
Rupert Murdoch steps down as chair of Fox and News Corp
92 year-old hands control of media companies to eldest son Lachlan
92 year-old hands control of media companies to eldest son Lachlan
Sensemaker
Millions of Turks have voted to be poorer under a president who fundamentally misunderstands economics
Truth Tellers
Why kill a journalist if there are 30 others ready to take their place? The pioneering French publishers Forbidden Stories discuss the ‘SafeBox’ system of reporting from dangerous places
Truth Tellers
Mexican reporter Anabel Hernandez discusses her 17-year investigation into the Sinaloa cartel, and the threats made to her life.
Sensemaker
The most popular politician in Pakistan is being frozen out of politics by paramilitary police, and the people are not happy.
Sensemaker
At least Fox News had the cash: it paid its entire $787 million settlement fee to Dominion Voting Systems before lawyers for the two companies got up to leave the courtroom, Dominion’s co-founder told a conference in honour of Sir Harry Evans.
Truth-tellers are defiant in the face of dictators, AI and misinformation
Sensemaker Audio
The FBI has arrested a man who they believe is linked to a leak of confidential US defence and intelligence documents. What did we learn from the leak?
Sensemaker Audio
The Duke of Sussex has been in the high court, fighting a legal battle against the owner of the Daily Mail newspaper. What is he trying to achieve?
Truth Tellers
Why kill a journalist if there are 30 others ready to take their place? The pioneering French publishers Forbidden Stories discuss the ‘SafeBox’ system of reporting from dangerous places
Truth Tellers
Mexican reporter Anabel Hernandez discusses her 17-year investigation into the Sinaloa cartel, and the threats made to her life.
Sensemaker Audio
The FBI has arrested a man who they believe is linked to a leak of confidential US defence and intelligence documents. What did we learn from the leak?
Sensemaker Audio
The Duke of Sussex has been in the high court, fighting a legal battle against the owner of the Daily Mail newspaper. What is he trying to achieve?
Sensemaker Audio
Gary Lineker was asked to step back from presenting Match of the Day after he tweeted about politics. What does the incident tell us about the BBC’s difficulties in achieving impartial broadcasting?
Slow Newscast
What happened inside Fox News in those critical weeks following Donald Trump’s election defeat in 2020?
Sensemaker Audio
Controversial influencer Andrew Tate has been arrested in Romania as part of an investigation into allegations of human trafficking and rape. Is it the end of his online influence?
Sensemaker Audio
One of the most powerful women in tech left the world’s biggest social media company this year. Alexi Mostrous explains how Sheryl Sandberg’s departure from Meta helps him make sense of 2022
Sensemaker Audio
There were legal wranglings, lots of firings and plenty of missteps when one of the world’s richest men bought Twitter. Why did Elon Musk do it and what does it mean for the social network?
thinkin
This is a newsroom ThinkIn. In-person and digital-only tickets are available.For 40 years, the Sun was the UK’s best selling newspaper. It was knocked from that top spot by the Daily Mail in 2019, and earlier this year owner Rupert Murdoch wrote down the value of his Sun newspapers (which include the Sun on Sunday and the Scottish Sun) to zero. Huge losses of around £200 million, largely down to settlements and fees generated by the fallout of phone hacking scandals, were compounded by the pandemic and the terminal decline of mass market print media. Letting it go would be a huge personal and symbolic loss for Murdoch. Are the days of the Sun — or any of the redtops — being able to influence elections and sway public opinion over? If the internet can provide a never-ending source of manufactured outrage and salacious showbiz gossip, what are the redtops even for? editor Matthew d’AnconaEditor
thinkin
This is a digital-only ThinkIn.The Online Safety Bill was originally conceived to protect everyone from harmful online content. Tech firms, by law would be required to actively prevent the proliferation of illegal material, and to introduce specific new criminal sanctions for users who post extremist material. This sounds like a good plan – but the Bill also proposes criminalising ‘legal but harmful’ content. If it passes, it’ll be up to Ofcom to decide what that means, which clearly could have significant consequences for journalists, activists and ordinary users alike. Critics are concerned that the Bill is too soft on the companies, too. A Committee has been gathering evidence on the latest draft of the Bill and will publish its response to that evidence on 10 December. So what is and isn’t in it, and what happens next? editor and invited experts Emily BennEditor Jim KillockExecutive Director, Open Rights Group Matt d’AnconaEditor and Partner, Tortoise Silkie CarloDirector, Big Brother Watch
thinkin
