{"product_id":"the-men-who-killed-the-news-the-inside-story-of-how-media-moguls-abused-their-power-manipulated-the-truth-and-distorted-democracy-9781761632600","title":"The Men Who Killed the News: The Inside Story of How Media Moguls Abused Their Power, Manipulated the Truth and Distorted Democracy","description":"\u003cb\u003eReadings Best Books of 2024, Non-Fiction\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eNominated for the 2025 Sperber Prize\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003eNever 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 ... \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e 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. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Eric Beecher knows the news business from bottom to top. He has been a journalist, editor and media proprietor (of Text Media and \u003ci\u003eCrikey\u003c\/i\u003e), with the rare distinction of having both worked for and been sued (unsuccessfully) by the Murdochs. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e 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. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e 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.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eBeecher, Eric:\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e - Eric Beecher has had a long career in journalism, media and publishing. He started his career as a reporter on the Melbourne \u003ci\u003eAge\u003c\/i\u003e, spent periods at \u003ci\u003eThe Sunday Times\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eThe Observer\u003c\/i\u003e in London, and at \u003ci\u003eThe \u003c\/i\u003e\u003ci\u003eWashington Post\u003c\/i\u003e; he was appointed as the youngest-ever editor of \u003ci\u003eThe Sydney Morning Herald\u003c\/i\u003e and later as editor-in-chief of the Melbourne \u003ci\u003eHerald\u003c\/i\u003e. He then became an independent media owner, launching several media and publishing start-up companies, initially in print and then in digital news publishing. He is currently chair and the largest shareholder in Private Media, owner of several Australian news websites, including Crikey.","brand":"Scribner Australia","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51967125586194,"sku":"9781761632600","price":13.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_5f72fa68-d457-46b8-9be3-5f9ff1088368.jpg?v=1768926616","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/the-men-who-killed-the-news-the-inside-story-of-how-media-moguls-abused-their-power-manipulated-the-truth-and-distorted-democracy-9781761632600","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}