Battle of the Newspaper Families

Who Will control The Wall Street Journal?

ByABC News
February 9, 2009, 4:57 PM

May 2, 2007 — -- Call it the tale of two families.

They both have power and influence over the world's media, but that's about as far as the similarities go.

This week, the world learned that Rupert Murdoch, head of one of those families, was trying to buy out the vast holdings of the other family: the Bancrofts, owners of Dow Jones and its flagship newspaper, The Wall Street Journal.

The Bancrofts rejected the bid, but the family did not comment on whether or not it would accept any other offer -- from Murdoch or somebody else.

Murdoch is a brash media titan known for his hands-on approach managing his news outlets and from time to time, the content.

The Australian took over his family's business after the sudden death of his father in 1952.

His oldest son, Lachlan, was an integral part of the company but left after a family dispute. Lachlan's brother James has now filled his role.

The Bancrofts are almost polar opposites.

The Boston family does not involve itself in the day-to-day decisions of its media empire. And unlike Murdoch, who often puts himself in the spotlight, they are rarely seen.

"The Bancroft family isn't by and large involved in Dow Jones," said Benjamin M. Compaine, co-author of "Who Owns the Media?" and a researcher on media competition. "You've got a lot of second- and third-generation Bancrofts for whom it is an investment."

The personalities are even reflected in the news outlets each owns the refined Wall Street Journal and Murdoch's News Corp., which includes Fox News, the New York Post and TV Guide.

While the Bancrofts own only part of the papers in their company, they keep an ironclad grip on its operations.

The Bancrofts, like the families behind America's other great newspapers, set up a two-tiered stock structure that essentially guarantees them control over the company's future.

Because of this two-tiered system, the family controls 64.2 percent of the votes, even though it owns only 24.7 percent of the overall stock.

But with three dozen members of the family, there is no guarantee that all shares will vote as a bloc.