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When news broke that Rupert Murdoch, at age 92, was stepping aside as chairman of Fox Corporation and News Corp, University of Melbourne journalism expert Andrew Dodd wasn’t exactly surprised.
“The company is clearly planning its succession and how it manages Rupert’s decline. It has one eye on the market and one on ensuring the company maintains its direction,” argues Dodd, a former media writer for The Australian and Crikey.
But with the transition of power to eldest son Lachlan Murdoch looking secure, what’s next for the company? Dodd says we shouldn’t expect much change. Lachlan has helmed Fox News for a while now. Dodd says Lachlan has “had ample opportunity to guide the company in a different direction, but he didn’t”.
As for Rupert’s legacy, the question that must be asked is: has this man done more harm or good in his life in the media?
“I am afraid I believe the good is outweighed by all the harm done on Rupert’s watch,” Dodd writes. “His news media empire is fundamentally antisocial in the way it operates. I believe it’s caused so much harm to so many people along the way, and that cannot go unacknowledged. From the UK phone hacking scandal and beat ups to climate denial and the demonisation of minorities, News Corp can be counted on to dumb down complexity, make issues binary and turn one side against the other.”
We’ve also brought you the best of our coverage from our sister editions in the United Kingdom and United States, where Murdoch left just as big a footprint on the media landscape as he did in his native Australia.
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Sunanda Creagh
Senior Editor
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Andrew Dodd, The University of Melbourne
This is a decision that was always going to come in one of two forms: either Rupert dropping off the perch or him leaving on this own terms. He has opted for the latter.
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Simon Potter, University of Bristol
Newspaper owners used to wield huge political influence – but as Rupert Murdoch steps down for his son Lachlan can the same be said of today’s?
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Lorna Grisby, The Conversation
Rupert Murdoch is a major media figure, but he may not be as influential as most people think.
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Weekend long reads
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Dr Alison Watts, Southern Cross University
Alison Watt’s grandmother was diagnosed with ‘puerperal insanity’ and institutionalised not long after giving birth to her father. He didn’t meet her – or know she was alive – until his early 20s.
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Yves Rees, La Trobe University
Was international bestselling author Dorothy Cottrell too female, too popular, too ‘unAustralian’ and perhaps, too disabled, for the local literary establishment?
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Julian Novitz, Swinburne University of Technology
So many authors are creating Substack newsletters – from Bri Lee’s magazine-like News & Reviews, to George Saunders’ writing tips and Hanif Kureishi’s reflections on being paralysed. But can it last?
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Georgia Phillips, University of Adelaide
Perception and reality collide when a mother and daughter are compelled to live in the shadow of a monstrous artist.
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Sharon Bickle, University of Southern Queensland
Zadie Smith evokes the complexities of race, class and colonisation in her novel about a scandal that titillated Victorian England.
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Carl Rhodes, University of Technology Sydney
Multinational corporations can dictate how resources are allocated, territories are governed, and justice is defined.
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Our most-read article this week
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Evangeline Mantzioris, University of South Australia
Some people swear by it, while others don’t bother. But what does the evidence say about washing rice, and when should you do it?
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In case you missed this week's big stories
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Jonathan Symons, Macquarie University
A new report explores options for managing the period after global warming exceeds 1.5℃. This is called ‘climate overshoot’, because we’re pushing past the safe zone into dangerous climate change.
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Celeste Young, Victoria University; Nima Izadyar, Victoria University; Roger Jones, Victoria University
The northern summer was marked by intense fires and heat. Now it’s our turn to face the heat.
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Flavio Macau, Edith Cowan University; Deepa Bannigidadmath, Edith Cowan University
Is Australia ready for a house construction boom? Supply chain constraints say no.
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David Hayward, RMIT University
The thinking behind the state government’s ambitious housing plan is simple - build more homes and they’ll be more affordable.
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Ellie Tomsett, Birmingham City University
I’ve researched women’s experience of the UK comedy circuit for ten years – this is what I’ve learned.
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Michael Toole, Burnet Institute; Heidi Drummer, Burnet Institute; Suman Majumdar, Burnet Institute
Australia seems to be focusing on boosters for people aged 75 and over, with its latest recommendations. But that may change.
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Nadhir Al-Ansari, Luleå University of Technology
Dams are usually built to withstand heavy rainfall or drought.
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Suze Wilson, Massey University
The election campaign’s first live TV debate offered a glimpse of the leadership challenge faced by Labour’s Chris Hipkins – to connect with voter’s values and interests, not just their current mood.
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Katherine Richardson, University of Copenhagen; Xuemei Bai, Australian National University
We’ve become so good at using the Earth’s resources we’re endangering the systems we rely on.
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Stuti Bhatnagar, Australian National University
India has long accused Canada of giving safe haven to separatists seeking a Sikh homeland in Punjab state – an accusation the Trudeau government denies.
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Kieran Hegarty, RMIT University
What did Australians do online in the 1990s? Shared bioinformatics data, made cyberfeminist zines, cruised the information superhighway …
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Sander De Groote, UNSW Sydney; Kevin Li, UNSW Sydney
The way banks calculate interest means that Australian borrowers who sign up to pay 5.95% per annum pay something closer to 6.11%.
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Benjamin T. Jones, CQUniversity Australia
It is notoriously difficult for referendums to succeed in Australia – but there are lessons from those that have gone before about how to improve their chances.
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Kate Galloway, Griffith University
Some Voice opponents are claiming the new advisory body could lead to the conversion of private land title to native title. But this is not how native title law works.
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