Public Address | Cafe | Hard News: A handful of battling billionaires

James George

Sat, 10 Aug 2013 10:12:24 +1200

Bruce is the one in charge of the sheep dip – reputed to be in breach of rule number 1.

James George

Sat, 10 Aug 2013 10:02:57 +1200

Oh OK went away for a couple days. Juan Cole as a warmonger is easy. As a democrat policy advisor it is true he was very outspoken when the rethugs led the invasion of Iraq. Not that the dems actually did much useful to block the illegal invasion of another…

Martin Brown

Thu, 08 Aug 2013 21:52:00 +1200

Chump change for Bezos. And not much more expensive to maintain than a super yacht or say, a sports team.

Tim Michie

Thu, 08 Aug 2013 16:14:36 +1200

Er, Washington Post meant of course. Wishington is so 2012.

Tim Michie

Thu, 08 Aug 2013 13:54:46 +1200

From a Wishington Post chat Roxanne Roberts :
The amazing thing is that a six-month process remained a secret. It takes a lot to surprise a roomful of WaPo editors and reporters, and — trust me — everyone was stunned. Putting aside the irony of none of the journalists breaking…

Myles Thomas

Wed, 07 Aug 2013 22:29:57 +1200

If Murdoch genuinely loves newspapers I’m happy for him. It’s what he also genuinely loves which I would take issue with. And controlling the political process negates pretty much any kind of philanthropy I can think of.

Hell, the Times? Not the most exciting paper in Britain. The Australian? Bagging…

andin

Wed, 07 Aug 2013 16:40:55 +1200

The Kochs are odious elitist assholes but at least they probably believe what they are doing. We all believe what we are doing! So they are just arseholes.

Murdoch is a mercenary; the classic example of the corporate psychopath who will do anything at all if he thinks it will…

Anthony Behrens Esq

Wed, 07 Aug 2013 12:59:47 +1200

I've for Murdoch and Fairfax papers...at least Murdoch knew what he was doing...

Matthew Poole

Wed, 07 Aug 2013 12:50:49 +1200

people like Murdoch, with a genuine love of political influence

FTFY

alwyn

Wed, 07 Aug 2013 12:19:41 +1200

I suggest that you make the most of reading the Guardian. It is owned and run by a non-profit trust, as you say.
Howver the paper loses money and the trust fund is running down. I understand that at the current rate of the paper losing money it will be…

Russell Brown

Wed, 07 Aug 2013 11:45:20 +1200

Just curious as to how Juan Cole can be characterised as a warmonger.

Let's put it this way: he's not.

Gary Young

Wed, 07 Aug 2013 11:11:41 +1200

Just curious as to how Juan Cole can be characterised as a warmonger. I have occasionally dipped into his blog for a casual browse and he appears to take a very dim view of the USA's overseas military adventures.

I am, of course, open to evidence to the contrary.

Tinakori

Wed, 07 Aug 2013 10:14:04 +1200

Bruce Rudd? Who's he, Kevin's brother?

James George

Wed, 07 Aug 2013 09:57:52 +1200

I have no liking for the Koch brothers but any comparison between Koch & Murdoch that finds the Kochs more 'evil' is an indication that the person making the comparison is relying on partisan political views from people such as the Democrat and warmonger Juan Cole or, holds partisan views them…

Anthony Behrens Esq

Wed, 07 Aug 2013 07:45:08 +1200

America has the Koch Brothers. Australia has Gina Rinehart.

Was just going to say that...with the addition that New Zealand also has Ms Rinehart

Sacha

Wed, 07 Aug 2013 07:18:42 +1200

About the pensions aspect of the WaPo deal.

Myles Thomas

Wed, 07 Aug 2013 00:51:18 +1200

Maybe newspapers need to borrow funding models from other media – say the BBC or ABC in Oz? The Guardian is owned by a non-profit trust and that shows in its reporting. Journalism's role in democracy is the hedgehog to the 'market's 18-wheel juggernaut.

If politicians are unhappy with their…

anth

Tue, 06 Aug 2013 21:12:44 +1200

Meanwhile the Sun is going behind a paywall but that is only part of the story.

Matthew Littlewood

Tue, 06 Aug 2013 18:35:17 +1200

For an example of how a newspaper takeover can go horribly wrong, look no further than David Carr's astonishing account of the goings-on at the Tribune Company. It's a remarkable piece of journalism, but his investigation reveals that the company's moral and fiscal bankruptcy under Zell- the workplace culture was…

Russell Brown

Tue, 06 Aug 2013 17:10:18 +1200

You mean that whole Koch Brothers joining with George Soros to fund the ACLU to challenge the USA PATRIOT Act while Bush was President?

