The interview with Jon Faine was reported in The Guardian on 29 June 2017. News Corp is a ‘disgrace’ and should not get hands on Ten, former manager says.
Repost: In an interview on 22 June 2017 with Jon Faine of 774 ABC Melbourne Radio, John Menadue highlights how the Murdoch media attacks people like single mothers and dole ‘bludgers’ for wanting handouts from government, yet the Murdoch organisation depends heavily on government handouts and political favours. Right now it is seeking government favours for Sky television in the UK and Channel 10 in Australia. This has always been the Murdoch way. (See link to interview)
John Menadue describes how Murdoch has damaged the media and democracy in three continents. On the defining issues of recent decades – Iraq, climate change and Brexit – Murdoch has been badly astray. But he will never admit the damage he has inflicted and continues to inflict. Fortunately his power is waning and none too soon.
Click on below for interview
John Menadue is the Founder and Editor in Chief of Pearls and Irritations. He was formerly Secretary of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet under Gough Whitlam and Malcolm Fraser, Ambassador to Japan, Secretary of the Department of Immigration and CEO of Qantas.
Comments
9 responses to “John Menadue talks to Jon Faine about Rupert Murdoch, the great rent-seeker (Repost)”
Hi John, Your comments about News Ltd and Rupert Murdoch are relevant and accurate. I have nothing but respect and admiration for you apt criticism of Murdoch’s recent ‘modus operandi’ and craven abuse of power. Your insights are a warning to the general public and budding media maganates that power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
I believe that as a former employer of Murdoch and a senior former public servant, you are in an excellent position to assess the abuses of power that the media wields. I applaud you.
Best Wishes
Wayne J McMillan
Thank you so much for saying it as it is, sorry missed the programme; my association goes back to 2002 and a fight to protect thousands of innocent victims from exposure to chemical gassing from Murdoch’s ‘peppercorn rented’ heavy industrial factory site in Sydney…(that includes electrical sub-stations) the fight has not come without its ‘uncomfortable punches’ to me and those helping: see http://www.foxandchickens.org/hetty/ – http://www.foxandchickens.org/hetty/fsa_site_index.html – http://www.foxandchickens.org/hetty/building34.html – Hear the 2GB talkback interview with Chris Smith on the demolition of buildings on the Fox Studios Australia site (11th March 2006) – http://www.foxandchickens.org/hetty/issues_liability.html – http://www.foxandchickens.org/hetty/issues_timeline.html – http://www.foxandchickens.org/hetty/issues_health_safety.html – http://www.foxandchickens.org/hetty/issues_governance.html – oh by the way have sent one’s objections to Ofcom why Murdoch not a fit and proper person to take over BSkyB
Well done, Josephine.
Blocking Murdoch with the ‘fit and proper person’ character test is the way to go to stop him monopolising any more media in AUS or UK and US too, if that legal test applies.
It is of great concern that any one entity could control such a significant part of the Australian media. It has enormous potential to cause serious consequences to the way our democracy works.
To hear John speaking so clearly – almost one might say, bluntly – about the corrupt practices of the Murdoch media welfare recipient – its corruption of three nations – its convictions on ‘phone hacking and peddling of/for political influence – and money – affirms for us all out here in citizen land that Rupert is as nasty a piece of work as we have imagined. Rupert the younger – one thing; Rupert the ancient – quite another thing! How his company can control our governments/our compliant politicians – not only for mass media control but the destruction of the ABC and his interference in the LNP plans to further attack ordinary citizens – to remove their independent agency in favour of a cashless card – is beyond me. He’s no longer a citizen – he should be told to take his organisation and leave town, quite frankly!
Thanks John Menadue. Your voice and experience carries weight on the rise and influence of Rupert Murdoch. An interview of significance in helping us to understand better an important aspect of how and where Australia has got to as a nation, at this point in time.
Given the persistence and the pervasiveness of Rupert Murdoch’s influence for five decades now on this nation’s politics and culture, it seems odd that this phenomenon has been largely neglected by academic researchers. A century ago, Keith Murdoch was flexing his media muscles to the extent that he could influence this nation’s earliest Prime Ministers as well as working to restrain and nobble the fledgling ABC from its beginnings in the 1930s. Rupert continued in his father’s tradition to become the English speaking world’s most prominent media baron, while all the while maintaining an aspiration to continue to influence Australia’s political directions in such a way as to further advance his business interests, despite his own change of nationality in 1986. Now, Rupert’s sons Lachlan and James, still comparatively young men with much money to play with, are likely to continue the traditions of their father and grandfather.
Yes, the Murdoch dynasty as part of the evolution of Australia as a nation, is a worthy theme to be researching. One young British historical researcher, bearing the iconic Australian name of Tom Roberts has made a fine start. His ‘ Before Rupert: Keith Murdoch and the Birth of a Dynasty (2015) ‘ is a fine and prescient piece of research, bringing to light evidence of significance, about the relationship between Keith Murdoch and political leaders and opinion-makers in the first decades of Australia’s development as a nation.
It is a book that deserves to be read by all thinking Australians, and a knowledge platform from which further research needs to proceed.
Fantastic to hear your voice John Menadue – and even better to hear what you had to say. About time somebody said it. Thank you very much for doing this interview and letting us hear it from you.
the great rentseeker
well, it surprises me that no one in the MSM is reporting that Murdoch thru his Star Group owns the ‘indue’ cashless card and that Alan Tudge is doing his best to roll it out gradually and the main game plan is to cover all welfare recipients.
That is my opinion, as you wouldn’t expect Murdoch to be happy with just a couple of trial runs. It’s costing the govt. $10K a head to trial the card about 3 times more than govt. costs. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-05-02/cashless-welfare-trial-costing-taxpayers-$10k-per-participant/8488268
If the indue card is rolled out it will be a bonanza in the billions for Murdoch and it will be all thanks to Alan Tudge whose nose appears to be dark tanning by the day.
Wonderful interview.
Prompted me to subscribe to Pearls and Irritations