News Corp will begin advocating for immediate action on the Y2K bug in its newspapers and television services, in a change of editorial policy ordered by Rupert Murdoch.
Mr Murdoch said the time to act on the Y2K bug was now, adding that he wanted to lead the way on the issue by being just two decades behind the rest of society, rather than thirty years or more, as is customary. “We will be calling for a net zero position on the Y2K bug by 2050 at the latest,” he said.
News said they were merely responding to the views of their readers, most of whom were unaware that the change to the new millennium had already occurred.
“Y2K is starting to become a real concern for some of our readers,” a spokesperson said, refuting claims News Corp had downplayed threats of the bug in the past. “News Corp has never denied Y2K or the gravity of its threat. However, we – as is the traditional role of a publisher – report a variety of views and opinions on any issue. Some of them hug closer to what you might call fiction but that is also the job of a writer,” the spokesperson said.
A plan has been devised to limit – but not muzzle – dissenting voices among News Corp’s conservative commentators, who will be expected to reframe their Y2K arguments, although the campaign will not appear in the national masthead, The Australian.
The Y2K about face has come off the back of other major editorial changes from News Corp, including taking a more forward-thinking approach to reporting impending disasters. Last week they reported on an incoming meteor which may be harmful to dinosaur populations.
Matt Harvey
