The death of News Corp

Peter Matters writes: Re. “News Corp phone hacking: never forget” (Wednesday). Rupert Murdoch — like another very well-known personality — has been  driven all his life to prove that he could outdo his very successful father. He has achieved his aim at the cost of two very high prices. 1.) The grief of his mother. 2.) By turning into a demagogue.

He founded The Australian as a national newspaper of quality and he deserves praise for his decision. Yet, in his drive to brainwash his readers with lies, malice and personal attacks to achieve his personal aim of power — with a billion or two of profit thrown in for good measure — he allowed The Australian to degenerate until it is now indistinguishable from  his gutter press and his shock jocks.

Today, his influence is greatly overrated — even if he can still cause damage by bluffing. Frankly, he is now a has-been. In fact, I feel sorry for him, for he cannot take his money and influence with him, his print media are dying and his sons will  not be able to keep the name News Corp on everybody’s tongue.

On the Senate

Niall Clugston writes: So Malcolm Turnbull’s master plan to cut the fringe of the Senate has failed. But the pundits have also failed. They claimed the make-up of the previous Senate was due to “preference whispering” and so on. No, fundamentally, the odd squad got into the Senate because people voted for them. And because the Senate, with proportional representation, actually reflects how people voted.

I am not surprised that Hanson, Hinch, and Lambie were elected. Face facts: there are as least as many rednecks in Australia as “white necks”.