As the Rupert Murdoch-Wall Street Journal saga spirals towards its inveitable conclusion, the latest news is that Dow Jones & Co. and News Corp. have come close to an agreement of editorial independence. Although numerous Bancroft family members still harbor reservations about the WSJ's editorial integrity under Murdoch's ownership, the sweet, sweet lucre is still too much to ignore:

"Neither side appeared to see the issues as big stumbling blocks, according to people on both sides of the negotiations. Yesterday afternoon, the two sides agreed on the outlines of a board to oversee issues of editorial independence, according to a person familiar with the matter. News Corp. had suggested a 16-member board to oversee editorial independence and other issues, which would have five independent members and 11 appointed by News Corp. Dow Jones had countered by requesting an entity solely focused on the editorial independence of Dow Jones."

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