Media Analysis - 'Murdoch: Libertarian or Oppertunist?'

Rupert Murdoch has a finger in every media pie. Whether it be television, film, the Internet or newspapers, as the leading investor of News Corporation, it is fair to say he is one of the most powerful and influential men in the media industry. His influence upon the newspaper industry is illustrated by the somewhat inconsistent political stance of each. His own political stance however, is a rather controversial subject. A supporter of both left and right wing parties over the years, the question posed by many is – where do his true loyalties lie? A self-described libertarian, believing in freedom of speech and free will can sometimes be seen as a tactic rather than a true affinity, used to cover his own back.
Owning The Sun, News of The World, The Times and Sunday Times newspapers, the political stance of each has changed several times over the years. In the eighties and nineties, Murdoch’s publications were generally right wing, supporting Margaret Thatcher and the conservative party. So right wing in fact, on the day of the 1992 general election, The Sun’s front page headline read ‘If Neil Kinnock [Labour leader] wins today, will the last person to leave Britain please turn out the light’. Priding itself as being ‘The Sun Wot Won It’ for the conservative victory, it seems surprising that at the end of the Thatcher/Major era, Murdoch’s publications became prominently left wing, supporting Tony Blair and the Labour party during the 1997, 2001 and 2005 general elections. Critics believed Murdoch’s political views to be untruthful and fickle, claiming he would support the party that seemed most likely to win an election in order to benefit his own business. After the 1997 general election, controversy rose again as people claimed The Sun had only supported Labour as it knew there was no chance of the conservative party winning and could not be seen thereafter to back the loser. Immoral? Dishonest? Shallow? A few words that many might see appropriate when describing Murdoch’s decisions.
Whilst The Sun remains predominantly left wing, New of The World and The Times traditionally pose their views as being center-right; however during the 2001 and 2005 general elections supported the Labour party, with Murdoch allying himself with Tony Blair. Complicating matters further, Murdoch’s strong critical view of the BBC, believing them to have a left wing bias, surely implies his right wing beliefs? Whilst the BBC reported in June 2006 that Murdoch and News Corp. were ‘flirting’ with the idea of backing David Cameron, Tory leader, in the next general election.
Contradicting himself once again, a recent interview with Murdoch saw him describing the new conservative leader as ‘not much’; proving to us once and for all that this man, with few morals and few loyalties will always cover his back, contradicting himself and switching parties in order to benefit News Corp for the better.