Latest news with #RupertMurdoch
ABC News
3 hours ago
- Entertainment
- ABC News
From a kidnapping case involving Rupert Murdoch to an exploration of queer history, these are our favourite podcasts from June
The temperature is dropping, the days are getting shorter, and the only possible way to spend your time is curled up somewhere cosy, listening to stories. Well, that's what I've been doing lately, particularly after stumbling upon a scintillating tale of kidnap for ransom, made all the more salacious by the injection of tabloid journalism. I was fascinated to find that this case is a big part of why the Murdoch family moved from the UK to the United States, opening the doors for Rupert to create such media fiefdoms as Fox News and the Wall Street Journal. So pull out your warmest blanket and settle in for a good listen. BBC/ABC Listen On a cold night in Wimbledon, London in 1969, kidnappers set out to seize Anna Murdoch, the wife of media mogul Rupert Murdoch. But, as Jane MacSorley explains in Worse Than Murder, they got the wrong person. Australian woman Muriel McKay — the wife of Daily Mirror editor Alick McKay — was abducted instead, and the kidnappers demanded 1 million pounds for her safe return. This was the first kidnapping-for-ransom case that had ever occurred in the UK, and the bumbling of the police would be comical if there wasn't a real person's life on the line. The matter was made much worse by the involvement of the Murdoch press: McKay was convinced media would help put pressure on the crooks, but it only spooked them. That didn't make them stop, however; this was arguably the beginning of the voyeuristic, often harmful, tabloid journalism that still exists today. Using startling phone recordings from the time, as well as interviews with the now elderly children of McKay, Worse Than Murder lays out the bamboozling tale in heart-pounding episodes. And despite it being a 56-year-old case, new information comes to light from one of the people alleged to be involved. This story is equal parts juicy and tragic, and MacSorley's passionate narration (complete with a charming Irish accent) will have you captivated all the way through. — Katherine Smyrk Radiotopia Normal Gossip has been giving us the electrifyingly mundane tea from everyday people since 2022 and, as its eighth season comes to a close, it still has plenty to spill. The premise is simple: an anonymous person submits their tale of everyday gossip, and the host relates it to a guest — with vivifying detail, lots of side commentary and interrogations of "what would you do in this moment". Famously, this concept was created during the COVID-19 pandemic, when the creators missed "the fizzy thrill of overhearing a good story at a bar". When long-time host and co-creator Kelsey McKinney announced she was leaving the show at the end of 2024, loyal listeners were devastated to be losing her irreverent and infectious energy. But new host, culture reporter Rachelle Hampton, has more than filled her shoes. Over the 10 episodes of this season, stories cover things like a love triangle at a polyamorous, worker-owned bee farm; a tiny golden figurine that gets stolen in a housemate prank gone wrong; and the lengths someone will take to get the couch of their dreams. Hampton is both similar to and different enough from McKinney to feel fresh, but not jarring for long-time fans of the show. She is a funny, wry and engaging host, who generates great chemistry and rapport, and plenty of giggles, with each of her guests. — Katherine Smyrk ABC Is your screen time a shameful secret? Do you fear you have "goldfish brain"? Well, same. And it turns out we're not alone. Brain Rot is a new five-part series from ABC's Science Friction, delving into the effect of technology on our lives. The first episode looks at the science behind the anecdotal phenomenon of "brain rot", the widely held fear that the internet and our addiction to smartphones are rotting our brains and sending our attention spans into free fall. It takes us back to 2016, when Facebook introduced its stories feature, signalling the advent of the dopamine-driven time suck we know as the infinite scroll. We also learn about the science of attention, the effect of smartphone notifications on brain waves and what constitutes disordered screen use. Episode two takes on AI. We hear about the rise of AI companions in response to