Major Controversies Surrounding Rupert Murdoch: A Detailed Timeline

Public opinion and media debates around Rupert Murdoch—discover key moments of controversy.

Rupert Murdoch is an Australian-born American media mogul who built a global empire through News Corp. His holdings have included major publishing outlets in the UK, Australia, and the US, such as HarperCollins, Sky News Australia, and Fox News. He formerly owned Sky and 21st Century Fox. As one of the wealthiest individuals globally, with a net worth exceeding $20 billion, Murdoch's significant media influence has led to him being described as an oligarch. His vast reach has given him considerable sway over both media narratives and political discourse.

Sections (6)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles Controversies & Scandals

February 1981: Acquisition of The Times and The Sunday Times

In February 1981, Rupert Murdoch, already the owner of The Sun and News of the World, acquired The Times and The Sunday Times. Margaret Thatcher's government allowed the bid to proceed without referral to the Monopolies and Mergers Commission.

1986: News Corporation's Tax Practices

From 1986, News Corporation maintained subsidiaries in tax havens like the Bahamas and the Cayman Islands, resulting in an average annual tax bill of approximately seven percent of its profits.

2004: Release of Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch's War on Journalism

In 2004, the movie "Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch's War on Journalism" was released, accusing Fox News of biased reporting.

2005: Murdoch claims Blair criticized BBC coverage

In 2005, during a speech in New York, Rupert Murdoch claimed that Tony Blair described the BBC's coverage of Hurricane Katrina as full of hatred towards America.

2007: Hiring of Andy Coulson

In 2007, Rupert Murdoch gave David Cameron a personal guarantee that there would be no risk attached to hiring Andy Coulson, the former editor of News of the World, as the Conservative Party's communication director, despite Coulson's resignation over phone hacking.

August 2008: Cameron Accepts Flights to Meet with Murdoch

In August 2008, David Cameron accepted free flights to have private talks and attend private parties with Rupert Murdoch on his yacht. Cameron declared he accepted a private plane provided by Murdoch's son-in-law.

2009: Possible Murdoch support for Cameron

In 2009, it was suggested that Rupert Murdoch and News Corporation might have decided to back David Cameron, in the aftermath of the News of the World phone hacking scandal.

July 2011: Phone Hacking Allegations

In July 2011, Murdoch's companies, including News of the World, faced allegations of regularly hacking the phones of celebrities, royalty, and public citizens.

July 2011: Murdoch Testifies Before Parliament

In July 2011, Rupert Murdoch, along with his son James, testified before a British parliamentary committee regarding phone hacking. His media empire came under fire as investigators probed reports of phone hacking.

July 2011: Cameron's Meetings with News Corporation Executives

In July 2011, it was revealed that David Cameron had met with key executives of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation 26 times during his first 14 months as prime minister.

July 2011: Summons to Testify Before Committee

On 14 July 2011, Rupert Murdoch and his son James were summoned to testify before the Culture, Media and Sport Committee of the House of Commons. Murdoch described the day of the committee as "the most humble day of my life".

February 2012: Police Investigate Corrupt Officials

On 27 February 2012, Deputy Assistant Commissioner Sue Akers informed the Leveson Inquiry that police are investigating a "network of corrupt officials" as part of their inquiries into phone hacking and police corruption, alleging a "culture of illegal payments" at The Sun authorized at a senior level.

May 2012: Report on Murdoch's Fitness

On 1 May 2012, the Culture, Media and Sport Committee issued a report stating that Rupert Murdoch was "not a fit person to exercise the stewardship of a major international company".

2012: Secret Meeting Revealed

In 2012, documents found in Margaret Thatcher's archives revealed that a secret meeting had taken place a month before February 1981, in which Rupert Murdoch briefed Thatcher on his plans for The Times.

July 2013: Secret Recording Revealed

On 3 July 2013, a secret recording was revealed where Rupert Murdoch could be heard telling journalists that the phone hacking investigation was a fuss over nothing and that he would take care of any journalists who went to prison.

August 2013: Article investigating Murdoch's ownership of Australian newspapers

In August 2013, Terry Flew wrote an article investigating claims that Murdoch owned 70% of Australian newspapers, showing News Corp Australia owned 23% of the nation's newspapers in 2011.

2013: News Corp accused of supporting Liberal government

In 2013, News Corp papers were accused of supporting the campaign of the Australian Liberal government and influencing public opinion during the federal election. Murdoch tweeted regarding public sector workers.

October 2015: Murdoch's Controversial Tweet and Apology

In October 2015, Rupert Murdoch stirred controversy with a tweet praising Ben Carson and referencing President Barack Obama, later issuing an apology for any offense caused.

2015: Murdoch refused to kill Theranos story

In 2015, Elizabeth Holmes asked Rupert Murdoch to kill a story about Theranos, but Murdoch refused, trusting the Wall Street Journal's editors.

January 2018: CMA Blocks Murdoch's BSkyB Takeover

In January 2018, the CMA initially blocked Rupert Murdoch from acquiring the remaining 61% of BSkyB due to concerns about market dominance and potential media censorship, but later approved the bid conditioned on the sale of Sky News to Walt Disney Company. Eventually, Comcast gained control of BSkyB, and Murdoch sold his 39% stake to them.

April 2021: ADL Reconsiders Award to Murdoch

In April 2021, ADL director Jonathan Greenblatt informed Lachlan Murdoch that it would no longer give the leadership award to his father, Rupert Murdoch, due to accusations against Tucker Carlson and his espousal of the "white replacement theory".

November 2021: Murdoch accused Google and Facebook of stifling conservative viewpoints

In November 2021, Rupert Murdoch accused Google and Facebook of stifling conservative viewpoints and called for "substantial reform" in the digital ad supply chain.

April 2023: Fox Settles Defamation Lawsuit with Dominion

In April 2023, Fox and Dominion Voting Systems settled a defamation lawsuit for $787.5 million after Rupert Murdoch acknowledged some Fox News commentators endorsed false election fraud claims.

September 2024: Court Case Over Family Trust

As of September 2024, the Murdoch family is involved in a US court case where three of his children are challenging his bid to amend the family trust.