Andrew Bolt says James Murdoch should ‘back off’ in looming legal fight over News Corp

James Murdoch is fighting for control over a news organisation he hates and wants to destroy. He needs to accept that “thoughtful conservative” Lachlan is the right man for the job.

Let me give a Murdoch family member some good advice. James, back off. Don’t kill your golden goose.

Rupert Murdoch is now in a legal battle against three of his children over the future of the family’s media empire, which includes Fox News, this newspaper and Sky News Australia, where I also work.

Murdoch correctly believes these outlets are successful because they offer something hard to find in rival media companies: conservative voices.

Australian born media magnate Rupert Murdoch (C) flanked by his sons Lachlan (L) and James (R) March 5, 2016 (Photo by Leon NEAL / AFP)

So Murdoch wants to ensure his eldest son, Lachlan, stays in charge after his death. After all, Lachlan is like his father, a thoughtful conservative.

He’s also been effectively the boss of Fox Corp and News Corp for five years, and very much so since his father officially retired last year, overseeing rises in the share prices.

But to guarantee Lachlan stays in charge, the “irrevocable” Murdoch family trust must be changed. Right now, it would give an equal voting share to Murdoch’s four eldest children, including Lachlan, after their father’s death.

Sarah and Lachlan Murdoch. Picture: Jason Edwards

Trouble is, the other three – including James – are fighting this in court.

So I have a message for James. Your father is right. Stopping you from replacing Lachlan is in your interests, too, which is what Rupert Murdoch must prove for the court to approve this change.

If James replaced Lachlan, this company would be crippled, because James is a Leftist who doesn’t like a lot of what we do – things that make us distinctive and successful.

He’s repeatedly attacked Fox News, a huge money earner, complaining: “There are views I really disagree with.” He said he resigned from the board “due to disagreements over certain editorial content published by the company’s news outlets and certain other strategic decisions”.

His spokesman said he’s “particularly disappointed with the ongoing (climate) denial among the news outlets in Australia”.

That’s alarming. It suggests Murdoch commentators who are sceptical about climate alarmists and the climate policies which are making us poorer should be silenced.

But would you read or watch us if we were turned into yet another Left-wing outlet – another Age, Guardian or ABC?

James Murdoch should know better. In 2019, he invested in Vice News, then valued at $4 billion and flogging the climate scare as hard as he could wish. It’s since gone bankrupt.

So what on earth is James fighting for? Control over a news organisation he hates and would destroy?

I can’t imagine other shareholders would like that.

Originally published as Andrew Bolt says James Murdoch should ‘back off’ in looming legal fight over News Corp