the loneliness epidemic and meet Kelly, a 47-year-old American woman dating Christian, an AI incarnation of the character from Fifty Shades of Grey. More eye-raising revelations ensue, questioning the effect of AI on human relationships. Ably hosted by ABC's national technology reporter Ange Lavoipierre, Brain Rot is essential listening for the chronically online (ahem, guilty) and anyone who is concerned about where technology is taking humanity. — Nicola Heath Sebastian Hendra What better way to celebrate Pride month than diving into some LGBTQIA+ history! Luckily, Historical Homos has you covered. The new fourth season of the show continues its long-standing tradition of illuminating the stories of fascinating queer folk over time. A particular highlight is the episode about John/Eleanor Rykener, a gender-diverse sex worker from London in the 1300s. Their arrest bamboozled the courts. They weren't sure whether to charge them with "prostitution" as a woman, or "sodomy" as a man. Host Sebastian Hendra chats with a historian expert — in this case, Dr Mireille Pardon — to recount John/Eleanor's rollicking tale of sex, money, clergymen and the law. Their story also throws up some juicy questions about how our modern categories of "trans" or "queer" don't map easily onto people from different times. Other highlights include an episode diving into the sexy evolution of restaurants in Paris — as well as how food culture is inherently queer — and an episode titled 'Toxic Boyfriends of Greek Mythology'. Hendra's wittiness and curiosity is a through line of each episode, making this podcast a balanced pairing of nerdy historical explorations and hilarious queer commentary. — Katherine Smyrk RNZ/ABC listen My three-year old nephew learned about the Titanic at daycare. The next time I saw him, he breathlessly recalled the story of the ill-fated ship, which set off from Southhampton, England, for New York City in 1912, before sinking in the North Atlantic Ocean just four days later. "It was a really big boat and it CRASHED into an iceberg, and all the people died," he told me. You can imagine a child like this growing up to be comedian Carlo Ritchie (one half of lauded Australian improvisers The Bear Pack). Ritchie first became fascinated with the Titanic when he was about six years old, after seeing an article about the wreckage — which was found in 1985 — in National Geographic. In the podcast Did Titanic Sink? — recently added to ABC listen — he shares a conspiracy theory with Kiwi comedian Tim Batt (The Worst Idea of All Time): maybe the Titanic didn't sink after all. At the end of each episode of season one, other comedians, including Rhys Darby (Flight of the Conchords) and Rose Matafeo (Starstruck), join Batt to pick apart Ritchie's argument. Are they convinced? Did a different boat sink? Could the lives of the more than 1,500 people who died on board have been saved? It feels strange to call a podcast about a maritime tragedy a pure joy, but that's what Did Titanic Sink? is. It's silly, sometimes laugh-out-loud, meticulously researched, but also strangely heartfelt. It's not really about the Titanic, but the things we purport to believe — and the stories we tell ourselves and each other. As Ritchie reflects in season two: "History is not a play. We have to create a lens through which we view it and the easiest way for that to be compelling to us is this fireside story." — Hannah Story
Telegraph
12 hours ago
- Business
- Telegraph
BBC threatens to sue US tech start-up for ripping off news stories
The BBC is threatening to sue a San Francisco-based artificial intelligence (AI) company accusing it of ripping off the broadcaster's news stories. The corporation has reportedly written to Perplexity AI, a search engine rival to Google, saying it has seen evidence that the company's AI model was trained using BBC articles. The letter, which was sent to Aravind Srinivas, Perplexity's chief, threatened an injunction against the American company unless it stops scraping BBC stories, deletes all existing copies of the broadcaster's content and submits a 'proposal for financial compensation'. Perplexity has been contacted for comment. The company told the Financial Times, which first reported the letter, that the BBC's claims were 'manipulative and opportunistic', adding that the broadcaster had 'a fundamental misunderstanding of technology, the internet