Page-three girls--the sort of outstanding journalism we've come to expect from Rpuert Murdoch.
The Parliamentary report is as outmoded as the monarchy.
Where have they been since 1969? That’s the year Murdoch landed in the UK and
took over a decent-but-troubled newspaper called the Sun, converted it into a tabloid, kicked out its vaguely
left-oriented staff, and made the “page-three girl” part of the British
lexicon. (For those who’ve never seen a page-three girl, think Playboy in newsprint.) Murdoch was a
Thatcherite during the 1980s, though he admired the Iron Lady from abroad,
having moved to the United States and taken citizenship there in 1985.
His first big U.S. venture is another milestone for creative
journalism–he took over the Star,
that staple of bored patrons standing in supermarket checkout lines across the
nation and the major faux news rival
of the National Enquirer. In 1986,
Murdoch launched the Fox Broadcasting Company. Need I say more?
Well, yes, I should. In 1995, the Federal Communications
Commission investigated Murdoch for violation of media antitrust laws. Once upon a
time, media mogulship was controlled in this country–one was not allowed to own
multiple news outlets in the same market. There was a quaint idea circulating
that competition prevented manipulation of information, ensured that multiple
viewpoints and ideologies would be aired, and gave consumers a silly old thing
called “choice.” That great “liberal” Bill Clinton scuttled that rule. (If
Clinton’s a liberal, I’m the schizophrenic reincarnation of both Marx and
Engels!) Thanks to Bonkin’ Bill–whom Murdoch repaid by running several
fundraisers for Hillary, though he generally channels about $1 million per year
to Republicans–Murdoch was able to launch a new venture in 1996: Fox News. That outlet is to objective
news what a gallon of Jack Daniels is to sobriety. I’m sure that America’s
squeamishness about sex is the only thing between anchor Patti Ann Browne and a
video version of the page-three girl on Fox
News Live.
Murdoch’s record has been tawdry and sleazy everywhere he’s
set up shop, and that includes Italy. My lord! What does it say when a country
that produced the Borgias and whose major media player is Silvio Berlusconi
finds Rupert Murdoch’s behavior questionable? Is there anyone on the planet who
thinks Murdoch is fit to run a media empire? Probably not, but the better
question to ask is whether there’s anyone in the United States that cares
enough about the public to strip Murdoch of his power, overturn Clinton’s
foolish ruling, and restore competition to the North American media.
1 comment:
The general consensus in the UK is that media and andcorporate organisations in general are so corrupt anyway, Murdoch is ideal for this job. Politicinas here are so far up his fundament they'll never bad mouth him. Watch and wait as the politicians slowly get picked off.
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