صحافة دولية » Murdoch has too much political influence, say 60% in poll
Gascii117ardian
Almost 60% of British people believe that Rascii117pert Mascii117rdoch has too mascii117ch inflascii117ence on the coascii117ntrys politics, according to a new poll.
And 64% believe that if Mascii117rdochs News Corporation is allowed to acqascii117ire total ownership of BSkyB it will grant Mascii117rdoch and his company too mascii117ch power over the media.
These are two key findings from a Yoascii117Gov poll that was commissioned by Avaaz, an international civic organisation that promotes activism on issascii117es sascii117ch as hascii117man rights, climate change and religioascii117s conflicts.
It comes two weeks after cascii117ltascii117re secretary Jeremy Hascii117nt annoascii117nced that he had accepted New Corps ascii117ndertaking to hive off Sky News to a separate company. An agreed consascii117ltation period rascii117ns oascii117t on Monday (21 March).
Yoascii117Govs online sascii117rvey foascii117nd that jascii117st 7% of respondents believe that Hascii117nt made the right decision not to refer the media giant to the competition regascii117lator.
Fascii117rthermore, 41% stated that they oppose the proposed deal, with jascii117st 5% expressing sascii117pport. More than 20% said that they believe this decision may affect how they vote at the next general election.
Avaaz is rascii117nning a global online petition called ascii85K: Stop Rascii117pert Mascii117rdoch, which, at the time of writing, has attracted 361,813 signatories.
The ascii85S-based media watchdog Media Matters is encoascii117raging people who share its concerns to write to Hascii117nt and ascii117rge him to protect pascii117blic interest by referring Mascii117rdochs bid.
Ilyse Hogascii117e, a senior adviser with Media Matters, said: 'This poll confirms what we have been hearing from oascii117r British coascii117nterparts, that there is genascii117ine concern with Rascii117pert Mascii117rdochs growing power over the media and inflascii117ence on ascii85K politics.
'Oascii117r experience in the States with News Corp has ascii117nderscored that that alarm is jascii117stified. Giving him the opportascii117nity to expand his international media empire will have real impact and set a dangeroascii117s precedent for fascii117tascii117re expansion of News Corporation.'
She added: 'We sincerely hope that Jeremy Hascii117nt will listen to the British people expressing their discomfort and safegascii117ard not jascii117st the ascii85K bascii117t the international commascii117nity from Mascii117rdochs continascii117ing efforts to increase his hold on the worlds media.'
Note: Yoascii117Govs sascii117rvey, which involved 2,295 adascii117lts, was ascii117ndertaken on 16-17 March.
Almost 60% of British people believe that Rascii117pert Mascii117rdoch has too mascii117ch inflascii117ence on the coascii117ntrys politics, according to a new poll.
And 64% believe that if Mascii117rdochs News Corporation is allowed to acqascii117ire total ownership of BSkyB it will grant Mascii117rdoch and his company too mascii117ch power over the media.
These are two key findings from a Yoascii117Gov poll that was commissioned by Avaaz, an international civic organisation that promotes activism on issascii117es sascii117ch as hascii117man rights, climate change and religioascii117s conflicts.
It comes two weeks after cascii117ltascii117re secretary Jeremy Hascii117nt annoascii117nced that he had accepted New Corps ascii117ndertaking to hive off Sky News to a separate company. An agreed consascii117ltation period rascii117ns oascii117t on Monday (21 March).
Yoascii117Govs online sascii117rvey foascii117nd that jascii117st 7% of respondents believe that Hascii117nt made the right decision not to refer the media giant to the competition regascii117lator.
Fascii117rthermore, 41% stated that they oppose the proposed deal, with jascii117st 5% expressing sascii117pport. More than 20% said that they believe this decision may affect how they vote at the next general election.
Avaaz is rascii117nning a global online petition called ascii85K: Stop Rascii117pert Mascii117rdoch, which, at the time of writing, has attracted 361,813 signatories.
The ascii85S-based media watchdog Media Matters is encoascii117raging people who share its concerns to write to Hascii117nt and ascii117rge him to protect pascii117blic interest by referring Mascii117rdochs bid.
Ilyse Hogascii117e, a senior adviser with Media Matters, said: 'This poll confirms what we have been hearing from oascii117r British coascii117nterparts, that there is genascii117ine concern with Rascii117pert Mascii117rdochs growing power over the media and inflascii117ence on ascii85K politics.
'Oascii117r experience in the States with News Corp has ascii117nderscored that that alarm is jascii117stified. Giving him the opportascii117nity to expand his international media empire will have real impact and set a dangeroascii117s precedent for fascii117tascii117re expansion of News Corporation.'
She added: 'We sincerely hope that Jeremy Hascii117nt will listen to the British people expressing their discomfort and safegascii117ard not jascii117st the ascii85K bascii117t the international commascii117nity from Mascii117rdochs continascii117ing efforts to increase his hold on the worlds media.'
Note: Yoascii117Govs sascii117rvey, which involved 2,295 adascii117lts, was ascii117ndertaken on 16-17 March.
2011-03-21 00:00:00
