The Life of Rupert Murdoch
Rupert Murdoch is an Australian-born American entrepreneur. Through his company, News Corp, he owns many national and international news outlets around the world.
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Over the years, Murdoch has been accused of spreading misinformation about climate change and has even been shunned by various organizations for his views on the topic.
Climate Activists’ Opinion
According to climate scientist Joelle Gergis, the Australian’s impact on the media and landscape since the 1950s has had damaging consequences.
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She said, “It’s hard to think of another person who has single-handedly done more to muddy the public’s understanding of climate change.”
Passing the Torch
After over 70 years in the business, the news tycoon decided it was finally time to retire.
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Rupert Murdoch has decided to hand over control of his vast media empire to his son Lachlan.
Greatest Ever Climate Villains
After news broke that Murdoch was stepping down, climate scientists were quick to share their opinions on the News Corp founder.
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Climate scientist Michael Mann said, “He has wielded his global media empire as a cudgel to sow confusion and doubt about the science and the solutions. He will go down in history as one of the greatest climate villains.”
Nothing New
Journalists were quick to suggest Murdoch’s role in climate science denial is nothing new.
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The Australian Centre for Independent Journalism studied over 600 articles across ten newspapers associated with Murdoch and found that 32% either dismissed or questioned whether human activity was responsible for rising temperatures.
The Figures Are Shocking
A separate investigation into Murdoch’s new empire brought forth shocking figures
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Around 97% of comment pieces in the Herald Sun, a newspaper under Murdoch’s empire, published climate-skeptic views.
The Man Behind the Keyboard
Syndicated columnist Andrew Bolt was the man responsible for the vast majority of the climate skeptic pieces.
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He has also written similar content for publishers such as NT News, the Daily Telegraph, and The Advertiser.
More Criticism of the Media Mogul
Murdoch has also been criticized for inaccurate statements centered on the climate crisis. Many came during a 2014 interview on Sky News.
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The conversation was centered on several inaccurate and troubling stories News Corp published about the Mission Zero 2050 campaign. It appears Murdoch isn’t on board with the idea of working towards a net-zero future.
Renewable Energies Don’t Work
News Corp-associated journalists have also published various pieces claiming that renewable energy sources are unreliable.
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One publication went as far as to claim that the Australian coal industry was cleaner than the coal industries in other nations worldwide.
True Global Villain
It wasn’t just the climate journalists who called out Murdoch following his move into semi-retirement.
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One Reddit user said, “He’s a true villain on a global scale.” Whereas another user believes the former News Corp boss will be responsible for the deaths of millions.
What Will Happen Next?
It’s uncertain if News Corp will continue to remain controversial in the eyes of climate scientists under the leadership of Rupert’s son, Lachlan.
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However, one of Lachlan’s first moves as boss was to appoint the former Australian prime minister, Tony Abbott, to the board of the Fox Corporation. Abbott is also a well-known climate skeptic.