Big changes are taking place in national news. This includes the parent company of Fox News, where a new woman will be taking over Rupert Murdoch’s conservative news empire.
What changes does she plan to make and what does she believe? Let’s take look.
Major Merger on the Horizon
News Corp and Fox Corp are joining together once again in a large merger, which will see current News Corp head Robert Thompson step down and Rebekah Brooks take charge.
Murdoch is the one who has led the idea of rejoining these two major companies together. As the top owner of News Corp overall, Murdoch has that option, especially considering his son, Lachlan Murdoch, is the owner of Fox Corp.
Lachlan would be on the board of the newly-merged company, the brainchild of Murdoch, 91, with Brooks taking the reins of the new operations of the massive media giant.
As Murdoch’s swan song, this merger could be a very impressive accomplishment. His appointment of Brooks to the top spot is already angering many people, including figures like Prince Harry, who Brooks reported about in ways he didn’t like.
Prince Harry is… not a fan of Rebekah Brooks. pic.twitter.com/nDcLVh0tqD
— Jim Waterson (@jimwaterson) January 10, 2023
Meet Rebekah Brooks
Brooks is a 54-year-old top boss in the British media. She’s headed up News UK for the past eight years and ran News International for several years in the late 2000s.
She was involved in a major phone hacking incident at News of the World where she worked previously; although she was found not guilty of trying to bribe officials and hack voicemail messages.
She’s been shuttled back and forth between many top jobs in Murdoch’s media empire and is like a child for Murdoch, to whom she is fiercely loyal.
Brooks also helps out her loyal friends as well, recently getting the top spot at the Wall Street Journal for her friend Emma Tucker.
Brooks is a diehard conservative, but is also a socialite. She believes in getting viewers and attracting the attention of audiences whatever it takes.
She’s a news professional and also an excellent networker who brings people together. She makes them feel part of a team and has proven effective at growing the reach of companies and news organizations in the past.
The original reason Fox Corp and News Corp split was when the phone hacking scandal exposed the company to too much legal liability, but it looks clear that Murdoch wants it back together. It’s Brooks he trusts to take the top spot.
Prince Harry on disgraced ex-editor of The S*n, Rebekah Brooks:
“An infected pustule on the arse of humanity. Plus a shit excuse for a journalist”
— Jason Reid (@JasonReidUK) January 10, 2023
The Bottom Line
Loved by supporters and hated by enemies, Brooks is sure to bring some new verve to the conservative news empire.
Let’s see how she does and keep following the deals of this conservative cable news mega-merger as they come out.
This article appeared in StatesmanPost and has been published here with permission.
