, Media | Comments Off on Cramer’s Meltdown Spills Into Print

Counting Ads in the WSJ

How can the WSJ make itself more attractive to display advertisers?
Continue reading

Posted in Media, publishing | Comments Off on Counting Ads in the WSJ

Universal Uncripples Music, Cripples Music Retailing

I’m very happy that Universal is experimenting with uncrippling its music. But I do hope it doesn’t cripple online music retailing in doing so.
Continue reading

Posted in Media, technology | Comments Off on Universal Uncripples Music, Cripples Music Retailing

Print Bears vs TV Bulls

Brian Wesbury says there are too
many bears
on the telly; Barry Ritholtz says there are
too
many bulls
.
Continue reading

Posted in Media | Comments Off on Print Bears vs TV Bulls

Free the NYT’s Archives!

Holly Sanders of the New York Post is reporting
that the NYT is finally going to abolish its idiotic TimesSelect service –
and about time too.
Continue reading

Posted in Media | Comments Off on Free the NYT’s Archives!

Melted Cramer on Toast

Jim Cramer is the Britney Spears of the financial
punditocracy: famous for being famous, great at attracting attention in a trainwreck
kind of way, self-destructive and self-loathing,
and completely, utterly out of control.
Continue reading

Posted in Media | Comments Off on Melted Cramer on Toast

Was There a Murdoch “Jerk Premium”?

Dan Gross reckons
that Rupert Murdoch paid a "jerk premium" of "somewhere
between $760 million and $1.22 billion" to take over Dow Jones and the
Wall Street Journal. Anybody else, he says, could have bought it for less:
Continue reading

Posted in Media, publishing | Comments Off on Was There a Murdoch “Jerk Premium”?

Why WSJ.com Should Be Free

Saul Hansell wonders
whether Rupert Murdoch should really make WSJ.com free from
the first day he owns it.

Of course he should.

Continue reading

Posted in Media, publishing, technology | Comments Off on Why WSJ.com Should Be Free

Nicholas Negroponte, WSJ Guardian

The (other, London, Murdoch) Times tells us who’s
going to sit
on the all-important committee charged with safeguarding the
editorial integrity of the WSJ.
Continue reading

Posted in Media | Comments Off on Nicholas Negroponte, WSJ Guardian

Rupert Murdoch Gets a Mandate, and a Trophy

Amidst the acres of commentary on the Murdoch-Dow Jones acquisition this morning, there’s precious little in the way of news or original analysis. The WSJ is, as it has been all along, ahead of the game, and reports the most … Continue reading

Posted in Media, publishing | Comments Off on Rupert Murdoch Gets a Mandate, and a Trophy

Rupert Murdoch, Victorious

It’s
finally happened
: News Corp has enough Bancroft votes that it’s going to
go ahead with its acquisition of Dow Jones.
Continue reading

Posted in Media, publishing | Comments Off on Rupert Murdoch, Victorious

Rupert Murdoch: Probably Posturing

The Monday-at-5pm deadline has come and gone, and the WSJ, of course, has the
best coverage
of What On Earth Is Going On with the Bancrofts and Dow Jones.
Continue reading

Posted in Media, publishing | Comments Off on Rupert Murdoch: Probably Posturing

Great Moments in Punditry: Jim Cramer on Housing

If I have any ambitions of being a financial pundit, should I try to come up
with stuff like this, from Jim Cramer?
Continue reading

Posted in housing, Media | Comments Off on Great Moments in Punditry: Jim Cramer on Housing

Murdoch Says a Majority Isn’t Enough to Buy Dow Jones

Were they talking to me?
Continue reading

Posted in Media | Comments Off on Murdoch Says a Majority Isn’t Enough to Buy Dow Jones

Murdoch-Dow Jones: A Done Deal, Surely

Murdoch is going to go ahead with his Dow Jones acquisition no matter what, since he has substantially more than 50% of the vote behind him.
Continue reading

Posted in Media | Comments Off on Murdoch-Dow Jones: A Done Deal, Surely