No, more the way they've bankrolled school board candidates to defeat diversity schemes, their massive support for voter ID laws and other vote suppression efforts, the…

Robin

Tue, 06 Aug 2013 16:51:48 +1200

Anti Koch Brothers Infographic: http://www.juancole.com/2013/08/burning-halperin-infographic.html

And in more detail from Al Jazeera: http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/peopleandpower/2011/10/2011102683719370179.html

Graeme Edgeler

Tue, 06 Aug 2013 16:39:58 +1200

As odious as Murdoch might be, he’s nowhere near the Koch brothers.

You mean that whole Koch Brothers joining with George Soros to fund the ACLU to challenge the USA PATRIOT Act while Bush was President?

Kumara Republic

Tue, 06 Aug 2013 15:38:01 +1200

America has the Koch Brothers. Australia has Gina Rinehart.

Russell Brown

Tue, 06 Aug 2013 14:33:40 +1200

You have to be joking. Murdoch’s News Ltd/plc/international/corp has committed all of those sins and more.

As odious as Murdoch might be, he's nowhere near the Koch brothers.

James George

Tue, 06 Aug 2013 14:28:56 +1200

oops – principle not principal

James George

Tue, 06 Aug 2013 14:21:34 +1200

So "I'd rather have Murdoch than the Kochs own The Times, if it came down to that choice," he said. The Koch brothers, he charged, "use money and media to misinform, misdirect and make miserable all of us." is to be regarded as credible?
You have to be joking. Murdoch's…

Russell Brown

Tue, 06 Aug 2013 12:59:33 +1200

Newspapers are now restored to their former status as playthings of the rich, rather than market-driven profit centers.

An intriguing column by The Guardian's Emily Bell.

Barnaby Nicholls

Tue, 06 Aug 2013 12:58:04 +1200

It's hard to know exactly what kind of model is ideal for newspapers – they're still large news-gathering/disseminating organisations, and continue to be widely read. Profit may be just about impossible for them, so all they have left to recommend them is influence – and this leads to ownership by…

Russell Brown

Tue, 06 Aug 2013 12:30:40 +1200

David Simon on the Koch brothers' plans:

“When I heard that the Koch brothers, bless their hearts, were interested in purchasing newspapers–and the Baltimore Sun, my alma mater, in particular–I thought, ‘Well, that’s kind of the last nail in the coffin,’” Simon said. “There’s a lot of damage that’s been…

Russell Brown

Tue, 06 Aug 2013 12:29:02 +1200

Craig has directed me to this link detailing quite how much Bezos got for his $250m. Not just A masthead, but a publishing empire.

Tim Michie

Tue, 06 Aug 2013 12:21:28 +1200

I was interested this acquistion followed so soon after the Washington Post introduced its paywall (with allowance of 20 free articles/month for registered but unsubsribed readers). I think the social good component was a factor for the Grahams Trust discounting the price.

Russell Brown

Tue, 06 Aug 2013 12:20:47 +1200

In the sale the other day of of the Boston Globe by the New York Times for $70 million, the Times keep the Globe’s pension obligations (effectively making it a sale for -$40 million, or so I’ve read).

Interesting. The Tribune Company entered bankruptcy (from which it just emerged) with…

The Ruminator

Tue, 06 Aug 2013 11:38:28 +1200

That letter is an exercise in spectacular PR. Anyone considering buying a company needs to take that down word-for-word and replicate it as best they can...

Shaun Lott

Tue, 06 Aug 2013 11:36:20 +1200

$250m seems cheap... but surely the real costs come in the long term support of a business that will marginally profitable (at best) with an eye to the civic good?

David Hood

Tue, 06 Aug 2013 11:35:27 +1200

Always pays to check the surrounding issues in cases like this (which I don't know about in this case). In the sale the other day of of the Boston Globe by the New York Times for $70 million, the Times keep the Globe's pension obligations (effectively making it a sale…

Euan Mason

Tue, 06 Aug 2013 11:30:51 +1200

People will buy and read what they perceive to be balanced reporting. Unfortunately this check on media bias has the following flaws in a web-based world:

a) Many newspapers are free to read on the web and it's advertisers who choose what thrives
b) Buy up enough outlets and readers…

Mark Graham

Tue, 06 Aug 2013 11:27:04 +1200

Please God, not the Kochs. Scumbags of the highest order.

Public Address

Tue, 06 Aug 2013 11:27:04 +1200

Discussion from blog post.