Brooklyn Papers

Breaking News: Rupert Murdoch Buys Brooklyn Paper

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I was in Manhattan attending to some family business when I saw Morgan Pehme's post on his blog, Brooklyn Optimist reporting that Rupert Murdoch bought the Brooklyn Paper, home of Smartmom. 

That's a shocker to me. Now a lot of things I was wondering about are making sense. I knew nothing about it although Gersh did recently hint that some investors might be interested in the Brooklyn Paper. 
I have to say, I am very surprised that they would sell to Murdoch. But then again, in these times survival is survival.

I guess. 

My reaction in the car with Hepcat: "Brooklyn blogs just got very important now that Murdoch owns both the Courier and the Paper, as well as the Wall Street Journal and the New York Post."

And you can quote me. 

I'm not sure what this means for Smartmom. I'll have to have a long talk with her about it. Here's Morgan's report on Brooklyn Optimist:

Today, Murdoch, who already owns the Brooklyn Courier-Life chain of newspapers, the New York Post, and The Wall Street Journal, gobbled up The Brooklyn Paper too. In an article posted just over an hour ago on the The New York Observer's website, The Brooklyn Paper's editor Gersh Kuntzman declares, "We're very excited."

Good thing Gersh is happy, because Brooklynites I called for quick comment are deeply disturbed at the total media consolidation of New York City's biggest borough – especially since all the papers will now be under the control of the ultra-conversative FOX News baron. "It's likely to put a stanglehold on independent reporting and on the ability for people to find out what's going on in their community and influence it," said Carroll Gardens resident Glenn Kelly.

And it's not just the residents of Brooklyn that are reeling from the sudden bombshell. There's likely to be a dramatic shake-up in both theCourier-Life and Brooklyn Paper newsrooms as News Corp. eliminates overlap between the two papers.

Morgan, I couldn't agree with you more when you say: "Dear readers, have the Brooklyn blogs ever been more important? We're the only source of true, independent news left in the borough." 

This is a crazy turn of events and one that leaves many of us feeling slightly (slightly?) uncomfortable. Gersh has worked for Murdoch before and he's a  very independent guy. I am very curious what this mean and how things will roll out. . 

I was wondering why the Brooklyn Paper's music-in-hold isn't WNYC Radio anymore. And that recent Atlantic Yards turnaround by the paper's publisher. 

Hmmmmm. Questions. Questions. 


 

One thought on “Breaking News: Rupert Murdoch Buys Brooklyn Paper”

  1. Nauseating news. Thanks for connecting the dots, Louise. That Brooklyn Papers editorial about how they should build Ratner’s arena NOW is proof that things already HAVE changed, and not for the better.

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