What a News Corp. Split Could Mean for Editorial Coverage

Will a News Corp. split have a downside for its entertainment properties?

As the media giant mulls splitting off its print business, among the many implications are that its entertainment empire will be further detached from the papers that can bolster the blockbusters churned out by the same entertainment side. Lore has it that News Corp. papers are used to promote Murdoch’s sprawling media assets and even the parent company itself. In 2011, a UC Berkeley study purported to show a "statistically significant, if small, bias" in how News Corp. properties reviewed 20th Century Fox movies. In the U.S. alone, News Corp.'s high-end (and increasingly consumer-aimed) Wall Street Journal and downmarket New York Post have ample opportunity to promote News Corp.’s vast sports, movies and TV interests. But even with Murdoch still very much in the picture, operators at separately run companies will have less opportunity for the interaction that can fuel such cross-pollination.