BREAKING NEWS: James Murdoch resigns from board of News Corp citing ‘disagreements over certain editorial content published by the company’s news outlets’
- James Murdoch sent his letter of resignation from the News Corp board Friday
- He cited disagreements over ‘certain editorial content’ published by the company’s news outlets as his reason for departure
- News Corp is the parent company of The Wall Street Journal, The New York Post and News UK
- James had been on the board of directors since 2013 and previously served as CEO of 21st Century Fox from 2015 to 2019
James Murdoch has announced he is stepping down from the board of News Corp, citing editorial differences over content published by its media platforms, which include The Wall Street Journal, The New York Post and News UK.
‘My resignation is due to disagreements over certain editorial content published by the Company’s news outlets and certain other strategic decisions,’ he said in a statement on Friday.
James, 47, the younger son of Australian media mogul and News Corp chairman Rupert Murdoch, had been on the board of directors since 2013.
He did not go into detail about his differences with the media company however, he has been publicly critical of its platforms in the past.
James Murdoch, the younger son of Australian media mogul Rupert Murdoch (pictured together in 2013) announced he is resigning from the board of News Corp
Most recently in January, James and his wife Kathryn spoke out against the family business for promoting climate change ‘denials’ during Australian bushfire crisis.
The pair released a statement saying they were ‘disappointed’ by the coverage of the fires by Fox News and other News Corporation outlets.
‘Kathryn and James’s views on climate are well established and their frustration with some of the News Corp and Fox coverage of the topic is also well known.
‘They are particularly disappointed with the ongoing denial among the news outlets in Australia given obvious evidence to the contrary,’ their statement read.
James’s public criticism of the company had sparked speculation of a feud within the family.
Rupert Murdoch with his sons Lachlan Murdoch (L) and James Murdoch (R) in 2016
He is known as the more liberal Murdoch brother, while older brother Lachlan, 48, seems to have views more aligned with his conservative father.
Lachlan currently serves as the co-chairman of News Corp after being appointed to the role by Rupert in 2014 in a move viewed as a succession plan for the 89-year-old mogul.
He is also executive chairman and CEO of Fox Corp, home to conservative news network Fox News, the Fox broadcast and sports networks and local TV stations.
In a statement provided by a News Corp spokesman, Rupert and Lachlan said: ‘We’re grateful to James for his many years of service to the company. We wish him the very best in his future endeavors.’
News Corp is one of the two major media conglomerates owned by the Murdochs, the other being Fox Corporation, the parent company of Fox Broadcasting Company.
The sister companies were formed in 2013, following the split of the original News Corporation, founded in 1980.
James previously served as the CEO of 21st Century Fox but stepped down in 2019 when it was sold to The Walt Disney Company.
News Corp also publishes major papers in Australia and the U.K. and owns the HarperCollins book publisher.