Washington | Rupert Murdoch’s bitter family feud will play out in secret after a US court official ruled on Thursday (Friday AEST) that an impending trial over who should control the family trust will be closed to the media.

The media magnate and his four eldest children are preparing for a blockbuster two-week trial starting on Monday (Tuesday AEST) in a probate court in Reno, Nevada, that is likely to determine the future direction of the family’s media empire.