Pattern of Personal Attacks by Murdoch Media Empire
A new book titled Getting Murdoched, written by former News Corp journalists Andrew Dodd and Matthew Ricketson, exposes a systematic pattern of personal attacks within Rupert Murdoch's global media empire. The authors coin the term 'getting Murdoched' to describe being editorially attacked when one's ideas or deeds conflict with the media proprietor's interests.
The book, dedicated to 'the bullied', examines dozens of cases across the US, UK, and Australia, including interviews with prominent figures and ordinary citizens. The authors argue that Murdoch has perverted the fourth estate function of journalism, using it to hold individuals accountable rather than holding power to account.
Case Study: Professor David Nutt
In 2009, Professor David Nutt, a former UK drugs adviser, remarked at a public discussion that alcohol was more socially harmful than psychedelic drugs. Soon after, a reporter from The Sun called him, threatening an exposé on his children's drug and drinking habits. The next day, The Sun published a story titled 'Off his Nutt', with photos from his children's Facebook pages, including one of his daughter holding a bottle of spirits uploaded two years before she turned 18. Nutt complained to the UK regulator, but it took weeks for the photos to be removed.
Case Study: Larissa Behrendt
Indigenous Australian academic Larissa Behrendt faced a similar onslaught after posting a bad joke on social media comparing a TV show to an Indigenous leader's comments. The Australian ran a front-page story and followed with 16 articles in 16 days. Behrendt described it as a 'psychological assassination', saying she felt destroyed and feared she would never recover. The authors note that Behrendt had previously been targeted by a Murdoch paper for her Indigenous identity, leading to a 2011 federal court ruling against columnist Andrew Bolt for breaching human rights laws.
Case Study: Flint Del Sol
In the US, trans teacher Flint Del Sol from California was targeted by Fox News for his online posts about a 'queer library' for LGBTQ+ students. The story, headlined 'California high school teacher boasts 'queer library' with material on orgies and BDSM/kink', led to abuse, death threats, and a bomb hoax. Del Sol left teaching two years later, stating he was afraid for his life. 'It destroyed my nervous system and eroded my faith in the goodness and critical thinking of people who had trusted their children to me for more than a decade,' he told the authors.
Global Echo Chamber
Dodd explains that News Corp's global reach amplifies the damage. Campaigns against the transgender community on Fox News have migrated to Sky News Australia, creating an echo chamber. 'It's that much more dangerous as a company,' he says. The authors argue that the tactics have a chilling effect on democracy and seriously harm those targeted, including climate scientists, women's rights advocates, Muslims, and LGBTQ+ community members.
Techniques of 'Murdoching'
The book outlines several techniques: unleashing a torrent of articles contesting even tiny points to wipe out the critic's ideas, attacking the critic personally and repeatedly, and continuing to assert something as true even after it has been proven false. 'This is the dark art that is practised by News,' Dodd says. Ricketson notes that the method often involves a reporter picking up on social media posts that are inadvertent, ill-advised, or easily distorted, then blowing them out of proportion.
News Corp and Fox News were approached for comment. Getting Murdoched by Andrew Dodd and Matthew Ricketson is published by Hardie Grant Books in Australia, with US and UK releases to follow.
