Liberal Democrat leader Paddy Ashdown has asked the government to investigate whether there is a case for referring The Times‘ ownership by News International to the Monopolies and Mergers Commission (MMC).
Ashdown has asked industry secretary Margaret Beckett to consider whether News International has broken the agreement it made when it bought The Times in 1981 to refrain from influencing editorial content of the paper. The request comes in the light of accusations that The Times altered its coverage of events in Asia, notably China, so as not harm Rupert Murdoch’s business interests.
Murdoch has been making moves to expand his empire in China for some time and it is alleged that Times coverage of events there has been deliberately uncritical. The Times‘ editor Peter Stothard denies that this is the case.
When News International bought The Times its contract stated that the paper must retain editorial independence. If Margaret Beckett deems that this has been breached, an investigation by the MMC could ensue.
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