Quarterly Essay: Bad News – Murdoch’s ‘Australian’ and the Shaping of the Nation
This year has seen unprecedented scrutiny of Rupert Murdoch’s empire in Britain. There’s even been talk of the end of the empire. Some of that has spilled over as far as our shores – where it all began for the Murdochs. In Australia, News Limited market dominance is impressive: by its own admission, News Limited controls 70 per cent of Australia’s newspaper readership market. The empire’s flagship publication is The Australian, our only national masthead and – though a perennial loss-maker – a key weapon in News Limited’s arsenal of influence. In ‘Bad News’, Robert Manne, one of Australia’s leading essayists, investigates how The Australian shapes debate in this country.
Featuring
Featuring
Robert Manne’s many books include Making Trouble and The Words That Made Australia (as co-editor). He is the author of three Quarterly Essays, In Denial, Sending Them Home and Bad News. He is a Vice-Chancellor’s Fellow at La Trobe University. ... Read more
Sophie Black is a writer, journalist and Crikey’s editor-in-chief. She has worked in senior management across cultural and media organisations, and has written for outlets such as The Guardian and The Monthly. As the Wheeler Centre’s head of publishing, she oversaw projects such as the Walk... Read more
Watch, Listen, Read
Watch
Chanel Contos: Consent Laid Bare
Listen
Origin of You: Mindy Meng Wang 王萌 and Sui Zhen
Watch
Jane Smiley in Conversation
Listen
Richard Flanagan: Question 7
Watch
In Conversation with Fern Brady: Strong Female Character
Watch