Rupert Murdoch calls out the 'awful woke orthodoxy' of the age of social media censorship

Longtime head of News Corp. and the Fox Corporation Rupert Murdoch says media organizations are facing widespread "censorship" that in turn is preventing "individuals and societies from realizing their potential."

Murdoch's frank sentiments came during a pre-taped acceptance speech he gave in response to a lifetime achievement award from the Australia Day Foundation. Murdoch, whose media empire reaches tens of millions Australians each day, spoke in the video about the "rigidly enforced conformity, aided and abetted by so-called social media." 

"For those of us in media, there's a real challenge to confront: a wave of censorship that seeks to silence conversation, to stifle debate, to ultimately stop individuals and societies from realizing their potential. This rigidly enforced conformity, aided and abetted by so-called social media, is a straitjacket on sensibility. Too many people have fought too hard in too many places for freedom of speech to be suppressed by this awful woke orthodoxy."

The Murdoch-owned Fox News, which came prominence in the 90s as an alternative to more liberal, mainstream media, has recently been criticized by viewers who say it has strayed from the conservative, free-speech oriented base that have long been loyal viewers.

Murdoch, who is an Australian citizen by birth and a U.S. citizen, has been riding out the coronavirus pandemic at his house in England. The Australia Day Awards are given to Australian-born leaders in various industries who live in the United Kingdom and have "made a significant contribution to Australian-UK relations."