Preston Padden, a former top News Corp. executive, has tweeted his unhappiness with the News Corp.-owned The Wall Street Journal, in the latest twist in the ongoing drama of the Gigi Sohn FCC nomination saga.
Sohn was nominated for the empty Democratic seat on the Federal Communications Commission and after some delay and pushback from Republicans, is scheduled to get a confirmation hearing February 2, though at least one hold threat looms even if she is favorably referred for a full Senate vote.
Padden, who told NextTV several weeks ago he believed that Sohn deserved a seat on the commission, their policy differences notwithstanding, fired off a series of Twitter posts on Monday (January 31) making his key points after he said the WSJ had declined to publish them in his letter in support of Sohn even though the paper has run several pieces opposing her. The New York Post, also a News Corp. property, has run additional criticism of Sohn.
I respect the WSJ and it’s Staff but over the weekend, @WSJopinion declined to run a letter to the editor in defense of @gigibsohn, despite publishing its 4th - 4th! - editorial in opposition to her @FCC nomination… a thread 1/5January 31, 2022
Preston also sent Next TV an updated version of the points in his letter, which is published here.
One of the issues Republicans had with Sohn were some tweets critical of News Corp.'s Fox News Channel, but that did not seem to create as much of a stir at her confirmation hearing as might have been expected.
The WSJ letters editor had not returned a request for comment at deadline as to why the paper declined to print the letter. Padden shared the response the editor had given him: “Unfortunately, we won’t be able to publish the letter, but I hope you can place it elsewhere, as you mentioned.” ■
