Rupert Murdoch’s farewell speech against selfish elites – and a rallying cry for free speech as he announces he will step down as chairman of Fox and NewsCorp after 70 years
- The media mogul claimed he was trying to silence those who disagree with him
Free speech is under threat from elites and bureaucrats, Rupert Murdoch warned in his resignation letter yesterday.
The media mogul claimed they were trying to silence those who disagreed with them.
He said that even though he was stepping down as chairman of Fox Corporation, he would be “involved in the competition of ideas every day.”
Mr. Murdoch’s pugnacious tone surprised some given that he was finally stepping back from day-to-day control of his media empire.
The rest of the letter was more farewell in nature and involved thanking Fox staff, including “the truck drivers who deliver our newspapers” and “the housekeepers who toil when we leave the office.”
Media mogul Rupert Murdoch claimed that elites and bureaucrats were trying to silence those who disagreed with them.
Mr. Murdoch’s pugnacious tone surprised some given that he was finally stepping back from day-to-day control of his media empire. Pictured: Rupert Murdoch and his son Lachlan Murdoch, who replaces him as chairman of Fox and NewsCorp
But it seems to speak to a hostile attitude toward the establishment that has not lessened with age.
In his letter, Mr Murdoch warned that “the battle for freedom of speech and, ultimately, freedom of thought, has never been more intense.”
He has previously denounced what he dubbed “horrible woke orthodoxy.”
He wrote that his father “strongly believed in freedom” and that his son Lachlan was “absolutely committed to this cause.” Mr Murdoch said: “Self-interested bureaucracies seek to silence those who would question their origin and purpose. Elites openly look down on those who are not members of the rarefied class.
“Most media outlets are in cahoots with these elites, peddling political narratives rather than seeking the truth.
“In my new role, I can guarantee that I will participate in the competition of ideas every day.”
The tone left Fox insiders “mildly shocked” that Mr Murdoch had come out in such a way, which the US website Daily Beast called a “barn fire”. A former Fox News executive said the “combative tone was a bit of a surprise.”
Mr Murdoch made clear in the letter that he was in “good health” and would be an “active member” of the News Corp community. He added: “I will watch our broadcasts with a critical eye, read our newspapers, websites and books with great interest, and pass on my thoughts, ideas and advice to you.”
Mr Murdoch’s comments sparked strong reactions from some observers. Angelo Carusone, of media watchdog Media Matters, described his legacy as “one of deceit, destruction and death.”
