Thousands of words in the NYT’s two-parter on Rupert Murdoch’s business style and precious few of them really new. Anyone who is likely to care already is fully aware that Murdoch knows how to woo politicians on nearly every continent, that his efforts in China have had mixed results even when giving into the government and that he isn’t interested in spending billions on a paper he can’t run. News Corp. has tremendous political power and Murdoch isn’t shy about wielding it. Part One | Part Two. (News Corp.’s vivid response to the NYT is in part two.)

Meanwhile the New Yorker‘s Ken Auletta draws on his deep knowledge both as a journalist on New York magazine when Murdoch was about to buy it and as a journalist whose coverage of Murdoch as a modern-day pirate earned a spot on the “no interview” list. Auletta: “To try to forestall a Murdoch takeover of New York magazine thirty years ago, about forty writers and editors and art directors went on strike. I was at the magazine then, and, with delusions that I was on a diplomatic mission, led a small delegation to visit Murdoch’s outside counsel, Howard Squadron. I was certain that, once Murdoch understood that the staff would leave, he would retreat. Squadron listened politely, and replied, “You don’t understand. If you leave, Rupert will replace you like he replaces furniture.”

Still, in the case of Dow Jones, Murdoch has made a lot of the right noises about wanting people to stay. When he made his first direct approach at breakfast with DJ CEO Rich Zannino, Murdoch said he would keep on the management team. He has talked of wanting to keep Gordon Crovitz, corporate media group head and the WSJ franchise, and being willing to have an independent board for the WSJ. But Auletta’s story is also full of examples of how an owner can steer from a distance. If—and it’s really looking more like a when—News Corp. acquires DJ, Murdoch won’t have to walk in the newsroom or talk to an editor to make his presence felt.