November 15, 2003

IS THE TYCOON FOR TURNING?:

Murdoch papers may switch to Tories (Matt Wells, November 15, 2003
The Guardian)

The media tycoon, Rupert Murdoch, last night signalled that his newspapers may switch their allegiance to a reinvigorated Tory party at the next election, in comments likely to cause further alarm among Labour's already jittery high command.

Mr Murdoch, who owns the Times and the top-selling Sun, said the "jury's out" on Tony Blair and warned that his publications would be "torn" if the new Conservative leader, Michael Howard, turns the Tories into a viable alternative.

The Sun's endorsement of Labour was seen in Westminster as being crucial to the party's success in the 1997 general election. Loss of that support would be regarded as a serious blow.

Mr Murdoch signalled for the first time last night that he was thinking about transferring his patronage.

Stressing his high opinion of Mr Blair's stance on Iraq in the face of world opposition, he told the BBC's Ten O'Clock News: "We'll have to see how the Tory frontbench looks, if it looked like a viable alternative government, which it hasn't so far. And we will not quickly forget the courage of Tony Blair in the international sphere in the last several months, so we may be torn in our decision. So let's wait and see."


How about a British version of Fox News?

Posted by Orrin Judd at November 15, 2003 8:10 AM
Comments

It would come as a shock to most liberals in America to find out that Rupert Murdoch's British papers aren't already supporting the Tories, since the general view of U.S. liberals is that Murdoch is the anti-Christ (well, except for Barbara Streisand and her pals, who apparently think Ronald Reagan is, based on that TV movie).

Posted by: John at November 15, 2003 8:56 AM

In a sense, Mr Murdoch is like Zell Miller: an honorable Democrat who will party lines to support a leader who shows honor and courage in the pursuit of policies with which he agrees. Streisand and the core of the Democratic Party has shown they would rather be agnostic about (and if you push me, yes, support) Saddam than support a Republican President.

Posted by: MG at November 15, 2003 11:28 AM

There is a Murdoch owned TV news channel called Sky News. I do not know what its politics are, but it is well to the right of the Ba'athist Broadcasting Corporation.

Posted by: Robert Schwartz at November 15, 2003 12:31 PM

Not really. It doesn't particularly hew right but strives to be as neutral as possible.

Posted by: M Ali Choudhury at November 15, 2003 1:34 PM

Ali - "neutral" IS to the right of the BBC ...

Posted by: Jeff Brokaw at November 16, 2003 8:46 AM
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