Nooooo!

The deal between Murdoch and the Bancrofts went down on Tuesday, as detailed in this article. Hopefully our worst fears won't be realized, which would look pretty much like this cartoon.

Thankfully, Murdoch has committed to some limitations on what he can do to the editorial side of the Journal, and it is also worth noting that he will likely invest a great deal in bolstering the Journal's political coverage and its international bureaus, which is great. It's also good that Dow Jones in the hands of someone who understands that newspapers don't have to die because of the Web-- they just have to learn how to harness the Web as another outlet.

But only time will tell how much the Journal will change. I'm not sure if I'll be as fond of a Journal that's meant to compete more directly with The NY Times. I like that the Journal's front page never heavily focuses on "the news of the day." It certainly isn't my primary source of news, but it's one of my favorites. I'll read my primary news from whatever source pops up first on Google News, but I'll always look at the Journal (when I can get a hold of it) to see what other stories they've deemed worthy of print.

Now all I can ask for is that Murdoch doesn't touch the Journal's precious middle column, which always has quirky features. But it looks like he will: "He told Time magazine that he was not sure about the offbeat front-page stories known internally as 'A-Heds' that are a plum for reporters to write." :'( :'( :'(