The Murdoch Method: Observations on Rupert Murdoch's Management of a Media Empire

by Irwin Stelzer

Overview

Following Murdoch’s journey from a small-town newspaperman to a globe-dominating media mogul, a clear-eyed examination of Rupert Murdoch’s business philosophies and management techniques, from a key advisor of thirty-five years.

After having worked closely with the legendary media titan for thirty-five years, Irwin Stelzer is uniquely positioned to evaluate Murdoch’s media empire through periods of rapid expansion and acquisitions, times of financial and regulatory stress, and political battles in Britain and America. Stelzer helped plan important company conclaves and assisted with Murdoch’s speeches, at least one of which was responsible for having News Corp barred by the Chinese regime from doing business in that country.

Here are the philosophies on how Rupert approaches and values deals, whether stalking the Wall Street Journal for decades before pouncing, or “over-paying” for everything from Fox Studios to NFL rights; how he copes with regulatory constraints; how he wins some and loses some, must notably MySpace. The Murdoch Method is the sum total of the management techniques that grew out of Rupert’s attitudes and conceptions, taking him from a struggling newspaper in an out-of-the-way town in Australia to running a globe-dominating media enterprise.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781681777924
Publisher:	Pegasus Books
Publication date:	05/01/2018
Pages:	368
Sales rank:	555,550
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 1.30(d)

About the Author

Irwin Stelzer, an award-winning columnist for The Sunday Times (London), is a regular commentator on business affairs for the BBC. He has held key positions at two of Washington’s leading think tanks, the Hudson Institute and the American Enterprise Institute, as well as at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. He serves on the advisory board of The Weekly Standard, where he writes a weekly column. He and his wife, author Cita Stelzer, live in Aspen, Colorado.

Table of Contents

Timeline x

Introduction:

Rupert Murdoch: The Man, His Method and Me 1

1 The Corporate Culture 17

2 Power, Politics and the Murdoch Method 42

3 Deals 74

4 Economic Regulation 112

5 Crisis Management 134

6 Responsibility 161

7 Protecting His Assets 199

8 The Succession and the Pivot 217

Epilogue 237

Acknowledgements 245

Select Bibliography 248

Notes 250

Index 278

Editorial Reviews

"Want to be a newspaper proprietor? A movie mogul? An icon? Irwin Stelzer’s inside knowledge shows us how it’s done."

Maurice Saatchi

"Stelzer, who worked closely with Rupert Murdoch for 35 years, delivers unique insights into the media mogul’s management techniques."

Booklist

"Great insights into the complex Murdoch man and equally great lessons for risk-taking and management."

Barry Diller

"The author's close relationship with Rupert Murdoch gave him his biggest advantage as a biographer—special insights into the man and his motives—but also his biggest problem: the temptation to be too lenient when criticism was objectively justified. Irwin Stelzer has traversed this minefield with a sense of humor, great writing skill, and a sincere effort to achieve scholarly detachment."

David Green

"A fascinating recounting of the myriad complex transactions and organizational approach Rupert utilized in building a great entrepreneurial media empire. Relentless energy!"

John Malone

"A fascinating peek behind the corporate curtain. An engrossing insider’s account—a great read about the greatest media empire of the late-20th and early-21st century."

The Weekly Standard

"Murdoch might be regarded as the devil incarnate to some, but to anyone with an open mind he is one of the most compelling and fascinating figures of our time. Which is why Irwin Stelzer’s book about the man he has advised for over three decades, The Murdoch Method, is so fascinating. Stelzer’s asides bring insight."

The Jewish Chronicle

"Anyone who reads Irwin Stelzer’s newspaper columns, or who has listened to him speaking, will not be surprised that this account of The Murdoch Method is both instructive and entertaining. Murdoch is a phenomenon who has been a unique entrepreneur, perhaps more interested in power and the fascination of his profession than in merely making money. It takes the independence and acuity of a friend—and at the same time an arm’s-length adviser of someone of Irwin Stelzer’s standing—to convey brilliantly an analysis of the risks that Murdoch has taken on the road to success."

Lord Salisbury

Stelzer, who worked closely with Rupert Murdoch for 35 years, delivers unique insights into the media mogul’s management techniques.

Booklist

Stelzerhas made a valuable contribution to demythologizing the neoconservative movement, clarifying the American traditions from which it arises, and illustrating the broad spectrum of views it embraces.

Henry Kissinger [Praise for Irwin Stelzer's 'The Neocon Reader']

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