Murdoch's Politics

Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation is the most powerful media organisation in the world. Murdoch's commercial success is obvious, but less well understood is his successful pursuit of political goals, using News Corporation as his vehicle. In Murdoch's Politics David McKnight tracks Murdoch's influence, from his support for Reagan and Thatcher, his deal with Tony Blair and attacks on Barack Obama. He examines the secretive corporate culture of News Corporation: its private political seminars for editors, its support for think tanks and its global campaigns on issues like Iraq and climate change. Including analysis of the phone hacking crisis, possible bribery charges and Murdoch's appearance at the Leveson enquiry, this book is a highly topical study of one of the most influential and controversial figures of the modern age. A timely and hard-hitting account of the career of the world's first and greatest global media baron, from one of Australia's leading academics in the field of journalism studies. A former journalist himself, McKnight's account of the Murdoch empire should be read by all who are interested in the relationship between media and political power in our time. -- Brian McNair, Professor of Journalism, Media & Communication at Queensland University of Technology, author of News and Journalism in the UKIntroduction 1. Crusading Corporation 2. The Outsider 3. At the barricades of the Reagan Revolution 4. Gate crashing the British establishment 5. Orthodoxy in the blood 6. Outfoxing the liberals 7. The reign of the Sun King 8. The road to Baghdad 9. False dawn on climate change Epilogue Notes Index