THIS SEEMS KIND OF UNFAIR: Last year, we interviewed Gordon Crovitz, and he described himself as “the last person in the country with ‘newspaper publisher’ in his title who nonetheless is an optimist.”

Now this: “People briefed on the matter said that both Mr. Zannino and L. Gordon Crovitz, the publisher of The Wall Street Journal, would be succeeded by trusted lieutenants of Rupert Murdoch soon after the takeover was complete.” Though to be fair, he was optimistic about the Wall Street Journal as a newspaper. Still . . ..