This is a major development and clearly something the FT is watching and preparing for. But the WSJ has been around for a long time; the FT is not unused to competition. It will focus even more on its core customer base: professional financial people operating in global markets. In the Asian market, there is growing demand for financial news. I don't see why it all has to go to one player.
NO - Alex DeGroote, Analyst, West LB Panmure
Going head to head with Rupert Murdoch in any market is never advisable. I would expect the WSJ to be more resourced and more credible. The route to growth lies overseas for the FT, so anything that compromises that is never going to be a good thing. First, you defend your existing franchises and then you target growth opportunities. Realistically, however, growing in the US will be tough.
NO - Antony Young, President, Optimedia US
My sense is that Murdoch's acquisition of Dow Jones is primarily about a US play. Strategically, it gives News Corp a better position to go after the New York Times, provides credibility to help launch the new Fox business channel and gives a powerful web property in a growing and premium market. Will the FT, as primarily a single-brand newspaper owner, have the resources to compete?
YES - Sanjay Shabi, Press director, MediaCom
The FT has always been a complement to the WSJ and I don't see that changing. It has a stranglehold across Europe, despite being subjected to a lot of buffeting over the past few years with the advent of digital, among other things. Also, the Bancroft family has not invested hugely in the WSJ, which looks uninspired. By all accounts, the new tabloid format has not proved popular with readers.
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