Murdoch Under Fire From His Own Son Over His Media Outlets' Climate Change Denialism
Rupert Murdoch and his sons, Lachlan Murdoch and James Murdoch, arrive at St. Bride's Church for a service to celebrate his marriage to Jerry Hall on March 5, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)
By Cristina Cabrera
January 14, 2020 12:16 p.m.
Rupert Murdoch, owner of media giant News Corp, is getting heat from his son James over the climate change denialism that's being churned out by the mogul's right-wing news outlets.
The Daily Beast reported on Tuesday that James and his wife Kathyrn, both outspoken advocates of climate action, are upset by how the news organizations controlled by News Corp, such as Fox News and especially newspapers in Australia, have cast doubt on the existence of the climate crisis as bushfires ravage Murdoch's native Australia.
"Kathryn and James' views on climate are well established and their frustration with some of the News Corp and Fox coverage of the topic is also well known," a spokesperson for the couple told the Daily Beast. "They are particularly disappointed with the ongoing denial among the news outlets in Australia given obvious evidence to the contrary."
An unnamed News Corp executive told the Daily Beast that the couple is "pissing inside the tent."
"It's evidence of how high tensions are within the family over climate change," he said.
The executive also asserted that a majority of News Corp employees "agree with James" on the issue.
"We are hoping this may be the tipping point," he told the Daily Beast.
Murdoch has denied that News Corp employees do not believe in climate change.
"There are no climate-change deniers around, I can assure you," he said at the company's annual shareholder meeting in November.
Yet Fox News has infamously invited numerous guests who have spread misinformation about climate change and attacked climate action advocates, with one guest going as far as calling 16-year-old activist Greta Thunberg "mentally ill." Additionally, Fox's own hosts have disparaged the scientifically proven phenomenon.
Cristina Cabrera (@crismcabrera) is a newswriter at TPM based in New York. She previously worked for Vocativ, USA Today and NY1 News.
climate changeFox Newsright-wing mediaRupert Murdoch