A memo sent to all staff of News Corp Australasia by the executive chairman Michael Miller points out that editors and columnists need to feel free to express their own opinions regarding the upcoming federal election.
The memo also stressed that the audiences expect journalists to have a similar approach towards all candidates from the publications, pointing out that they’re “expect us to interrogate all parties and all sides”.
“Firstly, there is no one News Corp view, and I purposely avoid expressing views at election time so there is no confusion between individual mastheads and columnist views, and any corporate position,” Miller said in the memo which was sent to all News Corp staff last Friday.
News Corp has been a firm Coalition supporter for the larger part of the last decade, endorsing Liberal leader Scott Morrison during the previous elections and having a highly hostile approach towards his then opponent, Bill Shorten.
The last time News Corp supported a Labor government was back in 2007, with its then-leader Kevin Rudd in the running for prime minister.
The position of all News Corp media on the current elections was made clear by how they handled Anthony Albanese recent mistaken when during his speech he couldn’t point out Australia’s unemployment rates, with the Rupert Murdoch-owned newspapers going as far as to say that the Labor leader is an unknown factor for the voters.
Others, such as the investigations editor of The Australian, Sharri Markson, have attempted to search Albanese’s personal background in an attempt to find secrets which could scar his political campaign.
However Miller’s memo dictated that journalists need to put the needs of the smaller communities first:
“What matters in Ipswich is different to what matters in Ingleburn. The challenges for Tasmanians vary to those of Territorians. It is customary for editors to endorse a candidate in the lead-up to an election,” said the memo. “It is the responsibility of each editor to present what, considering all the information available, they conclude is best for their masthead’s audience.”
