A coalition of media organizations, including CNN, has filed a petition in a Nevada court to open up the secret proceedings surrounding a legal battle over the future of billionaire Rupert Murdoch’s media empire. The New York Times, Associated Press, National Public Radio, The Washington Post, Reuters, and CNN are objecting to the extensive sealing of the case, which does not even appear on any court schedule or docket. The Murdoch family, known for their ownership of influential media outlets such as Fox News and The Wall Street Journal, is engaged in a secret court battle over succession and control of the family business.
According to a report in The New York Times, Rupert Murdoch, the 93-year-old patriarch, filed a petition to amend the family trust to give exclusive control to his eldest son and chosen successor, Lachlan, instead of equal voting shares to his four eldest children. Lachlan, who shares his father’s conservative views, took over as chairman of Fox Corporation and News Corporation last September. Murdoch believed that handing control of the media businesses to Lachlan would better protect their value following his death by maintaining their right-wing editorial stance. The entire process has been completely sealed in Nevada, with even the existence of the proceedings being kept secret.
The media organizations filing the petition argued that Nevada’s courts are accountable to the public, and the public has the right to know whether the trust at issue is being administered in accordance with the law. They believe that an entire matter cannot be sealed to the extent that its existence is not a public record, even with agreement from all parties involved. The coalition contends that any concerns over privacy could be addressed through redactions rather than complete sealing of the proceedings. The trust in question only allows changes made in good faith for the benefit of all heirs, and a trial to determine if Murdoch is acting in good faith is expected to begin in September.
The coalition of media organizations, supported by the argument that the public has a right to know about the administration of the family trust in question, believes that completely sealing the proceedings does not meet constitutional requirements for access. They assert that the court must apply the presumption of access and make specific findings to justify any sealing of the case. The media outlets argue that concerns over privacy can be addressed through redactions, allowing for transparency in the legal battle over the future of the Murdoch family media empire. The trust’s provisions only allow changes made in good faith for the benefit of all heirs, and the upcoming trial will determine if Murdoch’s actions meet this standard.
The legal battle over the future of Rupert Murdoch’s media empire has drawn attention from various media organizations seeking to open up the proceedings to public scrutiny. The case, which involves a secret court battle over succession and control within the Murdoch family, has raised concerns about the extensive sealing of the proceedings in Nevada. With the trust in question allowing changes made in good faith for the benefit of all heirs, media outlets are advocating for transparency in the process and arguing that concerns over privacy can be addressed with redactions rather than complete sealing of the proceedings. The upcoming trial will determine whether Murdoch’s actions in amending the family trust meet the standard of acting in good faith for the benefit of all heirs.
