Former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has taken to social media to share a video with an aim for Australians to sign a petition. 

Australians have watched with growing anger at what the Murdoch media monopoly is doing to our country. A cancer on democracy.

Today I am launching a national petition to establish a #MurdochRoyalCommission.

If you value our democracy, please sign here: https://t.co/FjfK7ij7YQ pic.twitter.com/gIGfmMF49W

— Kevin Rudd (@MrKRudd) October 9, 2020

Rudd has a goal to have the Australian Government investigate the Australian Media landscape through a Royal Commission. There is a particular interest in investigating the large Australia-wide presence Rupert Murdoch’s media currently has. 

The petition aims to launch interest into the government to a Royal Commission investigating the diversity of Australian media. Recommendations from research maximising the strength and diversity of the media are the ideal outcome of the commission. 

Rupert Murdoch, Melbourne born media mogul has stakes in the media worldwide. His presence in Australia includes owning the rights to News Corp with titles such as Sky News and Fox News. Murdoch also owns 70% of Australia’s print titles across all states and territories including; 

The Australian, The Daily Telegraph, Herald Sun, The Courier-Mail, The Advertiser (Adelaide), Mercury (Hobart), NT News, The Cairns Post, Gold Coast Bulletin, Townsville Bulletin, Geelong Advertiser and The Weekly Times.

Murdoch’s presence in the media landscape has been growing rapidly since inheriting his father’s papers News and Sunday Mail at just 22 years old. 

Rudd describes the handle Murdoch has on his media as “An arrogant cancer on our democracy.”

A breakdown occurred on the Parliament of Australia website as there were many individuals on the website signing the petition. 

It is unknown if the signatures will be recognised in Parliament, signatures do not have a legal threshold in Australia.

The signature count is currently at 242,000 and is continuing to rise. 

 

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