Kevin Rudd chairs bid calling for full scale investigation into Murdoch’s media empire
A campaign which hopes to force an investigation into media tycoon Rupert Murdoch is calling on Australians to join the crusade and lodge complaints about his publishing empire.
Australians for a Murdoch Royal Commission (AFMRC), chaired by former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, wants to compile enough evidence of what is regards as bias, misinformation and distorted reporting to trigger a probe into Australia’s monopolistic media environment.
The aim is to force the government to initiate a Royal Commission into News Corp, organisers said.
It is led being by activist Sally Rugg. Fellow former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has also thrown his weight behind the campaign, with the former PM claiming the company has done “extraordinary damage” to countries where it has a major presence.
Mumbrella has approach News Corp for comment, but no response was received at time of publishing.
“Truths that are inconvenient to the Murdoch agenda are silenced,” AFMRC stated on its website. “Hardworking, professional journalists working for the News Corp, their industry’s largest employer, are forced to conform to Murdoch’s editorial ideology or pushed out for loyal commentators who toe the Murdoch line
In place of quality journalism, Murdoch attempts to “distort the news to push their political agenda” it adds.
“Tabloid columnists and Sky television shock jocks stoke fear and division in our communities to get clicks and sales. The Murdochs trade media coverage for political favours, distorting our democracy and weakening our voices.”
“For decades, Murdoch has taught politicians that if they stand up against his media monopoly, they will be punished. But if we work together, we think we can create the kind of national public pressure that our political leaders can’t ignore any longer.”
The group has already come under fire from high profile News Corp staff, with Andrew Bolt insisting Australia’s media “is more diverse than ever”.
Kevin Rudd giving evidence to the media diversity inquiry
The campaign follows a media diversity inquiry earlier this year in which Rudd claimed he was “fearful of the Murdoch media beast” when he was in office.
The inquiry was established after a petition Rudd set up against News Corp gained 500,000 signatures.
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topics
Australians for a Murdoch Royal Commission
Kevin Rudd
media diversity inquiry
News Corp
Rupert Murdoch
Sally Rugg
