On Wednesday night, The Spectator welcomed readers and guests to our home in Manhattan for Murdoch’s World: The empire that changed news, our second event in our new series of New York discussions, debates and interviews.
I was joined by Lachlan Cartwright, founder of Breaker Media and former New York Post reporter; Eliana Johnson, editor-in-chief of the Washington Free Beacon; and Jim Rutenberg, writer-at-large for the New York Times and key chronicler of the Murdoch family.
We discussed how Murdoch built one of the most influential media empires in history, his relationships with presidents and prime ministers, and whether he really made and broke political careers – or simply knew how to back the winners.
Our conversation also turned to the future of the empire under Rupert’s son Lachlan, the inner workings of Fox News and whether traditional media proprietors continue to wield the same power in an age of podcasts, algorithms and politicians with platforms of their own.
Before and after the discussion, readers and guests mingled over drinks and rosé courtesy of Château Léoube, with conversations continuing after the panel and Q&A had ended.
Take a look at some of the highlights from the evening below. The discussion was also livestreamed and is now available to watch on demand, exclusively for Spectator subscribers. Watch it in full here.
Our next New York event, Socialism in the City, takes place on November 12, with US editor Freddy Gray and Heather Mac Donald discussing the quick spread of socialism across New York and how it threatens its very foundations. Tickets can be purchased here.
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