The Murdoch media empire, led by News Corporation, has long adhered to two guiding principles in its Middle East coverage: unwavering support for Israel and a refusal to admit error. This editorial stance not only dictates foreign news but also shapes local reporting, often targeting individuals who challenge the narrative. One such target is Sarah Schwartz, a young Jewish lawyer who co-founded the Jewish Council of Australia to protest Israel's actions in Gaza. Her experience illustrates how News Corp manufactures controversy to discredit critics, with little regard for personal harm.
Sarah Schwartz: A Case Study in Media Attacks
In January 2025, Schwartz spoke at a satirical pre-event for an antiracism conference, presenting a cartoon titled "Dutton's Jew" to criticize opposition leader Peter Dutton's stereotyping of Jews. The Australian and The Courier Mail seized on the term, publishing stories that omitted her clarification that the comment targeted Dutton's views, not Jewish people. Despite a subsequent investigation by former Federal Court judge John Middleton finding no racism in her remarks, the damage was done. Schwartz endured online abuse from pro-Israel activists, including over 600 Instagram posts by Zara Cooper, featuring images of a rat and Schwartz's face on a train. Schwartz reported the abuse to police, prompting The Australian to accuse her of suppressing free speech—a stark reversal from its earlier narrative that she was antisemitic.
Media Hypocrisy and Personal Toll
Schwartz told us the coverage painted her as a "Judenrat," collaborating with Nazis, and made it "untenable for the intervention order to proceed." She said, "It's like the bullies won." An opinion piece by Indigenous scholar Marcia Langton further labeled Schwartz antisemitic, despite her requests for corrections being ignored. Schwartz's lawyer argued the piece "contributed to a malicious pile-on," but The Australian defended it as opinion. Schwartz reflected, "I think I represent a really serious threat to News' narrative that criticism of Israel is antisemitic." She accused the Murdoch press of working "hand in hand with Zionist lobby groups" to silence her advocacy.
Broader Coverage: Gaza and Beyond
News Corp's bias extends to its coverage of the Gaza conflict. On the first anniversary of the war, The Weekend Australian devoted 13 pages to the topic but ignored 100,000 injured Palestinians and two million refugees, instead blaming the Australian government for abandoning Israel. Paul Barry of ABC's Media Watch called it "a journalistic disgrace." Similarly, Fox News promoted Donald Trump's 2025 proposal to "take over" Gaza, with host Ainsley Earhardt asking, "Why wouldn't they say thanks for doing this?" Sky News Australia's Sharri Markson conducted a fawning interview with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, avoiding probing questions and letting him attack Australian PM Anthony Albanese. Veteran journalist Ray Martin condemned it as "failed journalism 101."
Impact on Public Discourse
News Corp's coverage of the Bondi Beach massacre in December 2025, where two terrorists killed 15 people during a Hanukkah celebration, displayed a "determined avoidance" of perspectives beyond its own on antisemitism. This pattern, as James Murdoch described, can "metastasize into something nasty and scary and manipulative." The company's consistent hostility toward Muslims and Islam, coupled with its defense of Israel, perpetuates a one-sided narrative that undermines balanced journalism.
