Summary — The Rise of Rupert Murdoch: Making of a Mogul (Part 1)

Author/Host: Goalhanger (The Rest is Politics)
Guests: Alistair Campbell (host) and Michael Wolff (author/journalist)

Overview

This episode is the first part of a mini‑series on Rupert Murdoch. Alistair interviews Michael Wolff, who has known Murdoch for years and written books about him. They outline Murdoch’s rise from Australian newspaper owner to global media magnate, his long‑running political and cultural influence (including the creation of Fox News), and the family succession drama. The excerpt also teases later episodes that will cover scandals such as phone hacking.

Key points & main takeaways

• Rupert Murdoch is presented as one of the most consequential figures in modern media, politics and culture — notable for both the longevity and breadth of his influence.
• Murdoch transformed the media business by consolidating newspapers, TV, film and publishing under one corporate roof — changing the industry’s structure permanently.
• He played a pivotal role in shaping conservative and populist media narratives; his outlets (notably Fox News) substantially affected political outcomes and discourse (claim made that Trump’s presidency would likely have been different without Murdoch/Fox).
• Murdoch’s career spans several countries: becoming powerful in Australia at a young age, then in the UK, and for fifty years influential in the U.S.
• Michael Wolff has had unusually deep access to Murdoch — especially after Murdoch bought The Wall Street Journal (c. 2007) — and used that access to research books about him.
• Alistair notes personal experience working for Murdoch papers (The Sun in the 1980s, Today in the 1990s), giving him a direct window into Murdoch’s influence on British politics (e.g., during Tony Blair’s era).
• The podcast connects real‑life Murdoch dynamics to popular culture portrayals (HBO’s Succession), while noting Succession is not a literal biography.

Notable quotes / insights

• “He is a very, very consequential business figure. He’s a deeply consequential political figure. He’s a deeply consequential cultural figure.” — Alistair
• “You can make the case that he probably wouldn’t have Donald Trump as president without Rupert Murdoch and the way that Fox News went.” — Alistair
• “He holds power longer than anyone else in our time.” — Michael Wolff
• “It is Murdoch, singularly Murdoch, who brings it all together.” (about media consolidation)

Topics discussed

• Murdoch’s early life and rise (Australia → UK → US)
• Concentration of media ownership and industry transformation
• Political influence and the conservative/populist shift
• Fox News and its role in shaping American politics
• Murdoch’s acquisition of The Wall Street Journal
• Personal anecdotes and journalistic access (Wolff’s year of interviews; Alistair’s time at Murdoch papers)
• Family succession and parallels with Succession (HBO)
• Teaser of later coverage: phone hacking scandal and other controversies

Action items / recommendations

• Listen to the full mini‑series (sign up for The Rest is Politics Plus) for deeper coverage, including scandals and the family succession arc.
• Read Michael Wolff’s books on Murdoch for more detailed, first‑hand reporting and anecdotes.
• For readers interested in media power and democracy: research media consolidation, the role of opinion outlets in politics, and the phone hacking scandal (to be covered in later episodes).
• If using this as a primer, follow the subsequent episodes for the detailed timeline (acquisitions, key political interventions, and internal family dynamics).

Concise snapshot: Part 1 frames Rupert Murdoch as a uniquely durable and influential media baron who reshaped the industry and political landscape. The episode mixes high‑level assessment with personal insider access and sets up later episodes on scandals and the Murdoch family succession.