On today’s show: NPR’s David Folkenflik explains why Rupert Murdoch’s bid to consolidate control of his media empire failed. Nancy Youssef with the Wall Street Journal describes what we know about Austin Tice, an American journalist and Marine veteran who’s been held captive in Syria for more than a decade. Bobby Brier with NJ Spotlight News reports on a New Jersey bill that would offer paid time off after the loss of a child. Plus, President Biden grants the largest single-day clemency in modern history, the FBI director announces his intention to resign, Trump picks Kari Lake to lead Voice of America, FIFA selects Saudi Arabia to host the 2034 World Cup, and Bill Belichick returns to coaching. Today’s episode was hosted by Shumita Basu.
Chapter 1: What is the current status of the Murdoch family feud?
But first, to a bitter family feud over the future of an American media empire. Earlier this week, a court in Nevada denied a request from Rupert Murdoch, the magnate who controls Fox News and several other conservative outlets, to change his family trust and consolidate power of the company under his son Lachlan. David Folkenflik is NPR's media correspondent, and he's written a book on Murdoch.
Chapter 2: Why did Rupert Murdoch's bid to consolidate power fail?
So here he is at the age of 93, stepping into an obscure probate court in Reno, Nevada, away from the national spotlight and glare to say, you know, that irrevocable trust, I pretty much want to revoke it and I want to rewrite it. And Lachlan's going to be my guy.
He explained to us this isn't really about money, as most inheritance fights tend to be. It's about which kid Murdoch trusts to maintain the right-wing slant of his media empire after he dies. For years, he has effectively made his four oldest children vie for his affection, respect, and perhaps most importantly, the opportunity to take over his businesses.
Chapter 3: What are the implications of the Murdoch trust arrangement?
The way the trust is laid out now, power will be split evenly between them after Murdoch dies. It was an agreement that came out of a divorce settlement with Murdoch's second wife, and it's ironclad. But over the years, his eldest son, Lachlan, gained favor with the father. Folkenflik told us he may in fact be even more conservative than Murdoch.
And together, they tried to argue in court that the three other siblings, James, Elizabeth, and Prudence, would soften the Fox News ideology.
Rupert and Laughlin were arguing that in order to serve the financial interests best of the rest of the family, they need to consolidate control in one person. Some sort of divided brain trust doesn't work. And furthermore, that Fox News and Fox more generally and the other holdings needed to retain their conservative outlook. And particularly in the case of Fox, it's far right outlook that
its adamantly pro-Trump stance in order to retain the connection with the audiences that yielded such huge profits for Rupert and for his family.
That argument did not fly in court.
The probate commissioner looks all this and says, this is purely about control. This is about them wanting to rewrite the rules late in the game. It was as brutal a repudiation and a rejection of the legal and, in effect, moral case that Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch were making.
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Chapter 4: Who is Austin Tice and why is he significant?
And also saying they didn't take it seriously, indicating in some of the material provided that the Murdochs were taking inspiration from the HBO hit series Succession.
What could happen next for Fox News and News Corp at large is still a big question mark.
Chapter 5: What efforts are being made to locate Austin Tice?
Now, James Murdoch may be able to get his two sisters to rally behind him for a different structure and push Lachlan out. And they could well moderate Fox as a result. Equally logical could be that they could say, look, we don't want to be part of this. This is not how we look at the world. This is not where we take pride. Let's sell it at the top. Let's get rid of this thing.
So I think that there's going to be a bloody brawl or a buyout of some sort. Either Fox gets sold or... The different siblings are bought out of their voting shares to allow Lachlan to continue.
Chapter 6: What does the Biden administration say about Tice's situation?
Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch have said they intend to appeal the court's decision. Let's turn out to Syria. As the Assad regime's prisons empty, there's growing hope here in the United States that Austin Tice, an American journalist and Marine veteran, will turn up. He's been missing for over a decade, since 2012, when he was in Syria on assignment covering the start of the civil war.
Nancy Youssef, a national security reporter for The Wall Street Journal, told us his story.
He was finishing up an assignment and leaving Syria when he disappeared.
According to his family, Tice was detained at a checkpoint near Damascus. He was last seen a few weeks later in a YouTube video where he was blindfolded and surrounded by armed men wearing masks.
Other than a video that was less than a minute long in September of that year, we haven't seen any information about him.
Assad's regime publicly denied holding him. But over the years, President Biden and government officials have repeatedly said they have evidence Tice was imprisoned by Assad. And they believe with certainty he's alive. The State Department said this week they have no new verifiable information about Tice's status or location, but they are working to find him. His mom, Deborah, was in D.C.
last week at the National Press Club advocating for his release.
We have from a significant source that has already been vetted all over our government. Austin Tice is alive. Austin Tice is treated well. And there is no doubt about that.
The administration hasn't shared many details about how it plans to locate Tice and get him out of Syria. They say they're communicating with the rebels who toppled Assad as part of their search. The State Department has offered $10 million for information on his whereabouts and to relocate anyone who finds him and helps to bring him home.
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