Media Tip Sheets

Expert Available to Discuss Rupert Murdoch Stepping Down at Fox News

Thursday, September 21, 2023, By Vanessa Marquette
If you are looking for an expert to discuss Rupert Murdoch stepping down at Fox News, Lynne Vincent, associate professor of management at Syracuse University’s Whitman School of Management, is available for interviews. If you’d like to schedule an interview with Professor Vincent, please email Vanessa Marquette, media relations specialist, at vrmarque@syr.edu. She writes:

“With Murdoch, Fox News faces a situation more perilous than the typical executive succession. Typically, the longer the tenure of the executive, the trickier and more challenging the transition will be. Murdoch is a VERY long-term executive especially given the current trends of shorter executive tenures. Murdoch shaped Fox News’ culture, its values, processes, and image. The question will be who can fill those shoes, and should they? With a change in leadership, it may be possible to redirect the organization’s values and strategy. However, any changes that the new chairman wishes to implement may receive more skepticism and rebellion because they do not have the track record, history, and organizational deference that Murdoch would have. That being said, since Lachlan Murdoch is taking on more responsibility at News Corp and is the CEO of Fox Corp, that may signal that not much will change.

Rupert Murdoch remaining as the chairman emeritus may not have the benefit that the organization hopes that it will. A 2020 paper published in Academy of Management Journal by Yi, Zhang, and Windsor found that when the predecessor CEO remains as a board chair, the new CEO’s likelihood of leaving the job early increases by 2.42 times compared to new CEOs whose predecessor does not remain as board chair, holding constant all other variables.

All of this depends on the succession strategy though. How clear will the roles be? How often will Rupert Murdoch be around? Will the new chairman create a team with new people or will they retain the current team?”