Rupert Murdoch doesn’t back losers. The News Corp papers have a legacy of supporting election victors, such as Scott Morrison, to dropping failures, like Donald Trump.
But it appears in Australia, Murdoch is getting stressed his papers have been backing the wrong horse. In desperation, News Corp has deviated from its run-of-the-mill positive spin for the Coalition to embrace “exclusive” puff piece advertorials, with Coalition candidates in contested seats given full front-page spreads across Murdoch papers.
This morning, Liberal candidate Katherine Deves scored a front-page spot — as well as a double-page spread — in the Daily Telegraph with the headline “They are all with me”. Deves claims the “majority of Aussies back [her] stance” on barring transgender women from competing in sports — again, these are the “silent” majority. Deves is running against independent Zali Steggall in Warringah.
Treasurer Josh Frydenberg got the royal treatment in the Sunday edition of the Herald Sun in a full three-page advertisement — sorry, interview — explaining why punters should vote for him. The interview was published the same day his campaign was launched in his seat of Kooyong. The subtle headline reads “Why you need to vote for me”.
The article, peppered with Hallmark-esque photos of Frydenberg buttering toast and playing sport with his two kids, is labelled “full and frank”. Simon Holmes à Court, climate campaigner and backer of Frydenberg’s opponent, independent candidate Monique Ryan, is labelled “strange” by Frydenberg no fewer than four times, while infographics on the page compare how much parties have spent and the latest pledges. A poll asked readers who they thought would manage cost-of-living pressures better, with 84% voting Liberal.
A softball interview is also the perfect way to get in Frydenberg’s good books should Morrison lose the election. Frydenberg is likely the next in line to lead the Liberal Party — aside from overseeing JobKeeper rorts, he’s generally controversy-free and popular. A three-page spread practically guarantees access to the potential leader.
It’s worth noting this coverage shouldn’t be cheap: in 2020, a full-page advertisement in The Australian or the Sydney Morning Herald costs about $51,000. Last financial year, the Morrison government spent a whopping $145.3 million on advertising campaigns.
Labor is ahead in the polls following its Perth campaign launch, though you wouldn’t know it by looking at The Australian, which has slammed the launch as being light on policies. Both leaders’ approval ratings have increased.
With 19 days until the election, the Murdoch empire is getting desperate, though it’s still holding on to hope the Coalition’s campaign will be successful against the rise of independents.
