Rupert Murdoch, the 92-year-old media mogul, announced his resignation as chairman of Fox Corporation and News Corp on Thursday. While opinions may vary on the move, no one can argue that Murdoch’s career has been anything short of long and tenacious. However, there is a dark side to his endurance, particularly in relation to the launch and longevity of Fox News.
Murdoch launched Fox News, the crown jewel of his media empire, in 1996 at the age of 65. Over the next 27 years, the network would become known for promoting President Donald Trump‘s stolen-election lies and paying out a settlement of $787.5 million to Dominion Voting Systems for its coverage related to those lies. This tarnished the reputation of both Murdoch and Fox News.
In a memo to employees, Murdoch portrayed his resignation as a natural progression in his career. He stated that he will still be engaged with news and ideas, albeit in different roles. However, it is important to note that Murdoch’s engagement with news and ideas has included promoting conspiracy theories, misinformation about COVID-19, and false narratives about political figures such as Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.
Murdoch’s media career extends beyond Fox News. He started his path to moguldom in Australia, where he inherited his father’s newspaper business at the age of 22. He quickly expanded his empire, acquiring various media properties, including the Australian, the country’s first national paper. He then ventured into the London market with the purchase of News of the World in 1969, which he ultimately closed in 2011 due to a phone-hacking scandal.
In the United States, Murdoch’s holdings include Fox News, Fox Television Stations, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Post, and HarperCollins. However, he has also sold off several properties over the years. Murdoch recognized early on that diversification was key to a prosperous media empire, stating in 1984 that being a major player in entertainment programming was essential.
Despite his success in the media industry, it is Murdoch’s management of Fox News that will define his legacy. When the network launched in 1996, Murdoch appointed Roger Ailes, a Republican operative and television producer, as its head. Under Ailes’ leadership, Fox News became the country’s number one cable news operation, but it did so through distorted and often false programming that vilified liberals and served as a mouthpiece for the Republican Party.
Even after Ailes left in 2016 due to a sexual harassment scandal, Fox News continued on a path of biased reporting. Hosts like Tucker Carlson perpetuated misinformation and extremist views, which set the stage for the network’s disastrous coverage of the 2020 presidential election. While other networks reported the truth that Joe Biden had won the election, Fox News allowed some anchors to promote the false narrative of a stolen election, as revealed in Dominion’s lawsuit against the network.
Rupert Murdoch had the power to prevent the spread of conspiracy theories on his network but chose not to. He also could have settled with Dominion early on, but instead, the litigation exposed his propagandistic ambitions. In a November 2020 email, Murdoch discussed the network’s approach to Trump’s election challenges and the critical Senate runoff elections in Georgia. This email highlighted his focus on Trump’s interests rather than the truth.
Murdoch’s son, Lachlan Murdoch, issued a statement congratulating his father on a “remarkable” career. However, the future of Fox News remains uncertain. It is possible that the network will continue with business as usual or potentially become even worse in terms of promoting misinformation and divisive narratives.
In conclusion, Rupert Murdoch’s resignation as chairman of Fox Corporation and News Corp marks the end of a long and controversial career. His legacy will be defined by his management of Fox News and the network’s role in spreading misinformation and promoting partisan agendas. While his contributions to the media industry cannot be denied, they come at a cost to the integrity of journalism and the health of American democracy.
Original Story at www.washingtonpost.com – 2023-09-21 22:45:56
