In a rare interview on Sky News Australia, celebrating the 60th anniversary of The Australian, chairman emeritus of News Corp Rupert Murdoch has opened up on several world issues, including the rise of AI, the death of print media and the importance of fostering our relationship with the US.
The interview, which aired at 8 p.m. on Monday and was hosted by Sky News CEO Paul Whittaker, took viewers through the history of The Australian, including Murdoch’s heavy involvement in its early years, his critical notes to staff, and his celebration of its editors, columnists, and reporters over the past six decades.
The Death Of Print Media:
Murdoch called time of death on the print media industry in the exclusive interview, giving it a good 15 years if its lucky in response to questioning surrounding how long he believed print newspapers had until they were no longer viable.
“You get on a train, public transport? You see anyone with a paper? You see no one. Now they’re reading, they’re reading all the facts, on their phones,” he said.
Australian Political History and Future
Within the interview, Murdoch confessed that he expected Australia would become a republic sooner rather than later, saying he believed “without a doubt” that it would occur before The Australian reaches its 70th anniversary in a decade’s time.
“It’s going to evolve,” he said. “It’s going to happen”.
Recalling the 1999 referendum, in which 54.7 per cent of Australians voted to stay in the Commonwealth, Murdoch said former prime minister John Howard paved the way for the decision despite The Australian being in favour of the nation becoming a republic. “John Howard, who’s old-fashioned and, therefore, a monarchist, I guess, was very clever in the way he designed the question that was put to people, which is really what he put in its place,” Murdoch said.
Despite this, he confessed that it was Howard who had made the biggest impact over the years. “You’ve got to give very high marks to John Howard”.
“To make the biggest noise and some change – Gough Whitlam. It was a big turning point, I think… You had (Malcolm) Fraser who beat him – he was I think a disappointment… I think John Howard was a mature man who ran the country well and through a lot of this development”.
The media mogul also condemned critic Malcolm Turnbull, who is leading the campaign for a royal commission into Murdoch’s Australian media empire. “Malcolm’s nuts, and he’s paranoid,” Murdoch said. “He didn’t like the fact that we supported Tony Abbott versus him. That’s all”.
The Voice To Parliament
Murdoch also admitted that he believed last year’s referendum on the Voice was a mistake. Confessing that he was “very” proud of how The Australian had covered Indigenous issues over the years, he said that Australia made the right decision when it voted against giving a Voice to Parliament for the Indigenous people.
“I understand the motive, but it struck me as something which would end up being divisive without really achieving anything for the Aboriginals,” he said. “So, from what little I know about it, I certainly welcome the result.”
Climate Scepticism
Murdoch believes Australia is on the ” wrong track” to achieve net zero, saying that the cost of living will go up exponentially if we replace fossil fuels.
Admitting to what has been speculated for a long time, Murdoch denied being a climate denier but confessed that he is a sceptic. “I’m not a climate denier. I might be a sceptic of some of the things that are said. But you’re going to have blackout,” he said on the push to replace fossil fuels with renewable energy.
“In Australia, we’re throwing away gas. I just think we’re damaging ourselves competitively and foolishly”.
Artificial Intelligence
Murdoch also labelled artificial intelligence “a force for good” in his comments, which were recorded before News Corp signed a five-year $US250 million ($368.7 million) content deal with OpenAI.
“AI distributes brilliantly. But if they want access to it, they’re going to have to pay, or they’ll put us out of business”.
“It takes these vast quantum computers, which give answers in split seconds,” he said. “Now it can be made to do bad things, but equally you can make things which counter that”.
Murdoch admitted that the technology would undoubtedly put people out of work but speculated that it would, in turn, create wealth that could be devoted to new industries and employment.
Sticking with the US
Murdoch confessed that the best way for Australia to fight the threat of Chinese attack is to “stick close to America”. He responded promptly when asked what Australia needed to do to maintain its sovereignty in terms of defence and economic policy as the threat of China increases.
“There’s no alternative to having a strong, vibrant America,” he said. “It’s all moving pieces, and you can’t predict everything. But we’ve got to get America right”.
