Murdoch (ATOM Study Guide)

The two-part series tells the inside story of one of the most powerful and controversial media moguls. Friends, rivals, colleagues past and present – and former prime ministers – reveal how Rupert Murdoch built his global empire, starting with a single newspaper in Australia in the 1950s. The series explores his expansion and deal-making, the billions he made and lost and the reputations he built and destroyed in his never-ending quest to become the undisputed king of newspapers, Hollywood films and global television. A light is also cast on Murdoch the private man – relationships, marriages, king-making, strengths and human flaws – and most recently his struggle to redeem himself and his company after the phone-hacking scandal in the United Kingdom that tore through the heart of his empire.

The series is chronologically based. In part one we see young Rupert at school and the early influence of his family on the formation of his values and lifestyle. It charts his entry into running newspapers, his ambitions, his giving up of his Australian citizenship, his ups and downs within the industry and concludes with a likelihood of financial ruin.

Curriculum Links:

Relevant curriculum areas include SOSE/HSIE, English, Media Studies, Civics and Citizenship, Politics and Sociology.