The Medialyser

Murdoch Jr. was invited to speak at the MediaGuardian Edinburgh International TV festival and took the opportunity to champion a free media market and take a stab at the Beeb & the regulatory organisations in the UK.

In the speech, which you should probably see before reading this, he raises some valid points, but simultaneously makes several weird claims, some of which Medialyser will take a look at now:

• Murdoch argues that Darwin’s evolutionary idea should be applied to human enterprise in free market competition. Of course, it should not. We humans are thinking animals that can abandon primitive jungle-tactics, where only the strong survive. Actually, in my opinion, that is what civilisation is all about: suspending evolution. There are certain skills that cannot be translated into a strong/weak framework – only through cooperation and competition can human society develop itself.
• Murdoch calls for more plurality in the mediascape and claims that only the free market can ensure it. He actually called state-sponsored journalism a threat to the independence of news reporting. The argument got dangerously idiotic, when he compares the Beeb to local council-financed news papers. Baby Murdoch: the Beeb is not sponsored by the government, but by the people. Yes, reading local news papers is like listening to an over-enthusiastic low-level bureaucrat gleefully telling stories from the area, but that has nothing to do with the Beeb.
• Murdoch criticises the Beeb for having become a media behemoth that can outcompete any potential competitors in its quest for ratings and to dampen the opponents to the license fee. Here I agree with Murdoch – in my utopia, Beeb gives a fuck about ratings and kills idiot entertainment shows (yes, I’m looking at you X-Factor) and will just bring nice documentaries, music and comedy shows & leave the other channels to drama.

Lastly, I think Mr. Murduch needs to take it easy with his critique of creationism, considering the backlash he might face from Fox viewers. But then again, chances are their only source of information is Fox & Co., and chances are that they won’t be too critical of (or even mention) Murdoch Jr. tough stance on religious freaks. But that is independent journalism for ye.