Rupert Murdoch's Australian Media Hits Peak Hitler

Australian prime minister Kevin Rudd spoke to students at a college in Sydney. The walls of the room featured posters of Hitler, Mussolini, Einsenhower and Rommel, appropriate to the historical studies of world history underway at the time.

This Andrew Meares photo as shown on the Sydney Morning Herald election blog shows the classroom with various posters of world leaders, dictators, military chiefs : 



For most of the Australian media, Kevin Rudd being seen near such posters caused little fuss.

But it gave Hitler-obsessives Col Allan and Rupert Murdoch the chance to live out their dream.

After warming up by dressing Kevin Rudd in a Nazi uniform only four days into the federal election campaign, the Australian Murdoch media now had the chance to go Full Hitler on Kevin Rudd.

They hit Peak Full Hitler sometime around 11pm last night.

This is the story appearing all over Rupert Murdoch's Australian online media and rapidly crumbling newspaper empire today:





The Herald Sun liked the 'story' so much,  they ran it 3 TIMES on their online front page.

 That's Hitler Rudd 3 times, in case you didn't get the message:



 
There is some truth in the headline, with a more appropriate photo of someone Kevin Rudd has actually met in person, not just stood near a poster of.

While Kevin Rudd was getting the HitlerHitlerHitler treatment from the Daily Telegraph, here's the key photo they used today for opposition leader Tony "Action Man" Abbott. I shit you not:

Fairfax political reporter Jonathan Swan on the Daily Telegrah:

THEY DIDN'T EVEN SAY THANK YOU

MURDOCH MEDIA PHOTOSHOPS PRIME MINISTER KEVIN RUDD INTO NAZI UNIFORM 

News Corp Australia CEO Kim Williams Quits After Daily Telegraph 'Nazi PM' Front Page - Federal Election Day 5

Less than two years after taking over Rupert Murdoch''s Australian News Corp operations, CEO Kim Williams is stepping down. Remarkably, not of Murdoch's 130 plus Australian newspapers scored this scoop.

We'll return to this dramatic news, and look back at Williams gormless attempts to demonise Australian bloggers and independent media, but here's Kim Williams e-mail to staff (somehow, Murdoch papers even got scooped on this):

Dear Colleagues

I attach the media statement about my departure from News Corp which will be effective from this weekend.

An action like this is always taken with a heavy heart and a mixed bag of feelings and reflections on a wide range of experiences with News Corp across almost 20 years. It is certainly not a decision made lightly, or without an awareness of the impact decisions like this inevitably have on many close colleagues, clients and diverse bodies within the media community.

I started with News Corp back in 1995 and have worked with the company ever since in three roles – as CEO at FOX Studios Australia, CEO of FOXTEL and as CEO at News Corp Australia. Each role has offered a diversity of challenges and wonderful opportunities. I have enjoyed the responsibility and have been honoured to work with many extraordinarily talented people.

Whilst the leadership roles and the issues encountered have at times been frankly really confronting, it has been a source of perpetual renewal and reinforcement to have worked with so many terrific colleagues both here and internationally.  It is the people that one remembers the most.   I will be forever grateful to those who have been so helpful and constructively supportive in the many matters we have mutually confronted. There have been many good wins matched with some memorable awful problems and opponents!  It has all been the stuff of a rich and varied professional life that I would never have had without the benefit of the trust reposed in me by many great colleagues at News Corp.

I wish Rupert Murdoch, Robert Thomson, their new management team in the new News Corp and all my international colleagues nothing but the best continued success with the product and commercial rewards that their efforts so richly deserve. I am genuinely in awe at the range and depth of talent in the company here and in the international arena and have great confidence in the future and all that it holds for the new enterprise.

Finally, I thank all my Australian colleagues for their support, understanding and commitment to the company, its products and customers over a long time. There are far too many people to single any one out – you all know who you are and what we have shared together!

With my warmest and best wishes to you all in continuing to meet the challenges of change to achieve a great future individually and corporately.

Kim Williams

More Here

HitlerHitlerHitlerHitlerHitlerHitler

By Darryl Mason

Apparently if Rupert Murdoch's Australian newspapers don't run at least one story a week mentioning "Hitler" and/or "Nazis" the entire media organisation will wither and die.

What other explanation can there be for such a relentless obsession?

The latest :



First, the smear. Then the beat-up :



Wilkie dealt with the allegations at a press conference earlier today :

"Let me start by saying I can't remember anything about that specific allegation, but I have never made any secret of the fact that I was one of the many cadets involved in the bastardisation scandal at the Royal Military college Duntroon in 1983.

"In fact I was disciplined for misconduct at the time.

"I am obviously regretful of my behaviour of almost 30 years ago when I was a cadet at Duntroon in my early 20s.

"I think that sort of behaviour at the time was wrong and I regret I was in any way involved in that sort of behaviour.

"I've obviously grown up a lot in the last 30 years and what at the time seemed appropriate, I have learned is clearly inappropriate and nor is it necessary in a place like Duntroon or in the Defence Force Academy.

"If there is anyone in this country who feels aggrieved in any way by anything I've ever said or done to them then I apologise unreservedly."

Wilkie is, rightly, suspicious of why this near 30 year old incident, if it happened at all, is suddenly headline news, in the midst of his campaign for badly needed reforms of the multi-billion dollar Australian poker machines industry :

"There is clearly a campaign that is being waged against me on account of the fact I am the only thing standing between the poker machine industry and the $5 billion that is lost by problem gamblers in this country on poker machines each year.

"I will not be intimidated by that campaign against me, I will not be cowed in any way."

Nor should he. The Hitler card has been played. What's next?