Former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull says Lachlan Murdoch’s legal proceedings against a small publisher are “hypocritical”, arguing Murdoch’s media organizations have defamed more people than any other in Australia.
Murdoch last night officially launched defamation proceedings against Private Media, the publisher of the news and politics website Crikey, over claims in an article linking the Murdoch family to the January 6 Capitol riot.
Turnbull attacked Murdoch over the legal action during an interview on ABC’s Radio National on Wednesday morning, particularly in light of the track record of his Australian media organisations.
“I think it’s hypocritical,” Turnbull said. “Very few people have defamed more people than the Murdochs over the years, their media organizations.”
“They always talk about free speech and how libel laws are too harsh, and they stifle free speech.”
The June article and headlines at the center of the defamation battle claimed that “Murdoch was an unindicted co-conspirator” in the Capitol attack because of the influence of Murdoch’s Fox News.
During the interview, Turnbull said: “January 6 could not have happened without the toxic influence of Fox News.”
“Rupert Murdoch has done more damage to American democracy than any other individual alive today and he has done it through Fox News.”
Private Media had taken the tantalizing step of daring Murdoch to sue them over the article, which included the publication of private legal correspondence between the two parties. The company has engaged Marque Lawyers for the matter.
“Crikey stands by its story and we look forward to defending our independent public interest journalism in court against Lachlan Murdoch’s considerable resources,” Private Media chief executive Will Hayward told The Australian Financial Review on Wednesday.
“We are determined to fight for the integrity and importance of diverse independent media in Australian democracy.”
News of the proceedings also prompted former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd to begin attacking Murdoch, a staunch critic of News Corporation and the Murdoch family.
Rudd pointed out that News Corporation often encourages those who object to articles to lodge a complaint with what he called the “toothless” Australian Press Council.
“The fact that Lachlan is suing Crikey, rather than making a Press Council complaint, tells you the system is a joke,” Rudd said on Twitter.
Rudd continues to publicly campaign against the Murdoch media empire, calling for a Royal Commission into the family’s influence on the country’s politics.