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James Murdoch Denounces ‘Media Property Owners’ for ‘Spreading Disinformation’ Leading to Capitol Riot

James Murdoch, the son of Fox News owner Rupert Murdoch, has spoken out against “media property owners” that spread disinformation leading up to the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol.

In an interview with the Financial Times on Friday, Murdoch said that the attack on the Capitol is a consequence of the election disinformation championed by President Donald Trump and circulated by media outlets.

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“The damage is profound,” Murdoch told the Financial Times. “The sacking of the Capitol is proof positive that what we thought was dangerous is indeed very, very much so. Those outlets that propagate lies to their audience have unleashed insidious and uncontrollable forces that will be with us for years.”

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Following the interview, Murdoch and his wife, Kathryn Murdoch, released a joint statement on social media, further clarifying their stance.

“Spreading disinformation — whether about the election, public health, or climate change — has real world consequences,” the statement reads. “Many media property owners have as much responsibility for this as the elected officials who know the truth but choose instead to propagate lies.”

Though Murdoch did not mention his father or name any specific networks, Fox News has played a significant part in pushing the narrative that the presidential election was stolen from Trump, in addition to other right wing news channels.

Fox News did not immediately respond to Variety‘s request for comment.

Murdoch’s comments are his strongest criticism of the industry since leaving the family business. Murdoch was the CEO of 21st Century Fox from 2015 to 2019, and fully resigned from News Corp in Augusts due to “disagreements over certain editorial content.”

Since the Fox-Disney sale in 2019, Murdoch has been an investor through his Lupa Systems banner. On Thursday, Lupa Systems announced a new venture in India with Uday Shankar, and he is a part owner of Tribeca Enterprises, among other media investments. Lupa Systems has also acquired a 49% stake in MCH Group, which runs the worldwide Art Basel fairs.

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