Now the once-proud name will front more of the trademark garbage Murdoch churns out:
The memo went out, and November 3rd 2015 came to the National Geographic office. This was the day in which Rupert Murdoch’s 21st Century Fox took over National Geographic. The management of National Geographic sent out an email telling its staff, all of its staff, all to report to their headquarters, and wait by their phones. This pulled back every person who was in the field, every photographer, every reporter, even those on vacation had to show up on this fateful day.
As these phones rang, one by one National Geographic let go the award-winning staff, and the venerable institution was no more.
The name now belongs to Rupert Murdoch, and he has plans for it. The CEO of National Geographic Society, Greg Knell, tried to claim back in September that there “there won’t be an [editorial] turn in a direction that is different form the National Geographic heritage.” Murdoch’s move today only served to prove Knell’s words hollow, with hundreds of talented people now served their pink slips. And with the recognition that Murdoch’s other enterprises do not reflect the standards held by National Geographic, and with Murdoch’s history of changing the editorial direction of purchased properties, today’s move indicates that we can expect a similar shift for National Geographic.
National Geographic‘s weakness has been its cable channel. While it does feature many pieces on scientific endeavors, it also has featured shows such as Doomsday Preppers and Chasing UFO’swhich lacked much of the respectability of the print magazine. They have since been removed from the schedule, but the damage to the channels reputation remains, and reflects poorly upon National Geographic itself.
I’m a total geek and watch documentaries all the time, especially history and space (and yeah even some UFO shows). But I almost never watch NatGeo because they never had anything interesting. They do have an interesting one right now about a second photograph of Billy the Kid that’s been discovered, but nothing else. I probably watch more SyFy than NatGeo. lol
Sigh.
A long time ago, I used to pick up the weekend edition of the Wall Street Journal, but when News Corp. bought it, the decline in quality of the non-op-ed sections was just too much to take. Guess we will always have the back issues to read.
Rupert Murdoch has announced a return to time honored National Geographic editorial practices, promising a minimum of eight picture stories a year featuring topless female natives in the tropics.