By now most of you have heard of Rupert Murdoch and you know he is the head of the world's largest media empire. What you may not know is the extent that he has been using his powerful position to push his neoconservative ideological agenda and now he is trying to take over what little he doesn't already own of New York’s media. It had been reported Mr. Murdoch, 76, is planning on using The Wall Street Journal, which he bought last year as part of a $5 billion take over of the Dow Jones & Company, to further push his views and at the same time eradicate The New York Times.
Change is already apparent in The Wall Street Journal. In the past few months it has begun to emphasis shorter and more general news stories in an attempt to broaden its audience. "It's being presented less as a paper for businesspeople and more as a paper for people who like to read newspapers," said Nicholas Lemann, dean at Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism.
Murdock’s plan is moving along nicely since what some say was the forced resignation of top ranking editor of The Wall Street Journal, Marcus W. Brauchli. Since this allows Murdock to have more control in his battle against The Times. “My worry about The New York Times is that it’s got the only position as a national elitist general interest paper,” Murdock told Time magazine, “So the network news picks its cues from The Times and local papers do, too. It has a huge influence. And we’d love to challenge that.” Now Murdock is trying to buy the Long Island newspaper Newsday, and by owning three newspapers in a major market, as well as two TV stations he would be in violation of FCC law.
The Times reports that this may finally lead to action from the FCC.
This is because of a recent rule that “permits a company to own one television station in the same city in the top 20 markets so long as there are at least eight other independent sources of news and the station is not in the top four”.
Change is already apparent in The Wall Street Journal. In the past few months it has begun to emphasis shorter and more general news stories in an attempt to broaden its audience. "It's being presented less as a paper for businesspeople and more as a paper for people who like to read newspapers," said Nicholas Lemann, dean at Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism.
Murdock’s plan is moving along nicely since what some say was the forced resignation of top ranking editor of The Wall Street Journal, Marcus W. Brauchli. Since this allows Murdock to have more control in his battle against The Times. “My worry about The New York Times is that it’s got the only position as a national elitist general interest paper,” Murdock told Time magazine, “So the network news picks its cues from The Times and local papers do, too. It has a huge influence. And we’d love to challenge that.” Now Murdock is trying to buy the Long Island newspaper Newsday, and by owning three newspapers in a major market, as well as two TV stations he would be in violation of FCC law.
The Times reports that this may finally lead to action from the FCC.
This is because of a recent rule that “permits a company to own one television station in the same city in the top 20 markets so long as there are at least eight other independent sources of news and the station is not in the top four”.
A media monopoly like Murdoch's is not in the interest of the public. Do we really want our news to be limited to what the owner of Fox News feeds us? Even with the increase in media outlets available there will be a loss of original thoughts and views with the loss of an objective mainstream media. How has this been allowed to happen? It is recognized how accommodating the Bush administration has been to Murdoch’s equally accommodating neoconservative ideological monopoly. “During the lead up to the U.S. invasion of and war in Iraq, the editors of Murdoch's 175 media holdings vociferously supported President George W. Bush and Prime Minister Tony Blair's pro-war campaign” according to the Right Web.
Two particular News Corp holdings have provided neoconservatives a platform to influence from, Fox News and the Weekly Standard. Gene Kimmelman of the Consumers Union told the New York Times: "[Murdoch] has extended the most blatant editorializing in the entire world through his media properties, and that is exactly the example of what we need to worry about when any one entrepreneur owns and controls too many media outlets" (April 7, 2003).
Some may not realize the establishment of the Fox News Channel was with the intention of being bias. “Convinced that many people found CNN and the major broadcast networks too liberal, Mr. Murdoch and the former Republican political consultant Roger Ailes chartered Fox to be more conservative or, from their point of view, more centrist.” accordingly to the New York Times.
You can view all of Murdoch's News Corp assets on newcorp.com. They include film, television, cable, newspapers, books, magazines, including the New York Post, the National Geographic Channel, HarperCollins Books, and 20th Century Fox, and in 2006, Murdoch acquired MySpace.
Two particular News Corp holdings have provided neoconservatives a platform to influence from, Fox News and the Weekly Standard. Gene Kimmelman of the Consumers Union told the New York Times: "[Murdoch] has extended the most blatant editorializing in the entire world through his media properties, and that is exactly the example of what we need to worry about when any one entrepreneur owns and controls too many media outlets" (April 7, 2003).
Some may not realize the establishment of the Fox News Channel was with the intention of being bias. “Convinced that many people found CNN and the major broadcast networks too liberal, Mr. Murdoch and the former Republican political consultant Roger Ailes chartered Fox to be more conservative or, from their point of view, more centrist.” accordingly to the New York Times.
You can view all of Murdoch's News Corp assets on newcorp.com. They include film, television, cable, newspapers, books, magazines, including the New York Post, the National Geographic Channel, HarperCollins Books, and 20th Century Fox, and in 2006, Murdoch acquired MySpace.
4 comments:
Nice insight on Murdoch and his media holdings; however I thought that the Wall Street Journal already had a reputation for being a more conservatively bent newspaper.
Jennifer, I am frightened by guys like Murdoch. I read that he married some Chinese actress to better his ties with Chinese television/government. This guy is going above and beyond to push his neoconservatives into the public's view. But, his sons are now taking over for him, they may not be as powerful but they are just as bad. Suggestions for your blog... more on the NEW YORK POST! This newspaper, one Murdoch's holdings has a major influence on New Yorkers. I moved to NYC 3 years ago thinking everybody read the Times. How shocked I was to learn that most people read that rag, tabloid, poor excuse for a paper called the Post.
Nice blog, I like the video and the logo. I heard about him but I never really looked him up, very powerful guy, 33rd wealthiest American, not bad for being Australian, lol. If he purchases Newsday, I wonder how much local media will change.
This is an important topic and I think you do a good job of really focusing in on Murdoch to make it more manageable. The information that you provide here really helps to put a specific example to some of the dynamics of media corporate ownership consolidation that we covered in class. What I think might be added is a bit more original content, so that you could perhaps provide more of your own perspective here that goes beyond some of the concerns and ideas that are expressed in the articles that you link to.
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