Pressure of Truth
The news, with the spin made visible.
Outlet profile

Wall Street Journal (opinion)

U.S. right (conservative, free-market)

Owned byDow Jones & Company, a subsidiary of News Corp, controlled by the Murdoch family (Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch)
FundingPrimarily subscriptions (over 4.6 million as of early 2026) and advertising; News Corp is publicly traded, with the Murdoch family holding dominant voting stock through a family trust
On the administrationbroadly critical

Background

The Wall Street Journal was founded on July 8, 1889, by financial journalists Charles Dow and Edward Jones as a publication focused on business and markets. Its editorial page developed a distinctly conservative identity by the 1920s under Clarence Barron and became nationally influential under editor Robert Bartley, who led the page from 1972 to 2001 and was one of the most prominent champions of supply-side economics and the Laffer curve during the Reagan era. Critics, including Michael Kinsley, called the Bartley-era page 'intellectually dishonest' and a 'central cog in the vast right-wing conspiracy.' Paul Gigot, a Pulitzer Prize winner for commentary, succeeded Bartley in 2001 and remains editorial-page editor today. In 2007, Rupert Murdoch's News Corp acquired Dow Jones & Company for $5 billion from the Bancroft family after a contested bid; a special editorial independence committee was created as part of the deal, though its effectiveness has been questioned. In 2020, more than 280 Journal journalists signed a letter criticizing the opinion pages for a 'lack of fact-checking and transparency.' The opinion section operates with an ideological identity separate from the paper's news operation. During Trump's second term, the editorial board has broken sharply with the administration on tariffs (calling them 'dumb'), threats to fire Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, and the Trump family's financial dealings, warning the conduct 'demeans the office' and poses political risks for Republicans.

Sources

  1. Editorial board at The Wall Street Journal – Wikipedia
  2. The Wall Street Journal – Wikipedia
  3. WSJ Editorial Board Accuses Trump Family of 'Cashing In on the Presidency in Big and Sketchy Ways' – Mediaite
  4. Wall Street Journal editorial board denounces Donald Trump's tariff 'plunge' – The Hill
  5. WSJ editorial board urges Donald Trump not to fire Jerome Powell – The Hill
  6. WSJ editorial board criticizes Donald Trump over reaction to Supreme Court tariff ruling – The Hill
  7. News Corp Q1 FY2026: Subscription Pricing and Digital Mix Expand Revenue and Profit – Subscription Insider
  8. Paul Gigot – Wikipedia

Profile compiled 2026-07-04; refreshed when ownership, funding, or the administration changes.

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