Lachlan Murdoch Slams ABC, YouTube, ‘Media Elite’ In IPA Speech

News Corporation co-chairman Lachlan Murdoch has taken aim at the national broadcaster and “media elite” in a keynote speech delivered at the Institute of Public Affairs last night.

In launching The Centre for the Australian Way of Life, Murdoch espouses the virtue of our country, before launching into an attack on the ABC.

“To listen to our national broadcaster or much of the media elite is to hear about a uniquely racist, selfish, slavish and monochromatic country,” he said.

“The reality could not be more different – we are one of the most tolerant, generous, independent and multicultural countries in human history. Not without fault, but without peer.

“How can we expect people to defend the values, interests and sovereignty of this nation if we teach our children only our faults and none of our virtues?

“We must arm our young people with the facts and not undermine them with false ideological narratives.”

Murdoch also praised his own titles for backing the vaccine campaign, while bemoaning the attacks on part of the organisation that offered alternative opinions.

“News Limited titles nationally campaigned for our readers to get vaccinated. It was extraordinarily and importantly impactful. But when any columnist questioned the efficacy or fairness of vaccine mandates, they were labelled anti-vaxxers.”

He especially targeted YouTube’s censorship of Sky News.

“Infamously, YouTube banned Sky News Australia based on YouTube’s own judgments and changing standards about a handful of pandemic-related videos. Initially, YouTube justified this censorship by stating ‘YouTube does not allow for content that denies the existence of Covid-19.’

“OK. But when challenged they could not find a single instance of Sky ever denying the existence of Covid-19, so they had to pivot quickly and shift their justifications. The PR executives took over and they said this: ‘YouTube does not allow medical disinformation about Covid-19 that poses a serious health risk or harm, or that is in contradiction with local and global health authorities guidelines.’

“Apart from being an obvious and blunt cudgel to Australian’s freedom of speech, this standard was impossible to adhere to.

“Which health guidelines do you use? YouTube says local and global guidelines.

“YouTube used the World Health Organisation as its fact-checking guide; a body that was late to declare the pandemic, quick to admonish Australia for closing its international border, changeable in its medical rulings and reluctant to pursue the origins of the virus.”

Murdoch’s entire speech can be read here.