In Iowa, Clinton Is Pressed on Murdoch

[babylonsister]

In Iowa, Clinton Is Pressed on Murdoch

By Patrick Healy


FORT DODGE, Iowa – The curious relationship between Hillary Rodham Clinton, presidential candidate, and Rupert Murdoch, media baron, flashed briefly before the eyes of Iowans on Saturday night during a Clinton campaign event.

A woman in the audience rose to ask Mrs. Clinton about Mr. Murdoch’s ownership of multiple media outlets (Fox News, the New York Post, soon the Wall Street Journal, and various other organs), and also whether Americans would “lose out democracy” if one person is in control of the media.

And Mrs. Clinton played both sides in her answer, responding sympathetically to the woman’s concern about media consolidation, but also making clear that she wasn’t singling out “any company in particular” for condemnation.

Mrs. Clinton, as a senator from New York, has built a relationship with Mr. Murdoch over the years – not only due to his role as an employer in her home state, but also because, as the hands-on owner of the Post, he can make life easier or harder for her (and for her husband, who has been a target of the tabloid’s gossip pages at times.) And Mr. Murdoch has reciprocated, throwing a fundraiser on Senator Clinton’s re-election campaign in 2006 and participating in Mr. Clinton’s annual philanthropic conference.

As the woman asked the question Saturday night and criticized Mr. Murdoch by name, Mrs. Clinton nodded slowly – though, it should be noted, that is her standard habit when an ally or supporter is addressing her.

more...

http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/11/25/in-iowa-clinton-is-pressed-on-murdoch/