It’s been a busy 24 hours for Lachlan Murdoch, as News Corp celebrates the 60th anniversary of The Australian.
A who’s who of Australian business gathered at The Australian Museum on Thursday night and were addressed by the chairman of News Corp.
The Australian’s James Madden reported on the event on page 1 of The Australian the morning after.
Murdoch told guests: “Journalists first and foremost report the news, accurately and without bias. We report the facts. We ask questions. We seek the truth.
“The Wall Street Journal reported last week that Elon Musk’s Grok artificial intelligence, which aggregates content from all X accounts, is automatically producing what can only be called ‘fake’ news. What Musk has touted as – and I quote, ‘the new model of news’ – is in fact so riddled with errors and made-up stories that it can’t be trusted. Just last week it told its millions of users that it was Kamala Harris, not Donald Trump, who was shot in Pennsylvania. This is very dangerous. And this is why journalism, real journalism with real journalists, is so important.”
The Australian reports on its 60th birthday event
The Australian’s editor-in-chief, Michelle Gunn, said the event was about celebrating journalism: “Because there is no doubt the world needs quality journalism more than ever.
“But tonight is also a celebration of the power of good ideas, a clarion call for Australians to rediscover the art of persuasion, and an entreaty to the thinking men and women of Australia to engage in thoughtful, vigorous debate about the things that matter.”
See also:
• The Australian unveils new leadership team led by Nicholas Gray and Michelle Gunn
• Editor-in-chief Michelle Gunn on The Australian at 60 – Past, present and the future
Senior executives from News Corp Australia attended alongside executive chairman Michael Miller, Gunn, and Foxtel CEO Patrick Delany.
Australian chef and restaurateur Neil Perry designed the menu, with wines selected by Peter Gago, chief winemaker at Penfolds. The evening included a live performance by Australian singers Budjerah and Missy Higgins.
Other guests included Peter Dutton, Chris Minns, Samantha Mostyn, John Howard, Tony Abbott, Kelvin Healy (editor, The Australian), Siobhan McKenna, Matt Comyn, Solomon Lew, Andrew Forrest, Scott Farquhar, Justin Hemmes, Olivia Wirth, Andrew Dillon, Peter V’landys and Gillon McLachlan.
News breaks about Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch’s succession plan
Just hours before The Australian’s birthday event, The New York Times published a detailed summary of plans to alter the Murdoch family trust.
The feature carried the headline: The Secret Battle for the Future of the Murdoch Empire. The story triggered more coverage in newspapers, websites and broadcast media around the world. Coverage in Australia included The Australian, and The Sydney Morning Herald through to Thursday evening TV bulletins. Seven’s new The Nightly devoted a special cover to the story on Thursday night.
The New York Times feature started with:
Rupert Murdoch is locked in a secret legal battle against three of his children over the future of the family’s media empire, as he moves to preserve it as a conservative political force after his death, according to a sealed court document obtained by The New York Times.
Mr. Murdoch, 93, set the drama in motion late last year, when he made a surprise move to change the terms of the Murdochs’ irrevocable family trust to ensure that his eldest son and chosen successor, Lachlan Murdoch, would remain in charge of his vast collection of television networks and newspapers.
The Times added:
[Rupert Murdoch’s children] James, Elisabeth and Prudence – were caught completely off-guard by their father’s effort to rewrite what was supposed to be an inviolable trust and have united to stop him. Lachlan Murdoch has joined on Mr. Murdoch’s side. Remarkably, the ensuing battle has been playing out entirely out of public view.
Mr. Murdoch’s lawyers have argued that he is trying to protect James, Elisabeth and Prudence by ensuring that they won’t be able to moderate Fox’s politics or disrupt its operations with constant fights over leadership.
Top image: Anthony Albanese with Lachlan Murdoch (Source: News Corp Australia)