Senate inquiry urges media diversity inquiry with Royal Commission powers

Rupert Murdoch’s stranglehold on Australian news media is having a poisonous effect on our democracy and should be confronted by an independent judicial inquiry with the powers of a royal commission, the Senate’s Media Diversity Inquiry has confirmed.

After more than a year of deliberations, the committee found:

“The current regulatory environment for news media is weak, fragmented, and inconsistent. As a result, large media organisations have become so powerful and unchecked that they have developed corporate cultures that consider themselves beyond the existing accountability framework.

“The committee recommends the establishment of a judicial inquiry, with the powers of the royal commission called for by Mr Rudd’s petition, into media diversity, ownership and regulation. It is clear that the current regulatory framework is not fit-for-purpose and significant changes are required.

A judicial inquiry would have the capacity for a more comprehensive investigation, including compelling witnesses to give evidence, than can be undertaken by a parliamentary committee. Such an inquiry would also be conducted at arm’s length of all politicians to allow an independent investigation into media regulation and ownership.”

Former prime minister Kevin Rudd, chair of Australians for a Murdoch Royal Commission, said: “This report vindicates the concerns of the 500,000 Australians who last year signed the record-breaking ePetition calling for a royal commission.

"This wouldn't have happened if it weren't for the ordinary Australians doing what politicians haven't had the courage for until now: organising together to stand up to Murdoch's media empire.

“Australians know in their guts that it’s wrong for one man to wield so much political power, whether it’s a far-right American billionaire or anyone else.

“These senators have spent more than a year sifting through the evidence for and against a royal commission. Their recommendations should be heeded.

“The political parties should be given time and space to digest and consider this report, free from interference by Murdoch’s aggressive lobbying campaigns.

“Media law is devilishly complicated. The best response is an independent inquiry with the time and resources to properly investigate these matters and build a sound base of evidence from which government can legislate.

“It’s a profound disappointment that Liberal and National senators decided again to jump into bed with Murdoch against the Australian people and against our democracy.”

Australians for a Murdoch Royal Commission national director Sally Rugg said: “We need a strong, independent and diverse news media made up of journalists who investigate fearlessly and report truthfully.

“The alternative is a smaller, weaker news media dominated by a single self-interested American billionaire.

“These aren’t political outsiders calling for change. These are the senators themselves. They have begun to scratch away at the surface of the Murdoch cancer, and they’ve said there’s evidence to warrant digging much, much deeper.

“News Corp’s contempt for this inquiry has been clear from the very beginning. Lachlan Murdoch even refused to turn up to give evidence.

“News Corp’s overblown attacks on this inquiry show how frightened they are of scrutiny. If they have nothing to hide, they should have nothing to fear from a royal commission.”

"We know that governments will often try to ignore Senate recommendations, and we highly doubt Prime Minister Morrison can be relied on to call Murdoch to account without being made to. So that's what we'll do. Today, AFMRC is launching a Fighting Fund to supercharge the campaign into 2022 and make sure the Senate inquiry’s recommendation cannot be swept under the parliamentary rug.

"AFMRC supporters have spent the last six weeks making phone calls, writing emails, keeping the call for a Royal Commission trending across social media and monitoring the Murdoch press for media code breaches. This is a campaign that knows how to win, and we're hoping the Fighting Fund will rival the record breaking ePetition."

Mr Rudd said: “Thank you to everyone who signed the Murdoch Royal Commission petition who made this possible, and everyone who continues to support the campaign by joining Australians for a Murdoch Royal Commission.”

Australians for a Murdoch Royal Commission is a community organisation of ordinary Australians committed to establishing a powerful independent inquiry to ensure a strong, diverse media.

The proposed royal commission would examine Murdoch’s media monopoly, which dominates around 70 per cent of daily print circulation, as well as commercial media, public broadcasters and digital platforms such as Facebook.