Irin Carmon of Women’s Wear Daily has some interesting details — as well as some reaction from reporters — about News Corp. CEO Rupert Murdoch‘s visit to The Wall Street Journal newsroom.
Carmon wrote, “He spoke of tremendous change in the world and the need for the Journal be a resource as millions of people have emerged from poverty and joined the world economy, according to people in the room. ‘It wasn’t a rallying speech,’ said one staffer. ‘Just a state of affairs.’
“Said another: ‘He used the word ‘nervousness’ half a dozen times’ to refer to how he presumed the staff felt.
“‘I know you all have work to do,’ Murdoch finished, ‘so don’t get scooped!’
“Incoming Dow Jones chief executive officer Les Hinton and new Wall Street Journal publisher Robert Thomson (whom Murdoch said would have no financial responsibilities) also spoke briefly. Thomson said, ‘A man standing still is a man overrun,’ and emphasized that the Wall Street Journal would maintain its tradition of honesty, integrity and ‘perspicacity.’ (This word caused significant brow-furrowing in the newsroom, according to several people. Perhaps Thomson’s first order of business should be dispensing a dictionary.)
Read more here.
