Leadership Spill Sparks “Civil War” At News Corp: Andrew Bolt

Leadership Spill Sparks “Civil War” At News Corp: Andrew Bolt
B&T Magazine
By B&T Magazine



Outspoken right-wing commentator Andrew Bolt has claimed last week’s leadership spill – that saw Tony Abbott toppled by Malcolm Turnbull – had set off a “civil war” between News’ tabloid (and pro Liberal) The Daily Telegraph and its broadsheet The Australian.

Speaking on his regular spot on 2GB’s Steve Price show yesterday afternoon, Bolt – who is a regular columnist for the (formerly) pro-Abbott Daily Tele – said The Oz was “probably” bleeding $20 million a year and was only being propped-up by The Daily Telegraph. Which, in turn, was only surviving thanks to right-wing columnists like himself.

Bolt claimed the dogmatic editor of The Oz, Chris Mitchell, had a personal vendetta against him and had inferred he’d prefer to see Bolt gone. Bolt believed that he’d been protected by News’ patriach Rupert Murdoch whilst he was in Australia recently, however, now he’d left for the US he believed Mitchell’s grievances were “on again”.

Bolt’s argument was that The Tele had been loyal to Tony Abbott throughout, while The Oz – normally pro-Abbott – had quickly changed its allegiances to Turnbull following last Monday’s spill.

Bolt had written in a Tele column that The Australian “should be slower to now insist others fall in dutifully and loyally behind Turnbull”.

To counter that, Mitchell argued that the audiences of The Tele and The Oz were markedly different.

“Bolt’s audience includes many conservative retirees whereas The Australian’s readership is younger, rich, better educated and working in legal, political or the business community,” he said. “These people don’t read The Tele or Bolt.”

Ouch!




Latest News

Sydney Comedy Festival: Taking The City & Social Media By Storm
  • Media

Sydney Comedy Festival: Taking The City & Social Media By Storm

Sydney Comedy Festival 2024 is live and ready to rumble, showing the best of international and homegrown talent at a host of venues around town. As usual, it’s hot on the heels of its big sister, the giant that is the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, picking up some acts as they continue on their own […]

Global Marketers Descend For AANA’s RESET For Growth
  • Advertising

Global Marketers Descend For AANA’s RESET For Growth

The Australian Association of National Advertisers (AANA) has announced the final epic lineup of local and global marketing powerhouses for RESET for Growth 2024. Lead image: Josh Faulks, chief executive officer, AANA  Back in 2000, a woman with no business experience opened her first juice bar in Adelaide. The idea was brilliantly simple: make healthy […]