This is a newsroom ThinkIn. In-person and digital only tickets are available. Lionel Shriver, best-selling author of several books including We Need To Talk About Kevin, has described the impact of identity politics in publishing as a ‘quasi-Soviet phenomenon’. Her response follows reports of several staff protests and walkouts at major publishers (including Little, Brown and Penguin Random House) on both sides of the Atlantic over planned publications of controversial books, either on the basis of the books’ content or the actions of their authors. The books include Ronan Farrow’s memoir, Julie Burchill’s latest book Welcome to the Woke Trials, Jordan Peterson’s latest and a biography of Philip Roth. The Evening Standard characterised the situation as a “moralistic new world”, where some authors “are deemed to have committed worse crimes than others, resulting in anything from mild censorship to accusations of insensitivity, cultural appropriation, misogyny, racism or transphobia…” The law is meant to be the ultimate arbiter of what is and isn’t acceptable to publish, but the truth is that publishing houses have always been making these calls. Are the so-called ‘culture wars’ really affecting freedom of thought and expression? Or are some books simply too offensive to publish? editor and invited experts Matt d’AnconaEditor and Partner Helen JoyceJournalist and author Mark RichardsPublisher, Swift Press Ronkwahrhakónha DubeSensitivity reader, Salt & Sage Sasha WhiteFormer assistant literary agent and Co-Founder, Plebity
thinkin
Rupert Murdoch is stepping down as chairman of Fox and News Corp, leaving his eldest son Lachlan the sole executive of his media empire. Murdoch, 92, said that he would take on a new role of chairman emeritus in November. Murdoch wrote in a memo to staff that although his daily engagement with “news and ideas” would not change, the time was “right” for him to take on a different role. He said that the “battle” for freedom of speech and freedom of thought, “has never been more intense” and that most of the media were in “cahoots” with elites who have “open contempt for those who are not members of their rarefied class.” Murdoch also stressed that the companies – and himself – were in “robust health”. Over seven decades Murdoch amassed vast wealth and influence through his ownership of some of the world’s largest news and media companies across the UK, US and Australia. The news of Murdoch’s departure comes after Fox News was forced to pay a $787.5 million settlement to voting equipment company Dominion over falsely reporting that the 2020 US election was rigged against Donald Trump. The company faces a similar lawsuit from voting machine company Smartmatic. Earlier this year, Murdoch withdrew a proposed plan to merge News Corp and Fox saying the transaction was “not optimal” for shareholders at that time. In a statement, 52 year-old Lachlan – who will become sole chair of News Corp and continue as executive chair and CEO of Fox Corp – congratulated his father on his “remarkable” career and thanked him for his “vision”, “pioneering spirit” and “enduring legacy”. “We are grateful that he will serve as Chairman Emeritus and know he will continue to provide valued counsel to both companies,” he said. More from Tortoise
thinkin
Rupert Murdoch is stepping down as chairman of Fox and News Corp, leaving his eldest son Lachlan the sole executive of his media empire. Murdoch, 92, said that he would take on a new role of chairman emeritus in November. Murdoch wrote in a memo to staff that although his daily engagement with “news and ideas” would not change, the time was “right” for him to take on a different role. He said that the “battle” for freedom of speech and freedom of thought, “has never been more intense” and that most of the media were in “cahoots” with elites who have “open contempt for those who are not members of their rarefied class.” Murdoch also stressed that the companies – and himself – were in “robust health”. Over seven decades Murdoch amassed vast wealth and influence through his ownership of some of the world’s largest news and media companies across the UK, US and Australia. The news of Murdoch’s departure comes after Fox News was forced to pay a $787.5 million settlement to voting equipment company Dominion over falsely reporting that the 2020 US election was rigged against Donald Trump. The company faces a similar lawsuit from voting machine company Smartmatic. Earlier this year, Murdoch withdrew a proposed plan to merge News Corp and Fox saying the transaction was “not optimal” for shareholders at that time. In a statement, 52 year-old Lachlan – who will become sole chair of News Corp and continue as executive chair and CEO of Fox Corp – congratulated his father on his “remarkable” career and thanked him for his “vision”, “pioneering spirit” and “enduring legacy”. “We are grateful that he will serve as Chairman Emeritus and know he will continue to provide valued counsel to both companies,” he said. More from Tortoise
thinkin
