Anyone want to stop Murdoch? (copy of 38 degrees email)

Phil_aka_Pip

Rupert Murdoch’s Sky takeover bid is hanging by a thread. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is the official watchdog. Their draft report says it's a threat to democracy, and that maybe the best thing would be to block it. [1] Now, they’re asking for the public’s views on their draft report, before they make their final decision. [2]

It’s not a done deal yet. Murdoch’s lobbyists will be working around the clock to convince the CMA to re-write their report and wave through the takeover. Together, we need to make sure public opposition to Murdoch is loud enough to drown him out.

If the CMA hears from thousands of people like you, Phil, it could be enough to encourage them to stick with their plans.

We have less than a week to submit our views. Phil, will you email the CMA now? It’ll take less than two minutes, and there’s a template to get you started:

EMAIL THE CMA

From biased reporting to dodgy backroom deals with politicians, Murdoch’s vast media empire already threatens our democracy. [3] If his Sky takeover goes through, it'll give him even more power over our media. And that means even more power over our politicians.

Together, we’ve already done so much to get to this point. We’ve signed petitions, we’ve sent emails, we’ve crowdfunded hard-hitting polling, and we’ve presented our evidence directly to the watchdog. [4] Murdoch and his slick, highly-paid lobbyists never give up. But 38 Degrees-ers are matching him at every stage with our people-powered defence of democracy.

usedtobe

Done!

Whitecat

Have heard a rumour that Murdoch has threatened privately to reverse his pro-Brexit publications' Brexit stances (ie, make them pro-EU) if this isn't rammed through, as revenge on the Tories/to hang them out to dry... that would be rather amusing, if nothing else. Anyway, just a rumour so likely to be #fakenews anyway but hey...

Grangousier

Although the people who are anti-Murdoch are also likely to be anti-Brexit, so wouldn't that be a win/win for his enemies?

Speaking as one of his enemies, I'm not sure that I'd be upset about that, but he's never been so strategically incompetent before. 

Whitecat

Grangousier said:

Although the people who are anti-Murdoch are also likely to be anti-Brexit, so wouldn't that be a win/win for his enemies?

Speaking as one of his enemies, I'm not sure that I'd be upset about that, but he's never been so strategically incompetent before. 

If it were true - you'd wonder that maybe because he's so old, he'd just be happy with a little petty revenge on a party he's supported for so long because they've turned into a bunch of incompetents - people of the nation be damned, however they react...

Not ALL his pubs are pro-Brexit of course... but I suppose that's partly just "hedging bets."

Garthy

I do hope the moral crusaders are as thorough with all of their consumption. 

Ravenous

I just wish he'd go and do a Maxwell.  I hate the guy.

thecolourbox

Shame we can't do this for BBC as well...

And I say that as somebody that used to work on behalf of Sky in a professional capacity

Dominic

I'm not very political aware and not especially interested but I seen a lot of comments about this guy in the last few years and most of them say he's not nice.Can somebody point out in a few lines exactly what he is/does and why he is so hated .
I know he's old and owns the Daily Mail and is a media Tycoon but what is it that gets everybody so riled up and why is he so important .........he's like about 90 isn't he ?

Funkfingers

Phil_aka_Pip said:

biased reporting

Is there a single journalist who is not guilty of this to some extent?

Garthy said:

consumption

That's making a comeback. 



Plus ça change. Plus c'est la mêmes chose.

prowla

I don't care about Murdoch either way; I don't read newspapers and I've got Sky TV (which is an excellent product).

I joined 38 degrees some time back because one of their campaigns (maybe the original one) struck a chord; however nowadays they just seem to be following a left-wing agenda and TBH, I'm going to leave when I get around to it..

ICBM

Dominic said:

I'm not very political aware and not especially interested but I seen a lot of comments about this guy in the last few years and most of them say he's not nice.Can somebody point out in a few lines exactly what he is/does and why he is so hated .
I know he's old and owns the Daily Mail and is a media Tycoon but what is it that gets everybody so riled up and why is he so important .........he's like about 90 isn't he ?

There's an excellent documentary about him you should watch, it's called "Tomorrow Never Dies".

Ravenous

Dominic said:

Can somebody point out in a few lines exactly what he is/does and why he is so hated .

My earlier comment about him dropping off a boat was a little over the top, but basically I'm suspicious of these media types who also exert political influence.  He hasn't actually done anything illegal to my knowledge, but I think the world will be a slightly nicer place when he's gone.

Neil

Dominic said:

I'm not very political aware and not especially interested but I seen a lot of comments about this guy in the last few years and most of them say he's not nice.Can somebody point out in a few lines exactly what he is/does and why he is so hated .
I know he's old and owns the Daily Mail and is a media Tycoon but what is it that gets everybody so riled up and why is he so important .........he's like about 90 isn't he ?

Well he doesn't own the Daily mail. 

Neil

Ravenous said:

Dominic said:

Can somebody point out in a few lines exactly what he is/does and why he is so hated .

My earlier comment about him dropping off a boat was a little over the top, but basically I'm suspicious of these media types who also exert political influence.  He hasn't actually done anything illegal to my knowledge, but I think the world will be a slightly nicer place when he's gone.

Are there any newspaper owners in history, even going back to Randolph Hearst who do not wield political influence? 

It goes with the territory. 

Phil_aka_Pip

FWIW I quite get that all newspapers do "biased reporting". To a point, that's a good thing, you know where they are coming from. For them that want to think and criticise I guess a paper that does its best not to be biased in one direction could be good as when reading an article the reader would have to examine it carefully.

My gripe with Murdoch is that I don't think one man should have ultimate control of a large (the largest?) proportion of the news outlets in any one country or group of countries. That would be one man with too much power to tell everyone else what to think.

Ravenous

It's true that all newspapers are biased, the real reason I'm worried about Murdoch is he owns so many of them.

No harm in lots of papers having different opinions, but when too many are run by just one guy it's a mockery...

pete624000

Done.

randella

Garthy said:

I do hope the moral crusaders are as thorough with all of their consumption. 

Reducing a nuanced argument to its most simplistic terms like that, then no.  None of us is.  I don't think Amazon should have the monopoly they do but I needed a metre-long length of M20 threaded rod for the weekend and my local ironmongers (who I try to use as often as I can) didn't stock it.

Life's about compromises.  It's possible to read the Times because you regard it as a decent newspaper but, at the same time, disagree with the levels of power and political influence being sold to the man who owns the paper.

JezWynd

Done. If you want to understand why Murdoch's takeover would be such a bad idea, watch Sean Hannity on Fox News for a while. Would you want to see that level of arse kissing 'reporting' here? According to Fox News, Trump is a shining beacon of hope in a corrupt Democrat conspiracy led world. This is the narcissist, serial bankrupt, racist who has split America into opposing camps. Murdoch apparently advises Trump in weekly phone calls. Do we really want that here?

prowla

JezWynd said:

Done. If you want to understand why Murdoch's takeover would be such a bad idea, watch Sean Hannity on Fox News for a while. Would you want to see that level of arse kissing 'reporting' here? According to Fox News, Trump is a shining beacon of hope in a corrupt Democrat conspiracy led world. This is the narcissist, serial bankrupt, racist who has split America into opposing camps. Murdoch apparently advises Trump in weekly phone calls. Do we really want that here?

What's Fox News?
I've seen it on my channel list but I've never watched it.