What Rupe Needs is a Radar O’Reilly

Over at Portfolio Jeff Bercovici is handicapping the search for the next Wall St. Journal editor. It seems that this time around Rupe is being quite tight lipped on the process, despite having told the Observer last week that he planned to hire a new managing editor within “a couple weeks, maybe three.” Whatever Rupert Murdoch is looking for he may not be able to find within the walls of the Journal; according to a source for the article “The senior people would all be surprised if it’s an insider.” (Take note Newsday staffers).

It’s got to be somebody that Murdoch’s dead-bang comfortable with. He wants to get the Murdoch mind-meld going, and for that he needs someone who will do the things he wants before he even thinks of them.

Some names that are currently being bandied about are Barron’s editor Edwin Finn, and Will Lewis, editor in chief of the London Daily Telegraph. Mind melding qualifications to be determined.

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