Overview of Rupert Murdoch Saga

Posted by Kate Butler May 29, 2007

Mass media juggernaut Rupert Murdoch is once again in the news as he seeks to buy the financially-challenged Wall Street Journal, the paper with the second largest circulation numbers in America (after the ever popular USA Today).

Murdoch’s rise to fame is well-known, and he is currently one of the few remaining ‘media titans’ left in a world that is often dominated by nameless and faceless corporations. For better or for worse, Murdoch is undoubtedly the head of News Corp, and he controls the decisions made by this organization.

As we look to the future of mainstream media in North America and around the world, it is important to get a sense of why Rupert Murdoch has played such a key role in this story in the last half century. Whether or not Murdoch succeeds in getting his hands on Dow Jones & Company (and thus the Wall Street Journal) is still very much up in the air; his influence on journalism, however, is not.

For this reason, Mainstream Journalism at Suite 101 will begin an in-depth look at Rupert Murdoch, and the impact of the potential takeover of the Wall Street Journal. Tomorrow, his life as a media mogul will be examined, as will Murdoch’s unique business style. On Tuesday, in the second part of this series, we will take a look at the history and significance of the Wall Street Journal in American media history. Finally, next Thursday, in the final installment, we will look at the potential impact of a successful takeover bid of the Wall Street Journal by Murdoch, and what this might mean for the future of U.S. mainstream media outlets.