World's biggest media mogul steps down. Here are Rupert Murdoch's top 6 controversies

Rupert Murdoch announced on Thursday that he would step down as the Chairman of Fox Corporation and News Corporation. His eldest son, Lachlan Murdoch, will step into his shoes to become the sole chairman of both companies.

In a memo written to his employees and accessed by CNN, Rupert Murdoch, 92, said, “For my entire professional life, I have been engaged daily with news and ideas, and that will not change. But the time is right for me to take on different roles, knowing that we have truly talented teams.”

A media mogul who has built and oversaw one of the world’s largest news empires, Murdoch’s career has been marred with a number of controversies.

1. In 1986, after establishing a name for himself in the media industry, Murdoch bought Twentieth Century Fox only to make it the USA’s biggest television news network, Fox Broadcasting. A few years later, Fox News, led by Roger Ailes, hit a bumpy road when 20 women in the network alleged sexual assault and harassment against Murdoch’s biggest ally, Ailes. Meanwhile, Murdoch dismissed these allegations as “nonsense.”
2. In 2020, Fox News was also blamed for backing former US President Donald Trump who made false election fraud claims following the presidential elections. The news channel was also slammed with $1.6 billion by Dominion Voting Systems which claimed that the network said the company’s voting machines were used to rig the election in President Joe Biden’s favor.
3. News of the World, a Murdoch-owned UK-based newspaper, was allegedly involved in routine eavesdropping and phone-hacking in search for exclusive stories. One particular story, involving the hacking of the phone of a murder victim, finally led to a public outcry that forced Murdoch to shut down the paper.
4. Also, it is widely known that Fox News has been a vocal supporter of the Republican Party. According to CNN, the network became “an unabashed home of right-wing propaganda aimed at propping up the scandal-ridden White House.”
5. Murdoch’s other media venture, The Sun covered stories that downgraded the European Union to its readers which eventually helped lead to the Brexit campaign.
6. Meanwhile in Australia, the country where Murdoch’s media influence is far-reaching, outlets owned and run by him constantly pushed for the repeal of carbon tax. The outlets also had a hand in toppling a number of prime ministers whose agendas did not match with those of Murdoch’s, according to the New York Times.