Devoted to Managers and those that seek to improve their management skills

A union official for Independent Association of Publishers' Employees (IAPE), which represents 2,000 Dow Jones employees, claims they've enlisted the help of Ron Burkle in attempt to thrwart the attempt of Rupert Murdoch to buy the company.

Evidently Burkle's Yucaipa Cos. has agreed to be an advisor to the union, said spokesman Frank Quintero.

Another person of interest to the union is Warren Buffett who they sent a letter to, although he hasn't responded back as of yet. Buffett is doubtful as he said last month that the only reason to buy a newspaper company by anyone would be for an ego play. He said he would never buy it for Berkshire Hathaway (BRK-A).

As newspaper analyst Miles Groves of MG Strategic Research said concerning Dow Jones and Murdoch, "They'll eventually face pressure that someone like Murdoch can handle better. I'm a little skeptical of guild efforts to buy media properties in order to manage the future better."

Other than being an advisor, nothing has been confirmed on Burkle yet. But even if it's true, it doesn't mean much. The problems of Dow Jones will continue whether Murdoch gets the company or not. The loss of 12 percent of advertising revenue last year can't go on for long, and they're not set up for the media age that should have been responded to much quicker and wider.

Now their competitors are larger and are able to put content out on much broader platforms. All the people at the company keep saying is the lame "editorial integrity" BS that is getting to be more suspect as it is repeated.

If Dow Jones were to get Warren Buffett, what do they think he'd do ... sit around and let whatever happens happen? The misunderstand him if they do.

This probably goes to the reputaton Buffett has for not interfering with companies. But there's something behind the non-interference that Dow Jones obviously doesn't understand: having great management in place. It's not that Buffett doesn't interfere in the sense of not knowing what's going on, it's that he makes sure that the management of any company is top notch so he doesn't have to interfere. There's a big difference.

Either way you look at it, whatever happens with Dow Jones, the times of doing whatever they feel like is over. The industry is in upheaval and shambles. Anybody that comes in will have to take a hand in it to set the ship right again. How many years of loss can the company endure before it shrinks to irrelevance in the name of "editorial integrity?"

This is typical union nonsense where their leadership is so far out of tune with where the market is that they attempt to offer up solutions that do nothing to help the company.

Murdoch could take this company and integrate it with his existing properties and the soon-to-come TV business channel that would work great with the firm.