Rupert Murdoch is stepping down as chairman of Fox and News Corp, leaving his eldest son Lachlan the sole executive of his media empire. Murdoch, 92, said that he would take on a new role of chairman emeritus in November. Murdoch wrote in a memo to staff that although his daily engagement with “news and ideas” would not change, the time was “right” for him to take on a different role. He said that the “battle” for freedom of speech and freedom of thought, “has never been more intense” and that most of the media were in “cahoots” with elites who have “open contempt for those who are not members of their rarefied class.” Murdoch also stressed that the companies – and himself – were in “robust health”. Over seven decades Murdoch amassed vast wealth and influence through his ownership of some of the world’s largest news and media companies across the UK, US and Australia. The news of Murdoch’s departure comes after Fox News was forced to pay a $787.5 million settlement to voting equipment company Dominion over falsely reporting that the 2020 US election was rigged against Donald Trump. The company faces a similar lawsuit from voting machine company Smartmatic. Earlier this year, Murdoch withdrew a proposed plan to merge News Corp and Fox saying the transaction was “not optimal” for shareholders at that time. In a statement, 52 year-old Lachlan – who will become sole chair of News Corp and continue as executive chair and CEO of Fox Corp – congratulated his father on his “remarkable” career and thanked him for his “vision”, “pioneering spirit” and “enduring legacy”. “We are grateful that he will serve as Chairman Emeritus and know he will continue to provide valued counsel to both companies,” he said. More from Tortoise
thinkin
Rupert Murdoch is stepping down as chairman of Fox and News Corp, leaving his eldest son Lachlan the sole executive of his media empire. Murdoch, 92, said that he would take on a new role of chairman emeritus in November. Murdoch wrote in a memo to staff that although his daily engagement with “news and ideas” would not change, the time was “right” for him to take on a different role. He said that the “battle” for freedom of speech and freedom of thought, “has never been more intense” and that most of the media were in “cahoots” with elites who have “open contempt for those who are not members of their rarefied class.” Murdoch also stressed that the companies – and himself – were in “robust health”. Over seven decades Murdoch amassed vast wealth and influence through his ownership of some of the world’s largest news and media companies across the UK, US and Australia. The news of Murdoch’s departure comes after Fox News was forced to pay a $787.5 million settlement to voting equipment company Dominion over falsely reporting that the 2020 US election was rigged against Donald Trump. The company faces a similar lawsuit from voting machine company Smartmatic. Earlier this year, Murdoch withdrew a proposed plan to merge News Corp and Fox saying the transaction was “not optimal” for shareholders at that time. In a statement, 52 year-old Lachlan – who will become sole chair of News Corp and continue as executive chair and CEO of Fox Corp – congratulated his father on his “remarkable” career and thanked him for his “vision”, “pioneering spirit” and “enduring legacy”. “We are grateful that he will serve as Chairman Emeritus and know he will continue to provide valued counsel to both companies,” he said. More from Tortoise
thinkin
Rupert Murdoch is stepping down as chairman of Fox and News Corp, leaving his eldest son Lachlan the sole executive of his media empire. Murdoch, 92, said that he would take on a new role of chairman emeritus in November. Murdoch wrote in a memo to staff that although his daily engagement with “news and ideas” would not change, the time was “right” for him to take on a different role. He said that the “battle” for freedom of speech and freedom of thought, “has never been more intense” and that most of the media were in “cahoots” with elites who have “open contempt for those who are not members of their rarefied class.” Murdoch also stressed that the companies – and himself – were in “robust health”. Over seven decades Murdoch amassed vast wealth and influence through his ownership of some of the world’s largest news and media companies across the UK, US and Australia. The news of Murdoch’s departure comes after Fox News was forced to pay a $787.5 million settlement to voting equipment company Dominion over falsely reporting that the 2020 US election was rigged against Donald Trump. The company faces a similar lawsuit from voting machine company Smartmatic. Earlier this year, Murdoch withdrew a proposed plan to merge News Corp and Fox saying the transaction was “not optimal” for shareholders at that time. In a statement, 52 year-old Lachlan – who will become sole chair of News Corp and continue as executive chair and CEO of Fox Corp – congratulated his father on his “remarkable” career and thanked him for his “vision”, “pioneering spirit” and “enduring legacy”. “We are grateful that he will serve as Chairman Emeritus and know he will continue to provide valued counsel to both companies,” he said. More from Tortoise
thinkin
