Paddy Manning is an investigative journalist and author of six books including The Successor: The High-Stakes Life of Lachlan Murdoch (Black Inc, 2022) and Body Count: How climate change is killing us (Simon & Schuster, 2020) which won the non-fiction prize in the Victorian Premier's Literary Awards, 2021.
He has worked for The Australian, The Australian Financial Review, The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, Crikey, ABC and The Monthly where he is a contributing editor. He is completing a PhD at Macquarie University on "A Century of News Corporation."
Paddy Manning explores Lachlan Murdoch's upbringing, political beliefs and role as head of Fox Corporation - the man ultimately responsible for Fox News. It is an epic saga of ruthless power plays and family battles.
As heir apparent to his father's global media empire, Lachlan Murdoch is one of the world's most powerful people. Yet despite a life in the spotlight, Lachlan's personality, politics and business acumen remain enigmatic. Is he a risk-loving adventurer or dutiful son? Ultra-conservative ideologue or thoughtful libertarian? Scarred by a series of spectacular business failures, or an underrated leader who has shrewdly repositioned his family's assets? And will the third generation of Murdoch moguls prove the last?
This is a book about the good, the bad and the ugly of the global media, and about America in the age of Trump and Biden. It is a book about power, apprenticeship, politics and succession.
'It's a brave man to take on an autobiography of one of the richest and most powerful men in global media.' - Crikey
‘It is hard to think of a better time to write an account of the life and times of Lachlan Murdoch, heir-apparent to the News Corp throne – or of a better writer to do it. Who Lachlan Murdoch is, how he thinks and what he does with his power is vital to Australian democracy. Paddy Manning has it all covered. If the writers of Succession read this book, they’ll be in work for years to come.’ —Monica Attard, author of Russia: Which Way Paradise?
'The Successor' was published in 2022 before the Dominion Voting Systems defamation case against Fox News and Fox Corporation was settled with $1.17 billion settlement
Enjoy reading the Guardian Australia book review of The Successor: The High-Stakes Life of Lachlan Murdoch.
After the talk, stay for lunch afterwards.