Murdock on politics

The sinister media tycoon Rupert Murdock has decided that Britain’s next ruler should be David Cameron, leader of the conservative party. The mogul is no stranger to the political world, having known possibly as many American heads of state as anyone living today and met every US president since Harry Truman. He set his sights on the Obama camp during the previous presidential elections. Murdock was such an avid supporter that brokered a tentative truce between Obama and the head of Fox News, the influential rightwing network that had regularly ridiculed Obama. The News Corporation chairman said he was “a traditional proprietor “ , as far as the top papers are concerned. Basically, through editorial control, he decides who his media outlets back in elections

His relationship with British politics however, is on more shaky ground due to the implementation of internet paywalls. Two British Corp papers, The Times and The Sunday Times, are raising paywalls around their online news. Starting in June, users will charged a daily or weekly subscription fee. South Africa also plans to follow the British lead, Avusa plans to put paywalls on its Eastern cape titles, The Herald in Port Elizabeth and The Daily Dispatch in East London

This has been met with much protest by internet users and professional s. Many question his ability to understand the nature of the internet and new media. According to his biographer Michael Wolf, Murdock does not use the internet, let alone Google, having only recently learned how to use email. So how can such a man possibly understand the dynamics, demands and opportunities of the post-industrial, new-digital media economy. Slight diversion I know, but I just want to point out just how out of sync the old crocodile is with the current consumer milieu. Anyways, the politicians don’t like the idea of a paywall either. British Prime Minister Gordon Brown spoke against the implementation of online paywalls in an interview with Radio Times, arguing that “ people will pay for certain things, and should pay for certain things, but I think there’s a whole sort of element of communication that’s got to be free. People mind paying for basic news”. Brown’s timely comments seem to me to have a political impetus to woe support of young internet users , who are often indifferent to print press and electoral process. Ironically, those wishing to read the interview online might be disappointed. The Radio Times is not available on the web, never mind being hidden behind a paywall. The interview has had various effect on the web, generating several rants and tweets. the most interesting one however, is the fact that Murdock’s titles recently switched from supporting the Brown’s Labour Party towards backing it opponent the Conservatives in the current elections. All journalists wish they had more say if not influence in the political world, but this type of influence leaves one thinking of a Darth Vadersque character looming over the junction between politics and new media.