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The Men Who Killed the News

The inside story of how media moguls abused their power, manipulated the truth and distorted democracy

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The Men Who Killed the News

By: Eric Beecher
Narrated by: Eric Beecher
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About this listen

 Readings Best Books of 2024, Non-Fiction
Nominated for the 2025 Sperber Prize

Never before has the media played such an active part in our politics, with Elon Musk using X to affect world elections and direct US government policy. But as Crikey owner and ex-News Corp executive Eric Beecher shows, media moguls have a long history of abusing their power …

What’s gone wrong with our media? The answer: its owners. From William Randolph Hearst to Elon Musk, from the British press barons to colonial upstarts Conrad Black and Rupert Murdoch, media proprietors have manipulated the news to accumulate wealth and influence as they meddled with democracy.

Eric Beecher knows the news business from bottom to top. He has been a journalist, editor and media proprietor (of Text Media and Crikey), with the rare distinction of having both worked for and been sued (unsuccessfully) by the Murdochs.

This book reveals the distorted role of the media moguls of the past two centuries: their techniques, strategies, behind-closed-doors machinations, and indulgent lifestyles. It explains how they have exploited the shield of the freedom of the press to undermine journalism – and truth.

In an era of fake news, AI and misinformation, this is democracy’s chillingly important story: how a small coterie of flawed and narcissistic moguls created a shadow of power that has contributed to making the media an agent of mistrust. Media Studies Social Sciences Thought-Provoking

Critic Reviews

‘A witty and absorbing Decline and Fall for a media era that has destroyed itself.’ (Virginia Trioli)
‘The Men Who Killed the News is one of the most important books published here in many years. It should be read by everyone who is interested in a civil society.’ (Mark Rubbo, Readings online)
'A globally important book' (Alan Kohler)
'Brilliant' (Mike Carlton, author of Dive!)
‘In a pacey compression of press history going back to the late 19th century, Beecher vividly illustrates how newspaper moguls … have cynically debased the profession of journalism in pursuit of wealth and power … The Men Who Killed the News is a book for the times.’
'The Men Who Killed the News is a passionate and excoriating book that should inform and disturb the general reader interested in media, power, and misinformation.'
‘a hugely important topic, which too few journalists write about.’
All stars
Most relevant
An excellent overview of the central western media with an insider's view. Essential newspaper media primer, pre Trump and the US slide.

Yes they're as bad as you thought

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We all know that "the media" is corrupt. But I did not expect the degree to which journalism has influenced recent history and how catastrophically it has failed to perform its function to critique the governments and inform the public. It almost feels like the book is all build up and no resolution - the situation is dire, and there appears to be no real way out of this world run by these corrupt men.

Extensive research, important message, and a convincing delivery. A must read for all citizens.

The most important aspect of our democracies.

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Excellent vocabulary with real stories about, and directed at, real people. Unfortunately. it was all bad news with Armageddon as the only end point.

Direct, incisive insight

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The book was engaging, factual and well paced. I learned lots about the history of news media and really liked the sting in the tail around the role of AI

Honest Insight into the Murdoch empire

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This is an important publication that everyone should read or listen to recommend to others.

Outstanding

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