Up for grabs
Jeff Randall recently interviewed Murdoch on the BBC Ten O’clock News. The timing of this interview must be viewed as significant, as it was the first he had given in a considerable period. Asked by Randall would he be automatically supporting Labour at the next election, he replied, ‘No, and it's no certainty we'll support the Tories either. It's up for grabs.’
His comments come at a point when the change in Tory leadership, may, with time mean a reassessment of the Tories election potential has to occur. A further factor is the imminent discussions on the EU Constitution and Murdoch’s opposition to further surrender of sovereignty to the EU. Michael Howard’s stance on the EU fit much more closely with Murdoch own. This brings about the prospect of a sizable chunk of the British Press supporting the Tories at the next election provided they can demonstrate their competence. However they will not be demonstrating this so much to the UK electorate but rather Rupert Murdoch.
The Labour party released a statement to the effect that they are unconcerned by Murdoch’s comments. It is significant to both the Labour party wilderness years in the Eighties and the current Tory difficulties that they did not have wide spread media support. It would certainly make the Tories appear much more credible it the force of the Murdoch press was behind them. The amount to which it would influence is difficult to gauge but it would certainly distance the Tories from their current situation of ridicule.
While of course there is much debate as to the level of the influence of the media on individuals political support it is undoubtedly has some effect upon it. The question that Murdoch’s comments seem to raise is how legitimate is it that a single corporation should have such a large share of the media and is there anyway to reconcile this with press freedom?
In the same week cam the revelations that Lord Black whose company Hollinger International that owns the Telegraph, Chicago Sun Times and Jerusalem Post, was forced to resign. This was because regulators in the USA had discovered unauthorised payments to Lord Black and other executives totalling over $30 million. The power that media corporations have seems even more dubious when such corruption is exposed.
While I am not saying Murdoch’s vast stake in the world media is a good thing, he has done nothing wrong in acquiring his global empire. There does not seem to be any real solution to the dominance of corporations. As part of his ownership obviously has the right to promote his own opinions through his press and broadcasting interests. What I am taking exception to is, his overt moves to manipulate the political process in the UK. His comments keep the two main political parties on the hook to extract maximum advantage to himself.
Loading ...