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Who does he think he is?
Barry White
This media mogul is toying with the idea of switching sides...
DATELINE: 29/6/06
Having backed New Labour since 1997, media mogul Rupert Murdoch is flirting with the idea of backing David Cameron's Tories at the next election.
In an interview with his own paper ‘The Australian’, and reported today (29 June 2006) Murdoch was asked if he could see himself backing Mr Cameron next time. He replied: "Oh yes."
He also warned Gordon Brown if he succeeds Mr Blair not to "cheat" the British public with a snap election. Adding that British voters had the right to get a chance to compare a Gordon Brown premiership with Mr Cameron's leadership of the Conservatives.
Mr Murdoch told ‘The Australian’: “We've been a very big supporter of Tony on big issues, he's been a very courageous world leader. We've also been critical of him on other things like Europe.
“But, for no reason other than the dynamics of British politics, we would like to see at least a year to 18 months stand-off between Gordon Brown and David Cameron so we can decide which of those most coincides with our views.”
Mr Blair is expected to attend a global gathering of executives of Mr Murdoch's News Corporation in California next month. Mr Cameron met Mr Murdoch when he was on a visit to the UK recently.
Threatening to pull the plug on New Labour is not new. In Free Press 137 (November- December 2003) we reported an interview Murdoch gave to BBC Newsnight, in which he hinted to Jeff Randall that News International papers might drop their support for New Labour and that certainly had an impact: within days the government reversed its line on the new EU constitution. In the end Murdoch backed Blair in the 2005 general election.
Just what gives media moguls the right to formulate government policies and what can be done about it?
Some call it the press freedom, but the real freedom of the press in this country has long been the freedom of millionaires, whatever their backgrounds or countries of origin, to buy themselves newspapers that will propagate their views. And some are more successful than others!
Last modified: Thursday, June 29, 2006
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Notices
Events & Announcements
World Press Freedom Day
More reporters are currently imprisoned in Turkey than in any other country in the world. Only a matter of weeks ago lawyers failed to persuade a Turkish court to release a 76-year-old journalist from a Turkish internet news station.
World Press Freedom Day on Friday May 3, 2013 is being marked in Britain by a rally to highlight the dangers facing journalists in Turkey and in this podcast, Nicholas Jones speaks to Barry White, Organiser at the Campaign for Press and Broadcasting Freedom, and Sam Bamford, the TUC's policy officer for Eastern Europe and Africa about the importance of a campaign to highlight international press freedom.
The World Press Freedom Day rally is being staged by the National Union of Journalists at the NUJ head office, Gray’s Inn Road, London WC1 on Thursday May 2, 6pm-8pm.
DATELINE: 27/4/13
UK launch of EU media campaign
DATELINE: 13/3/13
The UK launch of a 'European Citizens' Initiative' calling for EU rules against concentration of media power will take place on Thursday March 21 from 11:00am – 12:30pm in Committee Room 4A at the House of Lords, London. Guest speakers will include actor and activist Hugh Grant (pictured), media consultant Claire Enders, Professor Steven Barnett, Barry McCall (President of the NUJ) and Marc Gruber (Director of the European Federation of Journalists).
A European Citizens' Initiative is an official petition, like a Downing Street petition. If it succeeds in gathering a million signatures across the EU, the Commission is obliged to respond.
This petition calls for the EU to act to protect media pluralism and press freedom.
CPBF Annual General Meeting
DATELINE: 1/3/13
Make a note in your diary
Saturday 13 July 2013 from 10.00am
NUJ HQ, 308/312 Gray's Inn Road, London WC1.
Leveson, media ownership, CPBF future work.
DOWNLOAD FREEPRESS NOW
DATELINE: 26/3/10
Download Freepress in PDF, ePub or mobi format. Issue 194 now available.
MEDIA FOR ALL CONFERENCE
DATELINE: 26/3/10
Papers from the Media for All Conference
MEDIA MANIFESTO
DATELINE: 26/3/10
The media’s job is to inform and entertain us but we rely on them too to tell us what our rulers and representatives are up to. In the run-up to the Iraq war the government used spin and disinformation in the media to create panic and mislead people. The truth is coming out now, but we need stronger, more independent media to be able to scrutinise governments and make informed choices.
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Previous stories
Media Ownership
No Sale for Northcliffe
Report on 'Content diversity in newspapers and television'
Corporate greed rules
Transnational corporate censorship threatens British music
Satisfying the advertisers
Ottakar’s Demise
Set the Media Free - Media Watch Global
Mayor calls for OFT to reconsider proposals
Media policy dominated by 'cosy cartel', says report
Clear Channel move in on Glastonbury
It’s Money That Matters
Getty acquisition deadline
Distribution Danger
VLV pushes for launch of Free-to-Air Digital Satellite
CPBF responds to OFT proposals on magazine distribution
OFT opinion threatens small magazine publishers
Monitoring Murdoch - a blogger speaks
IFJ welcomes 'First Step', calls on Berlusconi to quit TV
Protecting public service broadcasting
The News Monopoly
'New communists' worried by software patents
Scottish Media Group Announces Sale
