Murdoch is a threat to us

We have five days left to challenge Rupert Murdoch's bid to dominate our media.

The government's public consultation on its approval of Rupert Murdoch's takeover of BSkyB ends this Monday. Our media and democracy are on the line -- and this is our chance to show that the British people reject this deal.

Our messages in recent weeks have already pushed Jeremy Hunt, the minister responsible, to squeeze some limited concessions from Murdoch. It's time to make Hunt go much further, and send this bid to the Competition Commission for full scrutiny rather than wave it through. Click to send a message directly to Hunt's official consultation, and then forward this email to everyone: 

http://www.avaaz.org/en/murdoch_send_messages/97.php?cl_tta_sign=1bbd480a076f0de3371e7a7dc1625dcb 

Thanks to hundreds of generous donations from across the UK, Avaaz has launched an all-out campaign to stop the Murdoch deal -- running an opinion poll to be released to national press, buying adverts urging key decision-makers to stand up to Murdoch's corrupting power, and initiating a legal challenge. But to succeed, we must match these tactics with our voices in the official democratic process. We must show that this is something people take personally, in every corner of the country -- and that ignoring us would carry a political price. 

Many say the deal is done, but if we bombard the political elite, the public and the official process with one clear message -- the people of Britain reject this deal -- we can still win. 

To bypass critics, Murdoch promised to spin off Sky News as an "independent" company. But media experts point out that this is a farce: News Corp will still pay Sky News's bills, provide its satellite access, and be able to place loyalists on the board. This fake and only temporary independence is exactly the sort of "safeguard" that Murdoch has created to whitewash previous takeovers -- and subsequently brushed aside like a cobweb. 

Let's tell Jeremy Hunt that Murdoch has too much power already -- we don't want him wholly owning Britain's largest commercial broadcaster any more than we want him owning our politicians! 

http://www.avaaz.org/en/murdoch_send_messages/97.php?cl_tta_sign=1bbd480a076f0de3371e7a7dc1625dcb 

Responsible media is a vital pillar in any democracy, informing voters and holding the government to account. Murdoch's media is the opposite: it spreads hatred, war, and division, and turns politicians into puppets. This week is a major battle for our media freedom. Let's stand up for our democracy. 

With hope, 

Alex, Sam, Alice, Brianna, Pascal, Graziela and the whole Avaaz team 

Sources: 

Jeremy Hunt 'wrong not to refer NewsCorp bid for BSkyB':
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/mediatechnologyandtelecoms/media/8358824/News-Corp-clears-way-for-BSkyB-bid-with-plan-to-spin-off-Sky-News.html 

Jeremy Hunt a Rupert Murdoch fan:
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/2011/03/04/jeremy-hunt-a-rupert-murdoch-fan-115875-22964525/ 

News Corp-Sky deal: opponents urge MPs to lobby Jeremy Hunt:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/mar/14/news-corp-sky-jeremy-hunt 

Letting Rupert Murdoch buy BSkyB creates a media superpower with worrying influence:
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/features/2011/03/04/letting-rupert-murdoch-buy-bskyb-creates-a-media-superpower-with-worrying-influence-115875-22964550/ 

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