"Rupert Murdoch’s legacy is one of deceit, destruction, and death."
"Wherever his media properties exist across the globe, they disregard basic journalistic practices and pump venomous misinformation into the public discourse. Murdoch created Fox News, a uniquely destructive force in American democracy and public life, one that ushered in an era of division where racist and post-truth politics thrive.
His media properties helped reshape the Republican Party into a Trumpist authoritarian death cult. Murdoch allowed Fox News to fuel the insurrectionist attack on the U.S. Capitol, letting his stars intentionally and knowingly lie to undermine our democratic elections." - Media Matters
Influence peddling map
Use this relationship map based on the NY Times article to understand:
- The global reach of the Murdoch media empire
- Why the former Prime Minister of Australia called it the 'greatest cancer on democracy'
- Close family ties between the Murdochs and Trump families. Fox hosts campaigning for Trump
- How the Murdochs profit from spreading COVID disinformation, racism and misogyny
- How Republicans have bent regulations and blocked FCC nominations to help the Murdochs
- Toppled governments. Pushed the Iraq war and disastrous BREXIT
- Been fined for hacking into the phones, spreading election conspiracy theories sexual harassment scandals
Cancer on democracy
Rupert Murdoch, as the head of a sprawling global media empire, commanded multiple television networks, a global news service, a major publishing house and a Hollywood movie studio.His newspapers and television networks had been instrumental in amplifying the nativist revolt that was reshaping governments not just in the United States but also acros the planet.
His 24-hour news-and-opinion network, the Fox News Channel, had by then fused with President Trump and his base of hard-core supporters, giving Murdoch an unparalleled degree of influence over the world’s most powerful democracy
Kevin Rudd, a former prime minister whom the family had helped push out of office years earlier, described Murdoch as “the greatest cancer on the Australian democracy.” - NY Times
Disinformation
The Murdoch empire more than any single media company, it enabled it, promoted it and profited from it.
- Elevate marginal demagogues
- Mainstream white Christian-nationalism
- Politicize the very notion of truth
- Destabilize democracies around the world
- Pushed the flow of history to the right across the Anglosphere
- Undermining global efforts to combat climate change
- Vilifying people of color at home abroad as dangerous threats to a white majority
TakeAway: Hold media outlets pushing hate and racism for political favors, accountable for the harm they cause.
Deepak
DemLabs
DISCLAIMER: ALTHOUGH THE DATA FOUND IN THIS BLOG AND INFOGRAPHIC HAS BEEN PRODUCED AND PROCESSED FROM SOURCES BELIEVED TO BE RELIABLE, NO WARRANTY EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED CAN BE MADE REGARDING THE ACCURACY, COMPLETENESS, LEGALITY OR RELIABILITY OF ANY SUCH INFORMATION. THIS DISCLAIMER APPLIES TO ANY USES OF THE INFORMATION WHETHER ISOLATED OR AGGREGATE USES THEREOF.