The Murdochs – a real-life media family That’s inspired by HBO legacy — is currently navigating a court case that could rival any fictional drama.
The family, led by 93-year-old patriarch Rupert Murdoch, Controls a huge, global news agency These include the Wall Street Journal and the Times of London, as well as Fox News in the United States. When it comes to Fox News in particular, Rupert Murdoch has exercised a large degree of editorial control, which has helped shape the network’s coverage — and, in turn, Conservative Political Narratives in the United States.
In 2023 Rupert Murdoch stepped down from running his empire and passed the News Corporation chair to his eldest son Lachlan, who also serves as CEO of Fox Corp and is the most politically aligned Murdoch child with his father. Conservative view.
After the death of Rupert Murdoch, However, the voting shares he holds in the company will be divided equally Among four children His second marriage was to Anna Murdoch Mann, with Lachlan. In a new court case set to begin this week, Rupert Murdoch is now pushing to overhaul the previously established trust. Give Lachlan the bulk of this power.
The ideological future of Fox News and News Corp is at stake: Unlike Lachlan, the other three older Murdoch siblings — James, Elizabeth and Prudence — are seen as more centralized and could push the family’s media outlets more moderate. That concerns them Rupert Murdoch was inspired to take this court actionAnd he sees most likely to continue his vision to transfer more control to the child.
The outcome will be determined by Nevada Probate Commissioner Edmund Gorman in a closed Reno courtroom. The trust, which was created around the divorce proceedings of Murdoch and Murdoch Mann in 1999, was designed to be “irrevocable”, or quite difficult to change. In order to amend, Rupert Murdoch must show that the change is for the benefit of all his heirs.
Whether he succeeds could have a major impact on both the future of the outlets in his media empire and their role in shaping US and world politics.
What all this could mean for the future of Fox News
Fox News, which was first founded by Rupert Murdoch in 1996, has become a mainstay for conservative cable news and is known for promoting former President Donald Trump as well as spreading misinformation about everything from election meddling. climate change. In 2023, Fox paid Dominion Voting Systems $787 million after it was sued for spreading lies suggesting the company’s machines were rigged against a Trump victory.
During that case, documents emerged indicating that Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch knew Trump claimed the election was stolen, but chose to do so. There is nothing to discourage them. Instead, they decided to focus on deepening viewers’ trust in Fox News, ostensibly by broadcasting what Trump supporters want to hear.
As of now, Rupert Murdoch has a 40 percent voting share In both News Corp. and Fox Corp., and under existing trusts, each of the four siblings will receive an equal fraction when he or she dies.
If Rupert Murdoch wins the Reno court case, and Lachlan gains most of these shares, the network may well continue and even expand its conservative outlook. Hollywood Reporter special correspondent Lachlan Cartwright previously stated, “It’s important to note that Lachlan’s politics are much more conservative than his father’s.” on new unusual podcast. In that scenario, his siblings would still receive a financial inheritance, but would have much less say over the media outlet’s future, much like Rupert’s two youngest daughters, Grace and Chloe, from his third marriage to Wendy Deng.
If Faith is to be believed, however, James, Elizabeth and Prudence are likely to work together to moderate the tone of the network.
James, in particular, has publicly broken significantly with his father, including resigning from his position on the News Corporation board in 2020. He and his wife Catherine have previously issued statements expressing frustration at climate change denials News Corporation of Australia entityAnd he condemned the media “lie” For contributing to the January 6 revolt, though he expressly stopped short of naming Fox News.
This is what Rupert Murdoch said Potential change in ideological direction — as well as potential disagreements between the siblings about next steps — could hurt the company, and are some of the main reasons he’s trying to reopen the trust. According to the Wall Street JournalThose close to the Murdochs have also expressed concern that James may urge a sale of Fox News. Friends of the other three siblingsMeanwhile, argues that Fox Corp has suffered under Lachlan’s leadership, including setbacks such as the Dominion lawsuit.
In the past, James, Elizabeth and Prudence have also suggested proposals that would have involved Rupert and Lachlan buying other family members’ shares, although these have fallen through.
All told, the messy court case will have serious ramifications for members of the Murdoch family – and for the wider state of media.
