Andrew Dodd and Matthew Ricketson will be in conversation with Mark Kenny on their new book Getting Murdoched. How Murdoch’s Media Wields Power and Punishment.

For decades, Rupert Murdoch’s global media empire has shaped political landscapes, influenced elections, and fuelled public opinion. But behind the headlines lies a darker story — of targeted campaigns, smear tactics, and relentless attacks on those who don’t fit the Murdoch mould. From LGBTQI communities and women’s rights advocates to progressive politicians, human rights defenders, and even conservatives deemed ‘not right enough’, Getting Murdoched: How Murdoch’s Media Wields Power and Punishment exposes how dissent is silenced and reputations destroyed. Drawing on insider accounts, investigative research, and case studies spanning Australia, the UK, and the US, this book reveals how News Corp turns disagreement into a declaration of war.

Powerful, unsettling, and meticulously documented, Getting Murdoched is both a warning and a call to defend truth in an age of weaponised media. Including interviews and international examples, Getting Murdoched also analyses the damaging effect that this has on democracy in the US, the UK and Australia.

Andrew Dodd is a professor of journalism at the University of Melbourne, where he was the director of the Centre for Advancing Journalism between 2017 and mid-2026. He was a broadcaster and reporter at ABC TV and Radio National, where he presented many of the network's programs and founded the Media Report. He is also a former media and business writer at The Australian

Matthew Ricketson has been Professor of Communication in the School of Communication and Creative Arts at Deakin University since 2017. He has worked on staff at The Age, The Australian and Time Australia magazine. He has written or edited seven books, including with Patrick Mullins, Who Needs the ABC? Why Taking it for Granted Is No Longer an Option.

Professor Mark Kenny is Director of the Australian Studies Institute at ANU, where he hosts the popular podcast series 'Democracy Sausage'. Mark is the Canberra Times political analyst and a regular on the ABC's Insiders and numerous broadcast programs across the country.

The vote of thanks will be given by Andra Putnis, Artistic Director of the Canberra Writers Festival.

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