Rupert Murdoch owns the controlling interest in News Corp., which in turn owns media properties on five continents — properties that include some 170 newspapers, dozens of television stations, half a dozen television networks, a publishing company, and a movie studio.
In this wide-ranging interview, Murdoch discusses his rise from proprietor of the Adelaide News at age 22 (on the death of his father) to international media mogul. Weighing in on topics as varied as capitalism, feature films, China, and Google, the conversation invariably returns to newspapers and journalism. He answers charges about the political slant to his papers.
“[The Wall Street Journal] certainly hasn’t become conservative — maybe a little more balanced. And the rest of the press is often monolithically unfair.” He asserts that, “in today’s digital age, content is not just king, it’s the emperor” and rejects the idea that the government must get involved to ensure the survival of a free press (an idea suggested by Dan Rather).
“A bailout for newspapers?” Rupert Murdoch calls it “rubbish, and very dangerous rubbish.”
