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.
Full Episode
Good morning. It's Thursday, December 12th. I'm Shamitha Basu. This is Apple News Today. On today's show, the effort to find an American journalist believed to be imprisoned in Syria for more than a decade. A bill to expand bereavement leave to include pregnancy loss. And FIFA makes a controversial pick to host the 2034 World Cup.
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.
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.
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.
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