Bill de Blasio: Murdoch's media empire is behind Trump's election

[G_j]

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/aug/07/bill-de-blasio-interview-trump-rupert-murdoch?CMP=share_btn_fb

Ben Jacobs in New Orleans

The New York mayor discussed the role Fox News has played in US politics and the progressive shift in the Democratic Party

Tuesday 7 August 2018

To New York mayor Bill de Blasio, Rupert Murdoch is directly responsible for Donald Trump.

In fact, De Blasio argues, “if you could remove News Corp from the last 25 years of American history, we would be in an entirely different place”.

In his view, without the malign influence of Murdoch’s media empire and its conservative Trump-supporting Fox News “we would be a more unified country. We would not be suffering a lot of the negativity and divisiveness we’re going through right now. I can’t ignore that.”

De Blasio spoke to the Guardian in New Orleans, hours before he took the stage at the annual Netroots Nation conference of progressive activists.

The New York mayor, who has never been on the best of terms with the famously aggressive press in his hometown, has his own criticisms of America’s media but has not restrained his attacks on Trump for branding reporters “the enemy of the people”.

..more..

[dlk]

1. Murdoch is a Snake Who Has Poisoned the Minds of Millions of Americans

He is the essence of evil.

[Squinch]

2. This really is true. One thing we should be doing, but we aren't, is organizing a boycott of

the companies that advertise on Fox News.

[Catherine Vincent]

3. Conservatives hate him

Now they'll hate him even more.

[Fiendish Thingy]

4. I think NBC deserves a significant portion of the blame

If they hadn't put The Apprentice on the air to create the illusion of Trump as a successful businessman and strong decisive leader, he never would have made it past the primaries.

[RhodeIslandOne]

5. People were under the impression he was successful long before that

I think it’s a stretch to think NBC knew this was going to make him president. Usually if you’re making good money off entertainment it causes you to avoid politics.

[Fiendish Thingy]

7. If the Apprentice had never aired, Trump would have been limited to appearances on Fox for a decade

The Apprentice went a long way to solidifying Trump's image in the eye of his supporters. It was on that show that they got to see him "in action", whereas without this show, the public would have been limited to Trump's own bloviating, and his scandals and bankruptcies.

[OregonBlue]

6. We have to go after Murdoch. He is so dangerous.

[smirkymonkey]

9. The old goat already has one foot in the grave.

How much longer can he last? Damn, why do all these evil old republicans always see to live forever! Just die already!

[Saboburns]

8. No shit

I guess it helps somewhat to say it in public.