The scandal engulfing Rupert Murdoch and his media empire began with phone hacking in the United Kingdom, spread to the United States and has now sparked a global debate about the problems that arise when media get too big and too cozy with those in power.
Murdoch and his company, News Corp., are the poster children for media consolidation. More than any of the current crop of media moguls, Murdoch accrues political influence through aggressive manipulation of his company’s media outlets. It's not just how they cover the news, but how they use this coverage to gain access to elected officials.
Murdoch's ties to leadership have proven fruitful in promoting candidates, and winning official approval of the policies and mergers he has sought over the years. But this could be changing. The phone-hacking scandal has shaken the leadership of Murdoch’s media empire, scuttled his takeover of a U.K. satellite company, sparked public outrage and inspired talk of new regulations among lawmakers. All of this comes just as the U.S. Federal Communications Commission takes up its long-overdue review of its media-ownership rules.
So far more than 200,000 people in the U.S. have called on Congress to launch an investigation into whether Murdoch and his company were engaged in similar illegal activities in the U.S. You can take action here.
On this page we have collected resources about Rupert Murdoch, News Corp. and their impact on U.S. media policy.
What Murdoch Owns: Check out the info-graphics created by the New York Times, The Independent and PR Daily over the years to see the vast reach of Murdoch’s media holdings.
Murdoch’s Media Policy Misdeeds: Find out how Murdoch’s News Corp. has used its media muscle and lobbying power to change the laws and reshape America’s media to its benefit.
Murdoch in Washington: The Sunlight Foundation, a nonprofit promoting greater government openness and transparency, has traced News Corp.’s political influence by following the money. Check out its in-depth report and graphic.
Fox Television Stations: Murdoch controls 28 local television stations around the country. Many of these stations are involved in shady deals like covert consolidation or the broadcasting of fake news and corporate propaganda. Find out where these stations are and how you can take action to challenge their FCC broadcast licenses.
Whack a Murdoch: Grab your mallet and take action for better media. Whack a Murdoch and hammer down on media corruption.
Who Owns the Media: Visit our interactive media-ownership charts to see what Murdoch owns, and how just six other companies control the majority of what we watch, read and hear.
Blog Posts: Read more about Murdoch’s dodgy — and at times illegal — business deals, how the phone-hacking scandal is impacting the U.S. and what this all means for media ownership in America:
- Rupert Murdoch's Greatest Moments in Ethics and Integrity, by Craig Aaron, The Huffington Post
- Scandal Stirs U.S. Debate on Big Media by Brian Stelter, the New York Times
- Troubles That Money Can’t Dispel, by David Carr, the New York Times
- News Corp.'s Soft Power in the U.S. by David Carr, the New York Times
- Murdoch Hacked Us Too by Frank Rich, New York
- The (Murdoch) Empire Strikes Back by Howard Kurtz, Newsweek
- The Trouble with Rupert by Timothy Karr, the Huffington Post
- Murdoch Scandal Jumps the Pond, by Timothy Karr, the Huffington Post
- Murdoch Facade Crumbling as Scandal Takes Root in America, by Tim Karr, the Huffington Post
- A 24/7 Spotlight on Murdoch, by Katrina Vanden Heuvel, The Nation
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