Emma Cullen
BBC Radio 4’s Rule Britannia
If Rupert Murdoch has taught us anything in the past 40 years, it’s that revenge can be a dish best served cold.
A few months ago, the ailing Australian mogul became furious with the New York Times, after the editorial board criticised his efforts to close the Journal’s rivals.
He tweeted: “The @nytimes really let me down.” And then he described the newspaper as a “dead man walking”.
Of course, it was a joke.
But this cheeky quote shows he clearly still thinks his sense of humour matters.
After all, it was Fox News that once famously defined the ‘bully pulpit’ with its tweet calling Hillary Clinton’s health as a “political advantage”.
The next time we’ve the chance to use the word ‘bully’ to describe someone, the Murdochs will probably be giggling in the background.
We’re pretty sure they’ve known this for a long time, and it’s clear that no matter what happens, they’re not going anywhere any time soon.
It’s probably a good thing too – so the New York Times doesn’t think they deserve a dignified farewell.