James Murdoch, Intent on 'Thoughtful Journalism,' Buys Half of Vox Media

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: New York Times

May 20, 2026Updated 10:13 a.m. ET


James Murdoch is acquiring roughly half of Vox Media, a dramatic expansion in American media for the younger son of the industry titan Rupert Murdoch. The deal includes Vox Media’s podcast network as well as New York magazine, a publication once owned by Mr. Murdoch’s father. Mr. Murdoch, 53, emphasized that he was not looking to acquire a “daily news business” but rather wanted “longer-form, thoughtful journalism that can really speak to the culture,” he told The New York Times in an interview on Tuesday.

“We want to create platforms where really amazing, talented people can come and do the best work of their lives.”. The deal is the biggest acquisition for Mr. Murdoch since he and his family struck a $3.3 billion agreement last year to resolve a painful battle over the control of its media empire, which includes Fox News and News Corporation, the parent company of The Wall Street Journal.

Mr. Murdoch left the board of News Corporation in 2020 amid disagreement over the company’s direction and spoke out against the “ongoing denial” of climate change at some of its outlets. So is he trying to do something deliberately different from his father this time around? “No,” said Mr. Murdoch, who is buying the Vox Media properties through his company, Lupa Systems. “I’m just trying to build a great business.” He said his father’s previous ownership of New York magazine held no special significance for him.

The deal is also a coda for an earlier era of digital publishing. Vox Media was one of a spate of digital properties, including BuzzFeed and Vice Media, that raised hundreds of millions of dollars at sky-high valuations a decade ago. But Vice has since gone bankrupt; BuzzFeed recently said it was selling a 52 percent stake for $120 million, a small fraction of its earlier $1.7 billion valuation. Vox Media was reportedly worth about $1 billion in 2015, when it mostly encompassed websites — not a robust podcast network nor a print magazine.

Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/20/business/media/vox-media-james-murdoch-sale.html

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[hlthe2b]

1. Well, if it is true that he (and his sister) are diametrically opposed to Lachlan's direction & ideology

I am hopeful this is not a horrible outcome...

[SSJVegeta]

4. This is likely a positive outcome in that it potentially gives vox a powerful megaphone against misinformation

[pfitz59]

2. Still billionaire owned

with editorial veto power.

[SSJVegeta]

3. And billions of dollars to create some kind of balance of truth against newscorps

Your point still stands. Billionaires should have no place in monopolizing information.

[Karasu]

5. "So is he trying to do something deliberately different from his father this time around? "No," said Mr. Murdoch."

Yeah..I think that kind of tells me everything I need to know.

[City Lights]

6. To paraphrase Collins and Thune, this is concerning...nt