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July 14, 2011 | | From the Washington Report Archives (June 2003): Rupert Murdoch Now that "press lord" Rupert Murdoch and his News Corporation media conglomerate are in hot water for a phone-hacking scandal, we thought our readers might enjoy re-reading executive editor Richard H. Curtiss' article, "Rupert Murdoch and William Kristol: Using the Press to Advance Israel's Interests," published in the June 2003 issue of the Washington Report on Middle East Affairs. Sadly, this commentary is just as pertinent today as it was eight years ago. Curtiss reminds readers of Murdoch's political power: "In addition to supporting politicians both financially and by running favorable stories about them, Murdoch does the opposite with those he dislikes." Curtiss also gives a poignant example of Murdoch's role in deciding which narrative reaches London Times readers when it comes to the Arab-Israeli conflict: "Murdoch's strong personal and business attachments to Israel led him to become a strong political backer and close friend of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon…. Murdoch's close relationship with Sharon and heavy investment in Israel led former Times Africa correspondent Sam Kiley to resign his position. 'The Times foreign editor and other middle managers flew into hysterical terror every time a pro-Israel lobbying group wrote in with a quibble or complaint,' Kiley said, 'and then usually took [the lobby's] side against their own correspondent... No pro-Israel lobbyist ever dreamed of having such power over a great national newspaper.' After one conversation in which Kiley was asked not to mention a 12-year-old Palestinian boy who was killed by Israeli troops, the reporter 'was left wordless, so I quit.'" Today we'd also have to agree with Curtiss' conclusion: "Although Murdoch, who some have called 'the Teflon man,' has weathered more criticism than any other media tycoon, some of his detractors insist there has not been enough. The National Broadcasting Corporation's West Coast president, Don Ohlmeyer, regularly ridiculed in Murdoch's Post, noted that, 'Until the rest of the media decide to take a hard look at Rupert's empire the way his media look at other people's empires, he's won. People genuinely fear him, and that's a good position to be in, in this business.'" Read the complete article by clicking here. ###
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