and intellectual property law'. It said: '[The claims] also show how far the BBC is willing to go to preserve Google's monopoly for its own self-interest.' The legal salvo marks are the first time the BBC has entered the escalating debate over AI and copyright. High-profile companies and bosses across the creative industries have accused tech firms of disregarding copyright laws by using their material to train AI models without permission. The Wall Street Journal and the New York Post, which are owned by Rupert Murdoch's News Corp, have both already sued Perplexity for copyright infringement. Meanwhile, The New York Times has launched legal action against ChatGPT maker OpenAI. Hollywood giant Disney and record labels Universal and Sony are among other major media companies to have launched legal action. AI licencing deals The BBC, which is primarily funded through the licence fee, has reportedly held discussions with tech firms including Amazon about licencing its content to be used for AI. But the legal action suggests growing concerns at the corporation that its articles have already been ripped off. It comes at a critical time for the BBC, which is locked in discussions with ministers over the future of the licence fee funding model. Any AI licencing deals could prove a vital new source of revenue at a time when the broadcaster has been forced to make heavy cuts to balance the books. Perplexity, which was founded in 2022, is an AI-powered search engine that allows users to search the web by asking questions in a conversational style. It runs a default language model and also provides subscribers with access to others including Chat GPT and Claude. The company, which counts Amazon founder Jeff Bezos among its investors, has more than 30m users and is closing in on fresh funding that would give it a valuation of $14bn (£10.4bn). In the letter, the BBC reportedly accused Perplexity of reproducing parts of its news stories verbatim, arguing that the company was diverting readers away from its website. The BBC also raised concerns that AI search engines were inserting factual inaccuracies or removing context from articles, which it warned could damage the broadcaster's reputation for impartial journalism. It said: 'It is therefore highly damaging to the BBC, injuring the BBC's reputation with audiences – including UK licence fee-payers who fund the BBC – and undermining their trust in the BBC.'
Time of India
a day ago
- Business
- Time of India
'MAGA hates Fox News': Trump reacts to WSJ report that claimed he approved American plans to attack Iran
Trump attacks Rupert Murdoch's media empire as he slammed Fox and Wall Street Journal. President Donald Trump lashed out at Rupert Murdoch's media empire as he singled out Fox News and the Wall Street Journal and slammed both of them for different reasons. Trump's Thursday morning tirade began with 'MAGA HATES FoxNews' after Fox gave a lower rating to the president. 'The Crooked Fox News Polls got the Election WRONG, I won by much more than they said I would, and have been biased against me for years. They are always wrong and negative. It's why MAGA HATES FoxNews, even though their anchors are GREAT,' began Trump in his first post on the subject. 'This has gone on for years, but they never change the incompetent polling company that does their work. Now a new FoxNews poll comes out this morning giving me a little more than 50% at the Border, and yet the Border is miraculously perfect, NOBODY WAS ABLE TO COME IN LAST MONTH. 60,000 people came in with Sleepy Joe in the same month last year,' he continued. 'I hate FAKE pollsters, one of the Worst, but Fox will never change their discredited pollster!' Then Trump put out another post slamming Wall Street Journal for its report that Trump has approved American plans to attack Iran but has not given the final nod. 'The Wall Street Journal has No Idea what my thoughts are concerning Iran!' he wrote. The Wall Street Journal reported that Donald Trump privately approved of attack plans for Iran but withheld the final order, as Trump has kept his decision on whether to join Israel's strike on Iran ambiguous. He said he may or may not but the reporter said Trump informed senior aides that he approves plans to attack Iran. A senior White House official said multiple options remain on the table, and that Trump will continue to watch how the Israelis operate.
