News Corp and Fox Corporation Emeritus Chairman Rupert Murdoch has sat down for a rate interview on starting The Australian, the evolving media landscape, a “paranoid” former prime minister, artificial intelligence and much more in a rare interview for the 60th anniversary of Australia’s only national broadsheet newspaper.
The special event documentary is premiered live at 8pm on Monday on Sky News Australia.
Hosted by Sky News Host and Associate Editor of The Australian Chris Kenny, the one-hour documentary The Australian: 60 Years of News takes viewers through the incredible history of the paper.
Mr Kenny dives through The Australian’s archives to uncover historic newsroom footage and speaks to key figures who have shaped the iconic paper.
Mr Murdoch joins Mr Whittaker for a wide ranging and in-depth interview where the magnate spills on the challenges he faced launching the historic paper at 33-years-old to fulfil the long-held dream of his father, Sir Keith Murdoch, to create a national broadsheet newspaper.
While kicking off the print paper in the 60s, the magnate is optimistic about the future of The Australian and said that the brand would be around in another 60 years “in some form”.
“That’s up to us,” he added.
On the future of media, Mr Murdoch touched on the emerging sector of artificial intelligence, which he labelled a “great technological breakthrough”.
“It takes these fast quantum computers, it gives answers in split seconds,” he said, adding his belief it would have mixed effects on the media landscape.
“I don’t think there’s any doubt … it will put people out of work. When it does, that will create wealth, and that wealth will be devoted to a new industries and new employment,” he said.
Continuing on the topic of media, Mr Murdoch predicted the last physical newspaper will be printed in 15 years “with a lot of luck”.
“You get on a train, public transport? You see anyone with a paper? You see no one. Now they’re reading they’re reading all the facts, on their phones,” he said.
Mr Murdoch also weighed in on some of Australia’s prime ministers during his career, giving high praise to John Howard who he called “a mature man who ran the country well” but taking a swipe at Malcolm Turnbull – an outspoken critic of News Corp and Mr Murdoch.
“I think Malcolm’s nuts, and he’s paranoid,” Mr Murdoch hit back.
“He didn’t like the fact that we supported Tony Abbott versus him. That’s all.”
Mr Whittaker also questioned Mr Murdoch on whether Australia was taking the right path for tackling climate change, which The Australian founder disagreed.
“I’m not a climate denier. I might be a sceptic of some of the things that are said. But you’re going to have blackouts … The cost of living will go up all over the world,” he said.
He said he believes there are there are other solutions besides renewables, such as to abolish coal and focus on natural gas “which is cheap and clean”.
Mr Murdoch also shared his thoughts on hot-button political issues the nation voted on, such as rejecting the Voice to Parliament referendum which he felt was the right move.
“I’m a long way away, and I understand the motive, but it struck me as something which would end up being divisive, without really achieving anything for the Aboriginals,” he said.
“So from what little I know about it, I certainly welcome the result.”
He also famously made a last ditch plea for a Yes vote for a Republic in a story on the front page of The Australian – just days before the vote for a Republic was soundly defeated at the referendum poll on November 6, 1999.
Looking forwards, Mr Murdoch felt the nation will uphold his position and become a republic within the next ten years.
He also touched on how he would like people to remember his legacy, telling Mr Whittaker he hopes his work in the media would be continued.
“Keep fighting for freedom of the press, freedom of expression for everybody, not just us. And that this will contribute, and be seen to contribute, to a better society,” he said.
Alongside Mr Murdoch, the documentary will hear from The Australian’s Editor-in-Chief Michelle Gunn, its Editor-at-Large Paul Kelly, former Editor-in-Chief Chris Mitchell, columnist Janet Albrechtsen, investigative journalist and podcast creator Hedley Thomas, cartoonist Johannes Leak, and prominent political leaders including former Prime Ministers John Howard and Tony Abbott and Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price.
Mr Kenny said the documentary is a “compelling and inspirational” story.
“It is impossible to imagine this country and our national debate without The Australian now, but its establishment, survival and evolution has been a story of imagination and determination that mirrors the national project it champions. It is a compelling and inspirational story to tell,” he said.