As news of The New York Times Co.’s plans to sell The Boston Globe filtered through media and investor circles Thursday, speculation mounted about would-be buyers for New England’s largest newspaper.
Most people were still digesting the news, and the process of soliciting bids was in its earliest stages, according to people briefed on the effort. So the handicapping went first to known media buyers who have been in the market lately, including some who had expressed interest in the Globe.
Comments
A significnt question to any sale of the Globe is what a future owner/publisher's behavior might be. Some overly rich persons want to stick themselves smack-dab in the middle of operations by the properties they own. Rupert Murdoch is just one such individual as the not long ago London hearings into the British press practices revealed. Despite lots of reasons to take a wack at the Globe and its current editorial practices, one has to admit that the paper does provide a significant benefit to the eastern Massachusetts community. The New York Times has, to its credit, maintained an ownership that seems to have stayed out of Globe editorial doings. Whether pursuit of political miscreants and state/city bureaucratic screwups would continue under a new owner is at the heart of the Globe community's interest. One also has to sympathize with Mr. McGrory for taking on an editorship that would include the rug quite possibly being pulled out from under him by the Times management.
Good point. I wonder if Brian had any inside knowledge of the winds of change? As far as the owner goes...... I think it can go either way but given the staunch left leanings of the globe, you could have a politically opposite owner and still not se much if any change in the short term. Sure, you might see some who bail out of there from purely cultural differences but overall I think the Globe will continue on as though there was no change at the ownership level for some time. I'd like to believe that the front page, abaove the fold headlines would take less of an obvious postion but somehow I doubt that will change any time soon.
I read online 3-4 days per week and buy the thurs and sat editions and have the sunday delivered. I said this yesterday but it bears repeating. The G and the sports page are worth the price of paper copies, and special sections and investigative pieces are easier to read in print. They need a flexible print package - pick the days of the week you want in addition to Sundays! Seven days a week is just too much.
Murdoch has poisoned and debased the news industry. He has brought down the level of discourse where ever he has insinuated his vile reach. If he becomes the owner of the Globe, I will no longer support this newspaper. It will be a sad day for New England.