The Hill
a day ago
- Politics
- The Hill
Trump rips Fox News poll showing 53 percent approval on border
President Trump on Thursday tore into Fox News over a poll showing Americans virtually split on his handling of immigration issues and the southern border. The poll, released this week, found a majority, 53 percent, approve of Trump's handling of border security while 46 percent disapprove. The outlet also noted the president's negative ratings on issues such as immigration, as 46 percent approve and 53 percent disapprove, and foreign policy, with 42 percent approving while 57 percent disapprove. His worst marks, per the Fox News poll, include the economy, with a 58 percent disapproval and 40 percent approval, as well as inflation, with 64 percent disapproving and 34 percent backing his handling. Trump, in a Truth Social post early Thursday, blasted the network' and its findings. 'The Crooked FoxNews Polls got the Election WRONG, I won by much more than they said I would, and have been biased against me for years,' the president wrote. 'They are always wrong and negative.' The president claimed his followers dislike the network because of its polling 'even though their anchors are GREAT.' 'I hate FAKE pollsters, one of the Worst, but Fox will never change their discredited pollster,' he added. Trump has ridiculed Fox and other major television networks he feels have not covered the first several months of his second term fairly. The president has criticized Rupert Murdoch, the founder and former chairman of Fox Corp. over the coverage he receives on Fox and in Murdoch's other media properties like the Wall Street Journal and New York Post. Trump regularly grants interviews to Fox News journalists, and selected several former hosts and pundits at the network to serve in key positions in his administration.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Smartmatic Court Filing Describes Fox's Actions as a "Campaign of Knowing Lies"
BOCA RATON, Fla., June 18, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Smartmatic today presented overwhelming evidence that Fox not only defamed the company, but did so knowingly and deliberately, at the direction of Rupert Murdoch and senior leadership, in a desperate attempt to retain angry viewers. A legal filing submitted in New York highlights that Fox's reckless actions not only inflicted damage on Smartmatic, but undermined Americans' faith in free and fair elections. "Fox lies again. Internal communications reveal that they knew there was no credible evidence of Smartmatic participating in election fraud, yet they deliberately chose to promote false narratives against the company anyway. These communications show contempt against their viewers, the country and the President," Smartmatic stated. Smartmatic's filing stems from the defamation lawsuit against Fox over its promotion of false claims about the company's role in the 2020 U.S. presidential election. "This is not a case about freedom of the press," said Erik Connolly, external legal counsel for Smartmatic. "This is about a media empire choosing to lie for ratings and profit, no matter the consequences and no matter the damage done." Fox's Campaign of Deception The opposition brief details how, despite evidence proving that they knew the accusations were baseless, Fox executives and hosts internally described Rudolph Giuliani and Sidney Powell as "crazy," "nuts," "bonkers," and "comic book stuff." Yet, they promoted their outlandish conspiracy theories against Smartmatic. Internal Fox communications confirm that no one at the network had any evidence implicating Smartmatic. Yet, across 66 broadcasts and publications, Fox mentioned Smartmatic more than 100 times — part of what the brief calls "one of the most destructive disinformation campaigns in American history." Both sides have filed motions asking the court to rule in its favor. However, most of the important information in the motions is currently redacted. Smartmatic has told the court that it supports transparency and believes most, if not all, of the information should be unredacted and available to the public. Fox has not. The New York Times recently filed a motion to gain access to the filings, a motion Smartmatic supports. Separately, the Court is considering a motion to hold Fox accountable for knowingly destroying evidence in the case. Manufactured Villain, Real-World Harm The brief further explains how the Murdochs orchestrated a calculated campaign of lies, and how Fox embraced a xenophobic effort to portray Smartmatic as a foreign villain — using labels such as "Venezuelan," "Chinese," and "Cuban" — while omitting facts that contradicted this narrative. The result was death threats against employees and their families, lost contracts, and a global erosion of trust in election technology. "Before Fox's campaign, Smartmatic had a perfect record: 6 billion votes, zero security breaches," Connolly noted. "They were trusted worldwide — from the largest U.S. County to elections praised by international election observers. Fox destroyed that trust in a month." The Stakes Fox not only caused Smartmatic significant reputational and financial farm, it also damaged public confidence in democratic elections. The broader casualties of these lies include American democratic institutions. "The evidence shows this was a top-down strategy, not rogue behavior," said Connolly. "Fox can't hide behind legal technicalities or recycled defenses. It told lies. It knew they were lies. Now it must face the consequences." View source version on Contacts Media: Mrs. Samira Saba, +1-561-862-0747Integrated Communications DirectorCommunications@ Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
