Mark Pasetsky's Cover Awards

(Image via Splash)

Rupert Murdoch — Chairman of News Corp, new WSJ owner, and longtime torchbearer for conservative politics — said this about Barack Obama:

“He is a rock star. I love what he is saying about education. I think he will win and I am anxious to meet him,” reports the Huffington Post.

About the presumptive Republican nominee, Murdoch said, “McCain is a friend of mine. But I think he’s got a lot of problems. He has been in Congress a long time, and you have to make a lot of compromises. So what’s he really stand for?… I think he has a lot of problems.”

So there you have it.

Fox News Channel should be completely embarrassed.

Today, ABC, NBC and CBS put aside corporate rivalries to fight the battle against cancer.

Sure, Fox doesn’t have a national news show but it could have participated in this campaign.

According to a spokesperson for Stand Up 2 Cancer, Fox was “asked but declined to participate.”

I tried to call Fox News Channel but the PR department did not pick up its phone??? Go figure.

Are you as disgusted by this as I am???

Get ready to pay more for the NY Post.

Rupert Murdoch announced plans to double the price to 50 cents to “stem losses at the Post.”

He said the paper would “raise its cover price within the next two weeks.”

Don’t worry just yet!  Last time the NY Post increased its price sales plummeted and Murdoch quickly reversed his decision. (NYT)

The Project for Excellence in Journalism says that “The Wall Street Journal’s front page has clearly shifted focus, de-emphasizing business coverage that was the franchise, while placing much more emphasis on domestic politics and devoting more attention to international issues.

But it is not, at least not yet, as broad as the New York Times on the same days,” reports Portfolio.

Marcus Brauchli, The Wall Street Journal’s well-respected managing editor of just 11 months, left the post today, after talking to the editorial independence board formed when Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp. bought The Journal’s parent, Dow Jones.  (AdAge)

Tribune Company has reached an agreement to sell Newsday to News Corp for about $580 million in what would be a joint venture, according to Mediaweek.

Newsday would become part of a joint venture with the New York Post and other News Corp assets.  

Tribune would keep a stake of less than 5 percent.

(Mediaweek)

THIS JUST IN:

Marcus W. Brauchli will step down as the top-ranking editor of The Wall Street Journal after less than a year in the job four months after Rupert Murdoch took control of the paper, reports the New York Times.  Mr. Brauchli, 46, will announce his resignation soon, according to friends and current and former colleagues. They differed as to whether he was being forced out as managing editor of The Journal, one of the most coveted posts in journalism, or leaving out of frustration.

(NY Times)

Rupert Murdoch and Sam Zell are among four new members joining the board of directors of The Associated Press, it was announced Monday.  (AP)

According to the New York Times, “The Wall Street Journal’s transition to more breaking news and shorter articles will continue in the coming weeks with a makeover of its Marketplace section.”

“Plans call for fewer business features on the section’s first page,” reports the New York Times.  “The section front also has featured columnists who will be shifted inside, except Walter S. Mossberg, the technology columnist. The Marketplace front page will instead have more hard news articles about events in the corporate world.”

 Earlier today, Rupert Murdoch closed down PageSix.com.   Now Portfolio is reporting that Mr. Murdoch is interested in taking over Newsday, the Long Island tabloid off Tribune Co.’s hands, according to “one newspaper industry insider.” Click here for the complete report.