The Murdoch Matter

The Murdoch Matter

Ever since 1958, the then 27-year-old Rupert Murdoch has been openly agitating for the removal of the Queen, whose grandfather, King George V, had knighted Murdoch’s father, the late Sir Keith Murdoch in 1933.


In the republic debate of the 1990s Murdoch ensured that his newspaper, The Australian, would become the masthead for a republic, himself writing leading attacks on our current system of governance.

Since the resounding defeat of the republic referendum in 1999, the trounced The Australian newspaper moved to middle ground embracing a pathway to become Australia’s conservative newspaper. However, it is obvious that Murdoch has always hankered after an Australian republic and this became evident in a recent interview when, to quote from Sky News: “Rupert Murdoch has predicted Australia will become a republic within the next ten years...  As part of an exclusive interview ahead of The Australian’s 60th birthday, the Chairman Emeritus of News Corp and Fox Corporation said “I think without a doubt, it's going to evolve. John Howard, who was old fashioned, and therefore a monarchist, I guess, was very clever the way he designed the question that was put to people, which is really what do you put in its place." "It's going to happen."

Even in this comment, Mr Murdoch is pushing disinformation because the referendum question was drafted in consultation with republicans and was actually later changed at the request of Malcolm Turnbull.
 
We are therefore writing to The Australian newspaper urging them not to again become a masthead for a republic but rather that they maintain unbiased reporting and not resort to the sort of misinformation that was propagated 25 years ago. To quote from our letter, which you will find below, “As a newspaper The Australian has since matured and has deservedly become the national newspaper of choice for those who want balanced news and opinion but If you again become a flagship for the republican cause, you will not only lose the support of our readership, but potentially that of thousands of others.
 
We invite you to also sign the letter and in so doing help to ensure that we do not have to face the entirety of the mainstream media stacked against us as we did in 1999.

Thank you

LETTER TO THE AUSTRALIAN NEWSPAPER

 
Ms Michelle Gunn
Editor-In-Chief
The Australian
2 Holt Street
Surry Hills NSW 2010
(GPO Box 4245 Sydney NSW 2001)
 
Dear Ms Gunn
 
We were surprised that, in his interview for the Sky documentary ‘The Australian: 60 Years of News’, Mr Rupert Murdoch had forecast that Australia would become a republic in ten years. 
 
In the 1990s he had ensured that The Australian newspaper would be the flagship for an Australian republic. In 1999 not only did the republic referendum end in ignominious defeat for its supporters, but also The Australian newspaper suffered through loss of readership and a new antipathy amongst many conservatives was created by your overtly partisan push for a republic
 
In the 25 years following the republic referendum, The Australian has since become the favourite newspaper for those who are conservatively minded. You have some of the best journalists in the country who are all, apart from a few, conservatives,.
 
We, the undersigned, therefore ask that you continue to maintain unbiased reporting in the matter of a republic and not resort to the sort of misinformation that was propagated 25 years ago.
 
As a newspaper The Australian has since matured and has deservedly become the national newspaper of choice for those who want balanced news and opinion but If you again become a flagship for the republican cause, you will not only lose the support of our readership, but potentially that of thousands of others.
 
Yours sincerely
 
 
c.c.
Mr Nicholas Gray
Managing Director
The Australian
1,208 signature
Goal: 1000 signature

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