When Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp made its move on Dow Jones, it caught competitors off guard. Like Thomson Corporation’s takeover of Reuters a few days later, it was a deal few had thought possible.

Now, however, it is clear competitors did not remain stunned by the $5bn bid for long. The deal and the bid have prompted a flurry of talks, as rivals consider whether they, too, should now be thinking the unthinkable.