Eric Beecher’s The Men Who Killed the News: An Exposé of Modern Media Culture

Eric Beecher is a unique figure: a journalist, media owner, and idealist. In 1984, at just 33, he became the youngest-ever editor of the Sydney Morning Herald. He has worked globally as a journalist and is currently the chair and the largest shareholder in Private Media, which owns several Australian news websites, including Crikey.

In his book, “The Men Who Killed the News,” Beecher offers both a fervent denunciation of the media’s misuse of power and a contemplation on the future of journalism.

The historical review is striking and swift. Beecher illustrates how newspaper moguls from William Randolph Hearst in the 1880s to Rupert Murdoch today have degraded journalism for financial gain and power. He draws on various histories, providing a comprehensive overview for readers keen to understand how public trust in media has eroded to such an extent that Donald Trump could effectively tag it as “fake news.”

The men responsible for the decline of news belong to two technological epochs. The first is the industrial age, which saw figures like Hearst, Murdoch, Joseph Pulitzer, Henry Luce, and A.O. Sulzberger in the United States, and Lords Beaverbrook, Rothermere, and Northcliffe in Britain, monopolize news dissemination. The second is the digital age, dominated by Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk.

Beecher argues convincingly that these figures share common traits: the abuse of power, manipulation of truth, and distortion of democracy. Despite their waning power, legacy moguls like Murdoch remain formidable. Beecher delves deeply into Murdoch’s moral bankruptcy through recounting personal experiences, such as a revealing News Corp executive meeting in Aspen, Colorado.

In a chapter titled “The Moral Compass,” Beecher contrasts News Corp’s culture with that of other reputable newspaper organizations like the New York Times, the Guardian, the Washington Post, Le Monde, and the Sydney Morning Herald. These organizations have adhered more closely to the essential functions of the media in a democracy. However, Beecher points out the dilemma of holding the media accountable without infringing on free speech.

This paradox often leaves media moguls as the custodians of journalism, both protecting and exploiting it. While Beecher touches on attempts to resolve this issue, he does not delve deeply into potential solutions, missing an opportunity to discuss approaches like statute-based self-regulation recommended by inquiries such as the Leveson and Finkelstein Inquiries.

The collapse of public trust is one of the book’s major themes. Another is the commercial failure due to the internet and social media’s impact, which has shattered the traditional revenue models enjoyed by newspapers, radio, and television. Beecher describes the desperation and complacency of traditional media as they struggled to adapt, often selling out to digital billionaires, as seen with Jeff Bezos acquiring the Washington Post.

Beecher recounts how in the mid-2000s he was asked by a Fairfax director to assess the future of their business as internet advertising started affecting revenues. His report warned of a “catastrophe scenario” where classified advertising would migrate online, but the company’s leadership, clinging to old models, ignored it. Predictably, by 2018, what remained of the Fairfax empire was absorbed by Nine Entertainment.

Facing the future, Beecher tackles a fundamental question: can journalism fulfill its democratic role without financial subsidies? His answer is no. Journalism has always depended on subsidies, whether through advertising or taxpayer funding for public broadcasting.

Beecher highlights success stories like the New York Times, which has garnered a subscriber base of 10 million, demonstrating that quality journalism can still find a paying audience. He suggests newspapers need to move away from the “mass” media concept and focus on serving specific audience needs. He lists various types of journalism that could help, calling for a significant cultural shift. Traditional news values of negativity and conflict are driving audiences away, and there’s a need for more constructive and solutions-focused journalism.

Beecher mentions the possibility of government support, noting the tension this creates between journalists and politicians. He cites Australia’s News Media Bargaining Code, which compelled Google and Facebook to pay for news content, though its long-term viability is uncertain.

In conclusion, Beecher returns to the necessity of rebuilding public trust through ethical journalism. He asserts that the media must play its role in restoring public confidence in democratic institutions if societies wish to maintain their liberal values. “The Men Who Killed the News” is thus a timely book, urging the media industry to mend its ways and reconnect with its fundamental democratic purpose.

Source: The Conversation, Sydney Morning Herald