FACT CHECK: No, Rupert Murdoch Has Not Been Banned From Having A Media Platform In New Zealand

Hannah HudnallJune 16, 2022

A post shared on Facebook claims media mogul Rupert Murdoch is banned from owning or operating any media platforms in New Zealand.

Verdict: False

There is no evidence that New Zealand has enacted a ban against Murdoch owning a media company in the country. Murdoch does not own any companies in New Zealand.

Fact Check:

The Facebook post, shared over 500 times, claims Murdoch “has been banned from having a media platform in New Zealand.” The mogul currently owns and controls a large media empire that includes cable networks such as Fox News and newspapers such as The Wall Street Journal, according to Forbes.

There is no evidence such a ban exists or that New Zealand is currently considering one against Murdoch. The alleged ban has not been announced in any press releases published by the New Zealand Government or by New Zealand Media and Entertainment, a media business that owns numerous national newspapers and radio shows.

No such announcement appears on the government’s press release archives or on the webpage of the Minister of Broadcasting and Digital Media. Likewise, there are no credible news reports suggesting the government has considered such a move against Murdoch. (RELATED: Did Jacinda Ardern Make This Statement About Rupert Murdoch?)

“No, Aotearoa New Zealand has not banned any media entities owned by Rupert Murdoch from operating in the country,” Emily Fabling, deputy chief executive for policy and performance of the Manatū Taonga Ministry for Culture & Heritage, told Check Your Fact in an email. “Aotearoa New Zealand does not regulate ownership of media organisations or ban individuals from operating a media business in the country.”

“Mr Murdoch is not the director of any company currently registered in New Zealand,” said a spokesperson for the New Zealand Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment in an email to Check Your Fact. “He is not recorded as a disqualified director under the Companies Act 1993.”

The Companies Act of 1993 allows the New Zealand government to ban individuals who have been convicted of crimes from owning, directing or managing companies in the country.