Pearson denies it want to sell FT

Agence France-Presse reports that Pearson is denying a Bloomberg report that it plans to sell the Financial Times.

AFP reports, “Media wire Bloomberg reported that British media group Pearson was sounding out a private sale and that the company ‘has decided to consider offers for the newspaper this year.’

“Pearson released a statement within an hour, saying it was ‘not in the habit of responding to rumours, speculation or reports about our portfolio.’ It added: ‘However, this particular Bloomberg story is wrong.’ According to reports, Pearson is looking to offload the £1 billion (S$1.95 billion) valued company within months in order to focus on its fast-growing education division.

“Chief Executive Majorie Scardino has said the paper would only be sold ‘over my dead body’ but analysts have been predicting a sale since she announced her retirement on Oct 3.”

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Chris Roush

Chris Roush was the dean of the School of Communications at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Connecticut. He was previously Walter E. Hussman Sr. Distinguished Professor in business journalism at UNC-Chapel Hill. He is a former business journalist for Bloomberg News, Businessweek, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Tampa Tribune and the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. He is the author of the leading business reporting textbook "Show me the Money: Writing Business and Economics Stories for Mass Communication" and "Thinking Things Over," a biography of former Wall Street Journal editor Vermont Royster.