As another credible source of widely distributed information falls to the business driven dogs, one can only shake their disturbed head at the thoughts concerning the events that have recently transpired.
Murdoch’s takeover of National Geographic following the $725 million dollar deal is an event that is bound to shape the way this credible once non-profit organisation’s information in conducted and received. By owning 73 per cent of the company, climate change sceptic Rupert Murdoch’s influence upon the studies conducted by scientists cannot go unnoticed.
With the inclusion of National Geographic, Rupert Murdoch stands as one of the biggest media conglomerate in contemporary existence. With his global reach and influence, as seen with ownership of companies such as 21st Century Fox, News of The World, Fox News and now National Geographic, it is fair to say that his motives behind what gets produced within global mainstream media will have an even larger sway.
The fact that Rupert Murdoch has now overtaken a company that previously devoted itself to the representation of unbiased facts and the discovery of ground breaking and new information should raises concerns with the wider community.
It should render individuals concerns as the very credibility of this 127-year-old company is at risk due to Murdoch’s agenda having the ability to heavily influence the results and research partaken by National Geographic. Considering the medias overall portrayal of Murdoch as a gluttonously rich and villainous media tycoon with his own agenda, it is more than fair to say that the people’s anxieties surrounding this take over are validated.
Murdoch’s self perpetuating agenda has never been a topic that has gone unnoticed. With infamous channels and programs circulating around the 33rd most powerful man in the world, his reputation is one that is constantly under scrutiny.
Considering this is the same man, who was behind; the pervasive Newsweek phone tapping scandal and accusations of denying fair coverage of the 2000 US elections, the scrutiny delivered is not entirely unjustified. His infamous tendencies to display a single-minded viewpoint towards contemporary news points is even more important issue given the fact that Murdoch now stands as the second largest media conglomerate. Murdoch’s acquisition in the field of media gives him an amazingly large threshold over the Mediascape.
As the National Geographic Society is left with 27 per cent of control within the newfound partnership that includes control of their cable channel and their various other media outlets, one can only hope the credibility of such a fine institution isn’t destroyed.
