Paul Bibby
A group of Extinction Rebellion activists have, quite literally, ‘called bullshit’ on the Murdoch media empire’s reporting of climate change and the bushfire crisis, dumping a pile of manure outside News Corp’s Queensland headquarters this morning.
‘Every lie published in the Courier Mail, the Australian, the Daily Telegraph and the Herald Sun is done to put more money in the pockets of billionaires and ensure that they keep their Capitalist power structure,’ 29-year-old protestor, Matt Shepherd said from the company’s Bowen Hills building.
‘It’s bullshit. Murdoch will be dead by the time the climate crisis hits hardest, but the lies will continue to affect us all.’
News Corp, which controls 60 per cent of daily newspaper distribution in Australia a well as Foxtel and News.com.au, has consistently denied that climate change has played any role in the bushfire crisis, arguing instead that The Greens and arsonists were responsible despite having little factual evidence that this was the case.
Some of those connected to the company have begun to speak out against its editorial stance, including Rupert Murdoch’s son James who has publicly criticised the publishing of content that was contrary to scientific consensus.
There is also a nation-wide campaign pushing for Australians to cancel their subscriptions to News Ltd publications and other offerings including Foxtel.
After dumping the manure, three activists erected placards saying ‘Billionaire liars, Media monopoly, Climate denial. We call bullshit’ and then glued themselves on to the front of the building.
‘News Corp own so many news outlets under so many different names, most people don’t even know what they’re reading is essentially being signed off by one man,’ said one of the three activists, 25-year-old Justice Cambridge.
‘We know that News Corp has a huge influence over Australian politics. I don’t remember electing Rupert Murdoch to decide on the fate of my life,’ she said.
Another activist, primary educator Greg Thomas, said Australia was not on track to meet its obligations under the Paris agreement, and the media needed to hold governments and corporations accountable.
‘There is a violent link between media, government, and billion dollar corporations that is stopping any meaningful action being taken on climate,’ he said.
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