Murdoch watches over rival Sydney newsroom

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Global media baron Rupert Murdoch is often believed to be omnipresent, but when reporters at a rival newspaper inspected their new Sydney newsroom, there was an uncomfortable feeling Murdoch was watching them.

Reporters at the Sydney Morning Herald, which Murdoch has long coveted due to its lucrative classifieds but been unable to buy due to media laws, were greeted on Wednesday with glass pillars, etched with a face.

At first no one could put a name to the face, until someone realized it was arch-rival Murdoch, his face resting on his hand and smiling. It seems the interior designer, looking for a news image for the pillars, chose a photo of Murdoch to etch on the pillars not realizing he was the Herald's nemesis.

A spokesman for the Herald's owner, Fairfax, said the corporate mistake was an unfortunate but amusing design error.

(Reporting by Michael Perry; editing by Sanjeev Miglani)