On Thursday, Rupert Murdoch, the chairman of Fox Corp. and News Corp., announced he would be stepping down later this year. But the fact he would be turning over control to his son Lachlan Murdoch threw cold water on any excitement Fox News haters in the liberal would have. The ones hurt most by that realization were the liberals of CNN, chief among them was media urchin Oliver Darcy who appeared on CNN’s Inside Politics to bellyache that Fox would not ditch their “right-wing” “world view.”
“Big news from the media world. Rupert Murdoch stepping down as chairman of Fox Corporation and News Corporation. Few people have had a bigger impact on American politics in the 21st century than the 92-year-old media mogul,” chief congressional correspondent Manu Raju announced while filling in for host Dana Bash.
And in going to Darcy, Raju asked the Orwellian question: “What do we think about this change?”
Darcy opened his comments by stoking fear of Murdoch as “one of the most powerful people in the world” in terms of media and politics (you know, everything former CNN boss Jeff Zucker and his underlings wished he was).
“But I think People should be cautious and not jump to the conclusion that that means that the editorial bent of his companies is going to change,” Darcy warned viewers. He read from Murdoch’s memo to his staff and made it clear “Lachlan Murdoch is actually going to continue the tradition of allowing these companies to be right-wing in nature.”
Darcy, who used to write for The Blaze, scoffed at Murdoch for stating “there is a ‘battle for the freedom of speech,’ ‘for the freedom of thought.’” He took particular issue with Murdoch saying “Most of the media is in cahoots with those peddling political narratives rather than the truth.”
Of course, he took the opportunity to make a dig at Fox News and their settlement with Dominion Voting Systems, calling “rich” of him. “[I]t would be irresponsible for me to read that to you without pointing out that Rupert Murdoch himself talks about people peddling narratives and not the truths when he just paid $787 million to Dominion Voting Systems for knowingly advancing falsehoods about the 2020 election,” he sniped.
It would be irresponsible for NewsBusters to call out Darcy without pointing out that CNN had to similarly settle a $275 million defamation suit with Nick Sandmann after the liberal network spit venom at the then-teenager with false claims that he was a racist for smiling at a liberal protestor who assailed him. And the network that demanded transparency from others demanded the settlement stipulate that they couldn’t disclose the final price tag.
He also seemed to suggest Murdoch was getting special treatment from the Trump administration because “Murdoch was one of the first receivers of the COVID-19 vaccine.” But Murdoch was 89 years old at the time, which meant he was in the elderly category that got access to the vaccines very early on.
Things took a dark turn when Darcy started fantasizing about a possible “power struggle” between Murdoch’s children when he inevitably passes away at some point. “And so, does Lachman remain atop these companies as Rupert Murdoch is trying to install? Right now, Rupert’s basically trying to seat Lachlan Murdoch, who is his chosen heir, on the throne, place the crown on his head, and have him in place as the successor,” he said.
“[H]e's suggesting that Fox News and the other companies are going to continue pushing this political worldview,” Darcy also lamented.
The transcript is below. Click "expand" to read:
CNN’s Inside Politics
September 21, 2023
12:30:51 p.m. EasternMANU RAJU: Big news from the media world. Rupert Murdoch stepping down as chairman of Fox Corporation and News Corporation. Few people have had a bigger impact on American politics in the 21st century than the 92-year-old media mogul.
CNN senior media reporter Oliver Darcy is joining me now. Oliver, you cover all aspects of the media and at Fox. What do we think about this change? Why did this happen now and what impact will him stepping aside have?
OLIVER DARCY: Yeah, this is a big moment. Manu. Rupert Murdoch is one of the most powerful people in the world and that is because of his media companies. Fox corporation, which he has been the chairman of, is the parent company of Fox News. And News Corporation is the parent company of newspapers like The Wall Street Journal and The New York Post and has a publishing arm.
And so, he has been very powerful not only in the world of media, but also in the world of politics. And this is a big moment, obviously, with the 2024 presidential cycle heating up. Donald Trump set to be on trial next year. It's a big moment in politics. And so, Rupert Murdoch is now stepping down.
But I think People should be cautious and not jump to the conclusion that that means that the editorial bent of his companies is going to change. I want to read to you, actually, what he writes in his memo to staff suggesting that Lachlan Murdoch is actually going to continue the tradition of allowing these companies to be right-wing in nature.
He talks about – He says that there is a “battle for the freedom of speech,” “for the freedom of thought” and he writes that, “self-serving bureaucracies are seeking to silence those who would question their provenance and purpose. Elites have open contempt,” he says, “for those who are not members of their rarefied class. Most of the media is in cahoots with those peddling political narratives rather than the truth.”
Of course, Manu, it would be irresponsible for me to read that to you without pointing out that Rupert Murdoch himself talks about people peddling narratives and not the truths when he just paid $787 million to Dominion Voting Systems for knowingly advancing falsehoods about the 2020 election. But there's also a host of other things his networks like Fox News have done.
You know, Murdoch was one of the first receivers of the COVID-19 vaccine. His media companies obviously pushed a lot of falsehoods about that. So, his note’s a little rich, but he's suggesting that Fox News and the other companies are going to continue pushing this political worldview.
RAJU: So Lachlan Murdoch is in charge for now. So, tell us about the impact of him now being in charge and also the long-term succession plans for Fox.
DARCY: I think that's the big question. So right now, you wouldn’t – you shouldn't anticipate seeing any big changes at these companies. You know, Murdoch is still saying he's going to be around and in a role where he talks or thinks about the big picture day-to-day.
And so, the big question though is what happens when he does pass. And then you have potentially a power struggle because the kids have voting rights with their shares. And so, does Lachman remain atop these companies as Rupert Murdoch is trying to install? Right now, Rupert’s basically trying to seat Lachlan Murdoch, who is his chosen heir, on the throne, place the crown on his head and have him in place as the successor.
But the question is, when he does pass and the other kids have voting rights, does Lachlan remain in that seat. And that’s yet to be determined.
RAJU: A big moment in politics and in the media. Thank you, Oliver Darcy, for that.
