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Jerusalem Post Sale

Interesting article about the impending sale of The Jerusalem Post in the business section of yesterday's New York Times.

In the article, the Post's editor in chief, Bret Stephens is quoted as saying that "It is primarily a paper read by people abroad." Moshe Arens, the former Likud foreign and defense minister, said: "It's a newspaper for people who don't know enough Hebrew. It's not very important as far as Israeli politics are concerned because most Israelis don't read it." The piece states that only 35 full time reporters and editors remain at the Post.

Despite this, Hollinger, the current owner, is seeking as much as $40 million. I wonder whether some of the prospective buyers overestimate the political influence of the Post. Months ago, when it ran an editorial calling for Yassir Arafat to be killed, the paper was lambasted by John McLaughlin of the McLaughlin Report, suggesting that the U.S. media elite read it and take it seriously, even if they don't like the paper's line.

Finally, I wonder if the sale is affecting the paper's editorial line. Stephens ran two long columns in favor of the Sharon plan, and in an editorial, the paper urged Likud members to vote in favor of the plan. Likely, a more centrist editorial stance is being forced by management to help it sell the Post to a wider market.
posted on 5/18/2004