The Wall Street National Inquirer Herald Journal strikes again

There is still value to the Wall Street Journal, and it's still The Source for daily business news. However, we can enjoy this next step down the sensationalist, regressive ladder under Rupert Murdoch's reign: a riveting article about the virtual mascot that appears at the end of Boston Celtics' games when victory seems near (thanks to Mr. D.E.S. for highlighting this).

When I first read the piece, I said to myself, "Hey, self, look at that. Neat!"

Then I furrowed my brow and thought, "This is the Wall Street Journal?"

Just to reinforce, here's a visual direct from the pages of the esteemed newspaper:



I applaud WSJ for the many inches of ink it has devoted to color stories over the decades. I'm all for fun and fluff journalism. But this is simple pandering to the current market of highest visibility (namely, Boston under the spotlight of stories about Ted Kennedy and sports championships).

Go on, Rupert...widen that audience...keep widening...just a few more stories about dogs and babies...there. Now you're USA Today.

(A final note for the greater media conspiracy theorists -- anyone notice that the captivating dog story is Boston-based? Coincidence?)