Who is lurking behind the Covid conspiracies spreading across social media? Why do they do it, and how worried should we be? Our daily digital ThinkIns are exclusively for Tortoise members and their guests.Try Tortoise free for four weeks to unlock your complimentary tickets to all our digital ThinkIns.If you’re already a member and looking for your ThinkIn access code you can find it in the My Tortoise > My Membership section of the app next to ‘ThinkIn access code’.We’d love you to join us.Disinformation continues to disorient us. As part of our ongoing investigation into the sources and structures that perpetuate the spread of fake news, join Tortoise’s investigations team and invited experts in tracking far-right Facebook groups as we examine the social media accounts consistently and deliberately spreading lies on many subjects, and to great effect. What are their motivations? Who funds them? And what can be done – by the platforms, the fact-checkers and ordinary social media users – to halt the infodemic at source?Chair: James Harding, Editor and Co-founder, TortoiseOur special guest include:Manlio De Domenico is a physicist, Senior Researcher at Fondazione Bruno Kessler (Italy), where he leads the interdisciplinary Complex Multilayer Networks (CoMuNe) Lab, and national coordinator of the Italian Chapter of the Complex Systems Society. His research is focused on the study of collective phenomena emerging from natural and artificial interdependent systems, with leading contributions to modelling and analysis of multilayer networks, their structure, dynamics, information capacity and resilience to shocks. His applications range from biological to socio-technical systems, with impact on personalised medicine, smart city engineering, risk assessment and policy-making in response to spreading phenomena such as epidemics and infodemics. Recently, he coordinated the team behind the COVID19 Infodemic Observatory.Raymond M Serrato is an open source investigator and social media analyst based in Berlin. His research on social media and elections, influence operations, and mis/disinformation has been featured in The New York Times, The Guardian, and CNN. He has worked for the United Nations, the EU, and civil society organisations managing projects in countries as diverse as Tunisia, Pakistan, and Myanmar. In another life, he was a communications specialist in the US Navy, where he learned how to dog down a hatch and fight a class “B” fire.Lucy Hooberman is Professor of Digital Media & Innovation at the University of Warwick. Her research is focussed on real world, practise-based projects such as the qualitative research necessary to launch a new NHS digital health platform serving the needs of NHS staff as well as the patient population of the West Midlands. She joined Academia from a career in “mainstream” media as a Producer and executive Producer for Channel 4 and at the BBC in their Innovation Lab, BBC Imagineering for eight years in “new” media supporting and leading the BBC’s transition onto the internet and into the world of the WWW.How does a digital ThinkIn work?A digital ThinkIn is like a video conference, hosted by a Tortoise editor, that takes place at the advertised time of the event. Digital ThinkIns are new to Tortoise. Now that our newsroom has closed due to the coronavirus outbreak, we feel it’s more important than ever that we ‘get together’ to talk about the world and what’s going on.The link to join the conversation will be emailed to you after you have registered for your ticket to attend. When you click the link, you enter the digital ThinkIn and can join a live conversation from wherever you are in the world. Members can enter their unique members’ access code to book tickets. Find yours in My Tortoise > My Membership in the Tortoise app.If you have any questions or get stuck, please read our FAQs, or get in touch with us at memberhelp@tortoisemedia.comWhat is a Tortoise ThinkIn?A ThinkIn is not another panel discussion. It is a forum for civilised disagreement. It is a place where everyone has a seat at the (virtual) table. It’s where we get to hear what you think, drawn from your experience, energy and expertise. It is the heart of what we do at Tortoise.
92 year-old hands control of media companies to eldest son Lachlan
Sensemaker
Millions of Turks have voted to be poorer under a president who fundamentally misunderstands economics
Sensemaker
The most popular politician in Pakistan is being frozen out of politics by paramilitary police, and the people are not happy.
Sensemaker
At least Fox News had the cash: it paid its entire $787 million settlement fee to Dominion Voting Systems before lawyers for the two companies got up to leave the courtroom, Dominion’s co-founder told a conference in honour of Sir Harry Evans.
Truth-tellers are defiant in the face of dictators, AI and misinformation
Quarterly
Nicky Woolf writes about his year-long investigation into the conspiracy theory that’s become a cult – and how he identified the person he believes is behind it
Sensemaker
What just happened
Creative Sensemaker
Alex Jones has been ordered by a judge to pay $49.3 million for his false claims about Sandy Hook. His book is still set to be published in the autumn
Sensemaker
What just happened