Rupert Murdoch a Monster 'Undermining Democratic Principles with Right-wing Propaganda: NYT

Rupert Murdoch, a media mogul owning Fox News, The Sun, The Times of London, and The Wall Street Journal, among other media outlets has been using his influence to alter global politics -- including impacting the Brexit vote in the United Kingdom, elections in Australia, and the 2016 United States presidential election -- a New York Times (NYT) investigation revealed.

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In a six-month investigation involving 150 interviews across three continents, The New York Times revealed the ways Murdoch and his family have used their power and influence over media outlets to undermine democratic principles with right-wing propaganda.

In 2019, Forbes ranked Rupert Murdoch and his family who control a media empire, the 52nd richest in the world in the publication’s annual list of billionaires -- making him a behemoth of wealth and power steering international political affairs.

In the United States, Fox News coverage fueled the rise of the far right and the election of President Trump by amplifying a “nativist revolt” in the country and boosting Trump's platform.

Fox News host Sean Hannity advised Donald Trump’s former lawyer Michael Cohen to be watchful of former girlfriends and employees who could stir up trouble during the 2016 presidential campaign, according to two sources aware of the interactions to aware New York Times. Hannity has denied the claim. Cohen has since been sentenced to a three-year prison sentence for paying hush money to two women who said they had affairs with Trump.

In the United Kingdom, Murdoch’s tabloid newspaper The Sun worked for years to vilify the European Union in its editorial line and helped promote the Brexit campaign that swayed a small majority of voters to withdraw from the regional bloc in a 2016 referendum, leading to ongoing political mayhem for the U.K. and the EU since, The New York Times investigation revealed. 

However, Murdoch, 88, has the most wide-reaching control over media in Australia, where his outlets advocated for the repeal of a national carbon tax and assisted in taking down a slew of prime ministers whose agenda he didn’t favor, including Malcolm Turnbull in 2018, according to the investigation.

The media empire is on the edge of succession as Rupert is expected to hand over power to his right-wing extremist son Lachlan, and not his more ethically sound son, James. Last year, Rupert Murdoch broke his spine on a yacht and was expected to die -- but lived.

The man whose wealth is overpowered by his media influence has survived scandals over lacking journalistic ethics, Islamophobic comments, and has been at the helm of numerous business deals that have seen the rise of his colossal communications empire.

However, if Lachlan is passed on the key to that empire, the future for journalism and democracy could be bleak.