Dow Jones looks to take advantage of the situation

Sean Callahan of BtoB magazine takes a look at the moves being made by Dow Jones & Co., The Wall Street Journal‘s parent, to strengthen its position in the business news market while competitors struggle.

Callahan writes, “Despite these struggles, and thanks in part to the deep pockets of News Corp. (which has $6.54 billion in cash, according to Standard & Poor’s), Dow Jones has been able to invest in its business while other media companies are slashing costs.

“In the consumer media group, the most visible change Dow Jones has made since News Corp.’s takeover on Dec. 13, 2007, has been the expansion of the Journal’s coverage to include more international and political news as it jockeys to position itself as the most powerful national newspaper.

“While some argue the changes have diluted the Journal’s business-focused brand, Robert Thomson, editor in chief of Dow Jones, argues that the growth in circulation tells a different story. Additionally, noting the increasingly global nature of commerce, he said, ‘If you’re a businessperson, you need more international stories.’

“Media buyers have noticed. ‘It’s important that they’re adding content at a time when other newspapers are thinner and less compelling,’ said Audrey Siegel, exec VP-director of client services at media agency TargetCast. ‘The real question is whether the Journal can keep it up.'”

Read more here.