Overview of Getting Murdoched
Andrew Dodd and Matthew Ricketson, both journalism professors with experience at The Australian, have authored Getting Murdoched, a forensic account of how the Murdoch empire bullies, intimidates, and destroys individual citizens and governments. The book spans Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States, highlighting consistent patterns of ruthless storytelling that serve Murdoch's political aims and prejudices.
Murdoch's Global Influence
Rupert Murdoch, arguably the most globally influential Australian, has built one of the world's most concentrated media markets. Despite relinquishing Australian citizenship, his dominance in the US through Fox News and his holdings in the UK and Australia remain profound. The book notes that only in Britain has Murdoch faced significant restrictions, following the phone hacking scandal involving News of the World, which led to the paper's closure and embarrassing parliamentary appearances by Murdoch and his son James. More recently, The Sun was forced to apologize and pay damages to Prince Harry for similar practices. Murdoch was also denied ownership of British satellite broadcaster Sky TV.
Fox News in the US
In the US, Murdoch's influence is most evident through Fox News, established in 1996. The network has become a platform for right-wing commentators and was a strong supporter of Donald Trump's 2020 and 2024 presidential campaigns, despite Murdoch's apparent personal contempt for Trump. After the 2024 election, Fox paid substantial damages to Dominion Voting Systems for unsubstantiated claims of vote-rigging. The book notes that Fox also supplied key appointments in Trump's second administration, including Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, a former Fox News presenter.
Targeting Individuals
Getting Murdoched focuses on individuals targeted by the Murdoch press, including Prince Harry, Hugh Grant, and many previously unknown people. In Australia, the book charts attacks by columnists like Andrew Bolt and Janet Albrechtsen. Bolt has targeted environmentalist Tim Flannery, human-rights lawyer Gillian Triggs, and writers Anita Heiss and Yassmin Abdel-Magied. Albrechtsen has written or coauthored 123 articles about Brittany Higgins since her rape claim in 2021. The authors note that ad hominem attacks characterize much of the Murdoch press's ideological warfare.
Australia's Media Landscape
In Australia, the Murdoch press combines deep hostility to the Labor Party with ideological obsessions, including skepticism about climate change, support for Israel, antipathy to trans people, and hostility to economic policies that reduce inequality. The book highlights the weakness of the Australian Press Council in ensuring proper journalism standards. The ABC is noted as a key check on the Murdoch empire, explaining frequent criticisms from columnists like Gerard Henderson.
Murdoch's Motivations and Succession
The authors suggest Murdoch is driven by a lust for money and power, as well as a desire to break down the establishment. They note that Murdoch's outlets have occasionally carried dissenting views, such as supportive articles on the Voice referendum and space for some Indigenous leaders. However, the book largely attributes the empire's worst excesses to Murdoch personally. There is only passing mention of his son Lachlan Murdoch, who has taken control after a public battle to remove his siblings from future influence. The general assumption is that Lachlan will promote his father's grievances, though he may be more liberal on social issues.
Future Outlook
The book was completed before the rise of One Nation, and it appears the Murdoch press will support the Coalition while remaining skeptical of One Nation. However, the authors caution that Murdoch has no allegiances beyond maintaining his power, as seen with his shifting support for Trump. The newly elected Liberal Party president Tony Abbott is a director of Fox Corporation, suggesting Opposition Leader Angus Taylor may feel protected.
