It’s the same old ‘Warren Watch’
Steve Jordon was doing his “Warren Watch” column in the Omaha World-Herald long before Warren Buffett bought the paper late last year, and he’s still at it. (The 65-year-old reporter did a “Warren Watch” chat just this morning.)
Warren Buffett
The column hasn’t changed under Buffett’s ownership, says Jordan, who has covered the billionaire and his company on and off since the 1980s, and started “Warren Watch” in 2008.
“We’re doing the same kinds of stories as before, and not just in ‘Warren Watch.’” The rest of the paper covers Buffett and Berkshire Hathaway the way it did when the World-Herald was employee owned, he says.
I asked if there were any noticeable improvements under Berkshire Hathaway ownership — say, a fresh coat of paint, or new furniture or carpet?
None to report, says the newsman.
“There hasn’t been a change in compensation, and we haven’t gotten promises of this or that happening” under the new ownership. (He says some Media General employees contacted him last week and asked about Buffett as newspaper owner. “I told them, ‘Your situation is going to be pretty much the same. I don’t see a big change.’”)
Has Buffett been spotted in the World-Herald building?
“I don’t know that. He could have been and I didn’t see him. I may watch Warren [in the column], but I don’t watch him all the time.”
* Buffett and good news about newspapers (Philip Meyer)
UPDATE:
@stevebuttry @romenesko I was at Buffett’s BuffNews 4 years. Dirty walls. Dirty rugs. Ancient computer system. And some damn fine reporting
— State of the Debate (@DebateState) May 22, 2012
