The long awaited NYT investigative super article promised in the NY Observer’s gossip column arrived today on page one, above the fold.  For those not fully convinced, Rupert Murdoch is, in fact, the devil.  His influence runs the gamut from the Bushies, to Trent Lott, to Bill&Hill.  Now the Bancrofts are looking to join the list of those who have sold their souls to the Old Nic from Down Under.

I can only hope that the Times exposé pulls some of the Bancoft family back from the edge and scuttles the Murdoch deal.  If they don’t resist, the WSJ is on a perilous course toward obscurity.  It will only take one whiff of influence on their news coverage to capsize the franchise, and consign it to the ash heap.  The real losers are we the humble readers who have fewer and fewer outlets for unfiltered news coverage.  Even if a Chinese wall can be constructed between NewsCorp and the WSJ newsroom, a Murdoch WSJ will be distracted by constant scrutiny for untoward influence and ulterior motives.