James Murdoch, a former top executive at Fox News’ parent company, continues to chart a path away from his father and brother’s Trump TV.
I’ve previously written about Murdoch’s efforts to distance himself from Fox,
He made his efforts very public in a revealing interview with The New Yorker’s Jane Mayer. Mayer notes that with the two billion dollars he received from leaving his family businesses he has invested in “a smattering of tech and media enterprises." He has also donated to the presidential campaigns of John Hickenlooper and Pete Buttigieg.
In addition, Murdoch has invested in efforts to combat disinformation and other threats to democracies around the world.
Today, Deadline reported on Murdoch’s comments to Vanity Fair’s Radhika Jones:
Proving he is far from Roman Roy on the Emmy nominated HBO media dynasty series [Succession], Rupert Murdoch’s youngest son today circumspectly handled a slew of questions about his family and the new ground he’s staking out for himself. However, Murdoch did say he was “disappointed to see” longtime FNC anchor Shepard Smith leave the cable newser suddenly this month.
Clarifying that viewers have “to be careful not to go down rabbit holes” and “there’s plenty of stuff on Fox News I disagree with,” the former News Corp CEO ignored his previous statement that he doesn’t watch the Suzanne Scott run outlet. He also added he found it “frustrating see how news organizations preach to the choir in these opinion shows.”
I am not trying to be an apologist for Murdoch here but I do think his doings and comments are worth reporting. Make of them what you like.
(Murdoch image via screen grab)