'Good Morning America' Attacks Murdoch: The Man with 'Everything'

July 18th, 2007 8:36 PM
As the potential Dow Jones sale to Rupert Murdoch gets closer, the mogul was under fire from ABC on July 18.

Correspondent Bianna Golodryga cited fears that the Wall Street Journal would begin to resemble the New York Post, already owned by Murdoch.

“Here is why this story is important. This is the paper he wants to buy: The Wall Street Journal. Now, one big news story, a business story that came out a few weeks ago, was the sale of Hilton Hotels. What people are afraid is that this—the New York Post is going to be telling the story, a picture of Paris Hilton.” said Golodryga during “Good Morning America.”

Her segment was called “Titan at the Top: Is Murdoch Taking over the World?” No, just possibly The Wall Street Journal.

But the GMA anchors were also on the attack. In Golodryga’s report, she implied that Murdoch has everything a “titan” could want:

“Private yacht and 737. Check. Powerful friend and enemies. Check. Much younger gorgeous wife. Check again,” said Golodryga.

But at the end of the segment, co-anchor Diane Sawyer said sarcastically, “You think he has everything? I'll bet the day after tomorrow there is something new he wants.”
“Check!” replied co-anchor Robin Roberts.

Golodryga also included criticism of the deal from Ken Auletta, a harsh Murdoch critic.

“His editorial views, his political views, his commercial interests, bleed into the way stories are covered or not covered,” said Ken Auletta, media critic for the elite liberal magazine, The New Yorker. “And that’s the great nightmare the people at the Journal have.”

The GMA report was just one of several stories recently that have disparaged the potential Murdoch acquisition of Dow Jones.