James and Kathryn Murdoch gave a statement to the Daily Beast Tuesday that took direct aim at the way the family business is handling climate change.
“Kathryn and James’ views on climate are well established and their frustration with some of the News Corp and Fox coverage of the topic is also well known. They are particularly disappointed with the ongoing denial among the news outlets in Australia given obvious evidence to the contrary,” a spokesperson told the outlet of Rupert Murdoch’s younger son and his wife. Rupert Murdoch is founder and executive chairman of News Corp while older son Lachlan heads up Fox News.
Representatives for News Corp and News Corp Australia did not immediately return requests for comment.
Rupert was born in Australia, where wildfires are ravaging acres of land. Celebrities and activists have been speaking out and donating to relief efforts and the widespread nature of the devastating fires has caused debate over how much climate change has to do with the whole thing. Kathryn Murdoch, co-founder and president of Quadrivium — which “supports practical, evidence-based solutions for critical societal problems,” per its website — has been among the activists drawing direct lines between climate change and the wildfires.
James, often considered a more liberal-leaning Murdoch family member, donated to South Bend mayor Pete Buttigieg in spring 2019, one day after he announced his bid for the Democratic presidential nomination, according to FCC documents.