So Rupert Murdoch is criticising Yahoo for its policies in China. Speaking at the Clinton Global Initiative in New York during the UN summit, the Economist reports that Murdoch castigated Yahoo:
FIERCELY independent media mogul and defender of democracy everywhereâthat was the Rupert Murdoch on display at a Bill Clinton-organised conference in New York on September 16th. The News Corporation chairman castigated Yahoo! for leading Chinese authorities to the identity of a local dissident journalist, subsequently jailed for ten years. He excoriated Beijing’s policymakers as âparanoidâ? for reversing an opening of the mainland media market. And he admitted that his own business in China had âhit a brick wallâ?. In August, News Corporation’s Star TV had its innovative joint-venture with Qinghai Satellite, a regional broadcaster, cancelled; and since July, it has been investigated for illegally selling decoders to forbidden News Corp channels.
What is curious is that despite trying to cosy up to a succession of Chinese Presidents, Murdoch still remains on the periphery of the media landscape, perhaps is because he is not towing the line as Yahoo and Microsoft have been.
Maybe Murdoch is giving up on the idea of ever getting what he wants in China. I think the guys over at Danwei got it right ” If Yahoo! and others packed their bags and left this country, freedom of expression would take a step backwards”.
Link: http://www.danwei.org/archives/002225.html