A long-awaited biography of Steve Jobs sort of bounced off bookstore shelves this week. Walter Isaacson’s book, entitled simply, “Steve Jobs,” has been greeted with great reviews and stellar sales.
According to Isaacson’s book, Jobs, a Democrat, told Rupert Murdoch that Fox News was “an incredibly destructive force in our society,” and that he planned to ask Jon Stewart and “The Daily Show” to create a montage of Fox News clips for Murdoch to watch. According to the book, Jobs told Murdoch:
“The axis today is not liberal and conservative, the axis is conservative-destructive, and you’ve cast your lot with the destructive people. FOX has become an incredibly destructive force in our society. You can be better, and this is going to be your legacy if you’re not careful.”
Perhaps it was his Buddhism, but Jobs did hold a generous view of Murdoch himself. He said he didn’t feel that Murdoch liked the direction of Fox Network.
“Rupert’s a builder, not a tearer-downer,” he told Isaacson. “I’ve had some meetings with James [Murdoch], and I think he agrees with me. I can just tell.”
Murdoch simply responded, ”He’s got sort of a left-wing view on this.”
As for the Daily Show montage, he said (before Jobs died), ”I’d be happy to see it, but he hasn’t sent it to me.”
