MURDOCH TWITTER New York Post Biden laptop row

Quite an extraordinary story.

The USA press makes claims to be neutral and objective. Generally. And then...there's the Murdoch press, specifically the gutter tabloid New York Post - subject of a Public Enemy song decrying it as 'bullshit'.

Like The S*n, the Post is avowedly the voice of its owner - again, something the US press generally claims to outlaw. Murdoch did of course sign a legal document agreeing to NOT influence the editorial direction of The Times when he was dubiously allowed to buy it (the supportive role of Thatcher has recently been revealed after the decades-long Official Secrets Act block was lifted on government papers from the time). Some chance.

Jeff Bezos, Washington Post owner (having a great covid crisis as Amazon owner, unlike his factory workers) is a favourite Trump target for his perceived liberal bias and impact on that august paper, part of the trio of local-but-national brands that dominate the US quality press with the Christian Science Monitor and New York Times.

Back to the Post. Their Twitter account was suspended for publishing what Twitter deemed fake news using hacked materials: the tale of Joe Biden's son. A favourite Trump trope - for which he faced impeachment for having misused his office.

Then Twitter owner Jack Dorsey faced a spittle-flying Senate Committee hearing, the Republicans on which were brandishing rhetorical pitchforks as they, tongue not in cheek, accused him of undermining American democracy. Presumably stopping the Post from reporting on the dubious Supreme Court confirmation, the attempts to weaken the US Postal Service to undermine postal voting, the POTUS posturing that he wouldn't accept an election defeat as legitimate or leave peacefully, the constant attacks on journalists....etc...

And lo, the Post was free once more, just before the election, to spread it's Fox News style objective reportage.

At least these things are somewhat out in the open in the USA. Unlike the UK - where PM Cameron blocked the Leveson Inquiry from its planned second stage investigation into the links between press and police plus politicians. Twitter arguably remains a much more powerful and influential press regulator than IPSO. And press (concentration of/billionaire) ownership remains a matter ignored by the supposed UK press 'regulator'.

Guardian article Oct 2020

Sidenote: The Public Enemy song I mentioned really doesn't hold up well to today's values. Singer and main lyricist Chuck D continues to be an active, activist voice on Twitter - and sacked Flavor Flav, singer and inspiration for that song, in March 2020 after a row about Chuck D appearing at a Bernie Sanders rally. See NY Times report.

This article is also useful context: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/oct/30/is-america-a-democracy-us-election-fight-to-vote