Rupert Murdoch’s son quits News Corp board after ‘editorial content disagreements’

Business

The younger son of tycoon Rupert Murdoch has resigned from the board of News Corporation, the media empire which his father founded.

James Murdoch, 47, cited “disagreements over certain editorial content” published by its news outlets and “other strategic decisions”.

The nature of the disagreements and the news outlets have not been disclosed.

In January, Mr Murdoch and his wife Kathryn criticised the organisation’s businesses for their “ongoing denial” of the climate crisis, as bushfires devastated large parts of Australia.

Mr Murdoch, who was a Harvard dropout and co-founder of a hip hop music label, was chief executive of 21st Century Fox from 2015 to 2019, before most of its assets were sold to Disney.

He also formerly held the positions of chief executive and later chairman of Sky, the owner of Sky News.

(L-R)  Lachlan Murdoch, Rupert Murdoch, James Murdoch
Image:
Rupert Murdoch with his sons Lachlan (L) and James

He said in a letter on Friday: “My resignation is due to disagreements over certain editorial content published by the company’s news outlets and certain other strategic decisions.”

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Rupert Murdoch, executive chairman of News Corporation, and his older son Lachlan, 48, who is co-chairman, said in a joint statement: “We’re grateful to James for his many years of service to the company.

“We wish him the very best in his future endeavours.”

Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation owns media outlets across the globe including The Sun, The Times and The Sunday Times – as well as Harper Collins Publishers in the UK.

News Corporation also owns the New York Post in the US and the Dow Jones brand, which includes financial publication The Wall Street Journal.

The Australian arm of the company also owns a number of local and national papers and broadcasters.

Rupert Murdoch, 89, is also chairman of Fox Corporation, which includes Fox News in the US.

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