Murdoch’s love for newspapers is undying, nevermind the near-death throes of the medium itself, and he reads it out (literally, on the radio) as part of a series of Australian radio lectures titled, “The future of newspapers: moving beyond dead trees.” Compare and contrast this to his famous speech on April 13, 2005, to the American Society of Newspaper Editors, which shook up the newspaper industry with its predictions about the digital future of newspapers. And this was before he bought MySpace (three months later) and Dow Jones (NYSE: NWS), in 2007.

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As he said in the ASNE lecture then, he remains an optimist: “Unlike the doom and gloomers, I believe that newspapers will reach new heights….we are moving from news papers to news brands. For all of my working life, I have believed that there is a social and commercial value in delivering accurate news and information in a cheap and timely way. In this coming century, the form of delivery may change, but the potential audience for our content will multiply many times over.” And then he goes on about his favorite topic: “Complacency and condescension that festers at the heart of some newsrooms.” Much has been said about that, especially as Murdoch is now on his way to remaking the Journal newsroom.

More after the jump...