(Image: Private Media)
(Image: Private Media)

This article is part of a series about a legal threat sent to Crikey by Lachlan Murdoch, over an article Crikey published about the January 6 riots in the US. For the series introduction go here, and for the full series go here.

Lachlan Murdoch’s decision to sue Crikey has reignited support for a royal commission into media concentration in Australia, prompting high-profile political figures to pledge their support for Crikey — and declare the dangers of the Murdoch media empire.

Former Liberal prime minister Malcolm Turnbull told Crikey the ripple effects of this lawsuit could be huge. “This case will have global importance,” he said.

“Using all the interlocutory processes of discovery, this case could become, effectively, a public inquiry into the involvement of Fox News and the Murdochs in the whole catastrophe that was the latter days of the Trump presidency, and in particular, the propagation of the Big Lie that laid the foundation for the attempted coup on January 6.”

He called the lawsuit “ridiculous” and “hypocritical” — but also a “colossal error of judgment”.

“It would be difficult to identify an issue of greater public interest because January 6 was an attempt to overthrow the Constitution of the United States. That is of enormous consequence, not just in America, but right around the world. It has shaken to the very core people’s confidence in the stability of the United States — our most important ally and the sheet anchor of our security.”

Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young, chair of the Senate inquiry into media diversity, told Crikey the lawsuit highlighted the need for a royal commission to oversee Australia’s media ownership rules and regulations.

“It’s a bit rich for [the] Murdoch empire to flex their muscle in this case given the damage the corporation has done to reputations of many people here and abroad over decades [and] it is hard to deny Fox News promoted and amplified the conspiracy theories that it was a stolen election,” she said. 

“The Murdoch media empire has an enormous amount of unchecked power and influence in the media sphere. Just because you own one of the biggest media companies in the world does not mean you’re above the scrutiny of parliaments or public interest journalism.”

Former prime minister Kevin Rudd was damning in his take on Twitter, arguing that the fact that Lachlan Murdoch is suing Crikey, instead of making a Press Council complaint, “tells you the system is a joke”.

“Murdoch’s lucky he has the cash to sue [Crikey] for defamation. Most people are stuck with the toothless Australian Press Council. It’s not fair. Australians deserve access to a low-cost way to protect themselves from abuses of media power,” he wrote.

But Communications Minister Michelle Rowland stressed that a royal commission into media concentration was off the table. 

“The government has affirmed its clear and consistent position that a royal commission or judicial inquiry into media concentration isn’t our policy,” she told Crikey.

“I have long called out the fact that Australia has one of the most concentrated media markets in the world … [but] an inquiry into a particular media company or the established fact of media concentration isn’t the way forward for media policy. We need to be outcomes-focused and that is the approach I bring as minister.”

ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr has voiced his support, saying “I wish Crikey well in the case”, while former NSW and federal independent Tony Windsor voiced his moral — and financial — support. “The Murdochs have been out of Australia so long they have forgotten Australians won’t tolerate foreign bullies,” he wrote on Twitter. “When does the crowdfund start.”

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and opposition spokesperson for communications Sarah Henderson didn’t respond to Crikey’s request for comment by deadline.