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Rupert Murdoch loses courtroom attempt to change the family trust

A MARTÍNEZ, HOST:

Some bad legal news for Rupert Murdoch and his son Lachlan as they try to revise the family trust in Lachlan's favor. A court official in Reno, Nevada, has dealt a blow to their effort to consolidate Lachlan's control over the family's vast holdings, which includes Fox News and The Wall Street Journal. Here's NPR's David Folkenflik.

DAVID FOLKENFLIK, BYLINE: The probate commissioner says Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch operated in bad faith, not in the interests of other family members. The news was broken by The New York Times and confirmed to NPR by representatives of parties to the litigation. The actual decision remains sealed, and NPR has not yet reviewed it. Rupert Murdoch promised for a generation to bestow equal control of the empire to his four eldest children, a concession he made as part of his second divorce. He sought to change course to retain its far-right character, especially at Fox News, the single most important economic engine to the media empire's fortunes.

Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch agreed to allow Fox stars to embrace then-President Donald Trump's lies about election fraud in the 2020 race that helped lead to a nearly $800 million settlement of a defamation suit against Fox. James Murdoch has argued Fox should adopt a more moderate course. His sisters Prudence and Elisabeth have been tentative about his strategy but unified with him against losing their say in the trust. The commissioner's decision is subject to a review by a state judge and to potential appeals. NPR has asked the Nevada Supreme Court to unseal all the proceedings.

David Folkenflik, NPR News.

(SOUNDBITE OF ZMEYEV, ODYSSEE'S "EVENTIDE") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.

David Folkenflik was described by Geraldo Rivera of Fox News as "a really weak-kneed, backstabbing, sweaty-palmed reporter." Others have been kinder. The Columbia Journalism Review, for example, once gave him a "laurel" for reporting that immediately led the U.S. military to institute safety measures for journalists in Baghdad.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT is an initiative from Connecticut Public, the state’s local NPR and PBS station, to elevate Latino stories and expand programming that uplifts and informs our Latino communities. Visit CTPublic.org/latino for more stories and resources. For updates, sign up for the SOMOS CONNECTICUT newsletter at ctpublic.org/newsletters.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.