Rupert Murdoch's Media Plays

Yes Murdoch is shaping what we read and watch.

And yes that is a bad thing.

But if you have something between your ears, you can know the truth.

Sir Rupert? Please!

We've cancelled our subscription to WSJ out of protest to Murdoch buying it. I'm sick about the gobbling up of the media - it will soon be very difficult to access good investigative reporting and non-biased news. What they will accomplish is that no body will believe what is reported anymore - at least intelligent people will not believe it. It is part of the death knoll of our democratic republic. When citizens are not well informed, when they are fed propaganda with the goal of doing the bidding of the most powerful, then we are just another Soviet Union in the making.

If you don't like the consequences of the nature of our money do something about changing the nature of our money. These things will continue to happen to you so long as you don't understand why they happen. Please defend yourself by reading Invisible Hand. That, at least, is free.

He's a big contributer to Hillary Clinton too.

I've been concerned about RM's media growth since the early 90's. It seems the regulators no longer feel that independent media is needed in a democracy and, at least in the US, the people have not stood loudly enough to thwart consolidation. Between this control of national media and cross-ownership of local papers, there is very little opportunity for media-based public debate any more.

Enough, already (a long time ago)! Thanks for starting this conversation. Maybe a few of those they depend on NOT to be included in Sheryl's "at least intelligent people will not believe it," statement will ask questions.

I like Murdoch's influence on the media in America. It took an Australian to bring balance to the US media, and now the liberals worry about conservative domination of the media. It's laughable. The NY Post is my hometown newspaper, and Fox News is my favorite news channel.

Murdoch is in negotiations to buy Newsday, a failing LI newspaper. I hope he does, because Long Island needs a dose of balanced reporting, instead of the dinosaur liberalism dressed up in new packaging. My only problem is which paper do I buy, if he does buy Newsday? They sell both papers in my area, just outside of the NYC border, on LI.

Personally, I value reading. Said better, I believe that ANY reading is good. I read to my kids every night and took them to book stores any chance I could. I do the same when I can for the grandkids. I even buy them comic books and magazines, just so they read something.

Having said that - around the nation newspaper circulation falls an average of 3% a year - except for Murdoch's owned daily's where sales are on the rise. That speaks volumes.

I look at my hometown newspaper, The Minneapolis StarTribune. It is considered the most liberal in the country and its circulation is falling faster than all others. You would think the publisher would realize it is bad business to align a newspaper with the values of only 5% of the market.

In the past, people bought and read newspapers that held them and their values in contempt because there were no alternatives. Now with the internet and Murdoch, there are.

Rupert Murdoch is no rocket scientist but he is savy enough to market to the 50% of consumers who have traditionally been held in contempt by the major media.

You guys don't read Murdoch right. He does not give a damn what party or ethic or ideology is on top. He was to sell media. He has contributed to Hillary AND Obama because he recognizes American political conservatism is on the ropes and he wants to be on the side of the winners. Murdoch's market share is suffering to CNN and MSNBC and the Dem boycott. His donations and FOX's moderating tone is business, pure and simple. He need to get back into play for the upcoming election and that means ending the Dem boycott. If Murdoch felt that gay and lesbian bikers with transexual and Communist leanings constitute a large enough audience base he's pander to them too.
He does not run a "news" organization. He runs a self-serving media empire.

Good article