London/New York — The CEO of 21st Century Fox says he is concerned the term "fake news" is being co-opted by politicians trying to dismiss critical coverage. At a conference Thursday, James Murdoch said the debate about fake news had changed from 2016 when it was only about "deliberate falsehoods" spread on social media. 21st Century Fox is the parent of Fox News and the Murdoch family controls News Corp, the owner of the Wall Street Journal. "That’s been co-opted by a political class to denigrate things that they don’t want to hear," Murdoch said at the Enders Analysis media and telecom conference in London. "That’s around the world. That’s a real worry." President Donald Trump frequently calls the news media "fake news", especially outlets that are critical of him like CNN and The New York Times. Trump also has personal ties with James Murdoch’s father, Rupert Murdoch, who is chairman of News Corp, 21st Century Fox’s executive chairman and has been running Fox News.
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