The executive chairman of News Corp Australasia, Michael Miller, has denied Murdoch outlets are obsessed with the ABC and has rejected the suggestion that they are racist or bullying people as he calls on the government to regulate social media.
Miller told the National Press Club on Wednesday that regulation of the tech companies, as well as the enforcement of the news media bargaining code, was urgent because Facebook, X and TikTok were damaging the social fabric. If social media companies don’t abide by a “social licence”, they should be banned from operating in Australia, he said.
“In the words of cybersecurity minister Clare O’Neil, just about every problem that we have as a country is either being exacerbated by or caused by social media and we’re not seeing a skerrick of responsibility taken by these companies,” Miller said.
“The tech monopolies, especially social media networks such as Meta, TikTok and X, choose to operate outside our legal system.
“In the space of just one generation, we have gone from magic to madness.”
He said the platforms were responsible for youth suicide, online scams, blackmail, cyberbullying, revenge porn, doxing, trolling, deep fakes, conspiracies, the surveillance economy and political interference.
While challenging Facebook to leave Australia, saying it is a repository of child abuse and porn, he said News Corp won’t quit its own social media accounts because they’re an “unavoidable trading partner”.
The executive, who has responsibility for mastheads including The Australian, Daily Telegraph and news.com.au as well as Sky News Australia, was challenged about the company’s role in promoting social cohesion.
During questions from journalists, Miller was asked if it was OK that News Corp’s work had caused women, such as writer Yassmin Abdel-Magied and Brittany Higgins, as well as transgender kids, to feel bullied.
“That work wasn’t intended to bully,” Miller answered. “They raised issues. I’d also point you to the substantial body of work and campaigns our mastheads have run to stop bullying.”
Miller was also asked for his thoughts on whether headlines like “Hey Albo, shut the door” and “Shocking migration figures” might made migrants feel unwelcome and may even be “racist”.
Miller rejected the suggestion the headlines were racist and said he was proud of the company’s record in social cohesion and advocacy work.
Some people may take exception to one news story and like others and it was part of the “contest of ideas”, he said.
“I can understand that there are some who are going to take exception to different headlines at different times,” he said.
“But that’s not the intent. It’s about the intent of making sure Australia is a better place, a safer place, a fairer place for all.
“I’m a great believer that, you know, surface those [different perspectives] to arrive at a place which is socially acceptable, and that is ensuring that there are various views, and various voices being surfaced.”
Miller said he disagreed with ABC managing director David Anderson and Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young, who said last week that News Corp was obsessed with the ABC.
“I do feel that we’re not obsessed,” he said. “We look at [ABC’s] Media Watch every Monday … [and] we accept that that’s part of having a varied media and giving Australians choice.”
Hanson-Young asked Anderson at Senate estimates: “News Corp are obsessed with the ABC, aren’t they?”
Anderson replied: “Yes they are.”
Miller’s speech was designed to be a rallying cry for the government to designate Meta under the media bargaining code, as well rein in the tech giants with new regulations.
“A requirement for tech platforms proven to be the media’s unavoidable trading partners, would be to honour the media bargaining code and compensate publishers and media companies,” Miller said.
Meta has indicated it may not renew its voluntary agreements with Australian media when they expire, arguing users are no longer interested in news.
Miller lay blame for many of society’s ills at the feet of Facebook, TikTok and X, saying the global platforms were destroying lives and should be held accountable, including making a contribution to fixing mental health problems.
“On behalf of 27 million Australians, the Australian government has the mandate and ability to re-establish and reassert itself as the representatives and rule makers of Australia by resetting the rules for global platforms’ access to Australians.”
