bancroft-family

Is Natalie Bancroft Actually The Only Smart Choice For News Corp. Board?

Choire · 11/07/07 09:50AM

The poor Bancroft family, former owners of the Wall Street Journal, have bent themselves entirely over new WSJ owner Rupert Murdoch's lap. They've spent the last two months trying to put a representative on the board—but blew a deadline and ensured that Murdoch got to choose for them. (Bitter but true: Rupert wanted "the appearance of the support a Bancroft Family member," according to Christopher Bancroft, not "a 'seasoned champion of journalistic values' from the world of journalism." Plus! "Our family's concerns about journalistic integrity are clearly indicated by our willingness to sell Dow Jones to News Corp." Youch!) And now the family is torn apart because 27-year-old Natalie Bancroft, described dismissively as "a 27-year-old opera singer living in Europe," will sit on the News Corp. board. But?