Murdoch to Washington: Stay out of the way, but please help

Rupert Murdoch is sending mixed signals. Under no circumstances does he think the federal government ought to step in and help float newspaper publishers through their current difficulties. But the key to the future solvency of news organizations lies, he suggests, in government hands.

Confused yet?

Murdoch spoke Tuesday morning at a conference in Washington, D.C., hosted by the Federal Trade Commission titled "How Will Journalism Survive the Internet Age?" The News Corp. (NWS) chairman reiterated his longstanding opposition to federal ownership of or subsidies for media companies.