By Sarah Ellison and Matthew Karnitschnig
The Wall Street Journal Online
Published 8/3/2007
Excerpt:
It isn't clear whether Dow Jones was aware of News Corp.'s ties to Mr. Negroponte's group, although it hasn't been a secret and was reported by the Journal in November 2005.
"We have confidence that Nicholas Negroponte can be an effective and valuable member of the Special Committee on editorial independence," said Wall Street Journal Managing Editor Marcus Brauchli and Editor of the Editorial Page Paul Gigot in a statement. "We did not envision that members of the committee, News Corp. and Dow Jones would have no associations among or with each other, only that they would be people of integrity who are committed to ensuring our editorial independence."
And Dow Jones spokeswoman Linda Dunbar said, "We are confident of the capability of the individuals to make independent decisions."
Bob Steele, an ethics scholar at the Poynter Institute, said, "It is certainly an issue that could create competing loyalties. If Mr. Negroponte's foundation is significantly dependent on financial wherewithal from Mr. Murdoch, then there is an interlocking relationship that could create competing loyalties."
By Jim Finkle and Kenneth Li
WashingtonPost.com
Published 8/2/2007
Excerpt:
"If in fact Nicholas' foundation is receiving money from News Corp, that creates the perception and, quite possibly, the reality of a conflict," said Louis Ureneck, chairman of the journalism department at Boston University.
"Is a person truly independent if a decision he makes puts at risk a significant grant to his foundation? It strikes me that there is a conflict," Ureneck said.
Bob Steele, a journalism values scholar at the Poynter Institute, said it would be challenging for Negroponte to balance his loyalty to Murdoch as a friend and business associate with his responsibilities as a committee member.
"But it is possible," said Steele.
Poynter is a school for professional journalists in St. Petersburg, Florida.
It was not clear if members of Dow Jones's controlling Bancroft family, who negotiated and agreed upon the structure of the independent committee, were aware of the donation.
