Rupert Murdoch hands media empire to son Lachlan

NEW YORK

Rupert Murdoch announced on Sept. 21 he will step down as chairman of his global media empire, a conservative behemoth that shaped politics across continents, and hand control over to his son Lachlan.

The Australian-born mogul, who built a global entertainment and news juggernaut instrumental in events from the Margaret Thatcher era to the rise of Donald Trump, will step back at the age of 92, starting mid-November, Fox Corp. and News Corp announced.

With a letter to colleagues saying he'd decided to "transition to the role of Chairman Emeritus," Murdoch drew a line under a remarkable career that saw him rise from local news in Adelaide, Australia, to amassing a stable of legacy newspapers in Britain and the United States, before launching into broadcast media.

Aggressive tabloids like The Sun and New York Post, storied dailies The Times and Wall Street Journal, and big-hitting television networks like Fox and Sky have turned the Murdoch family into some of the world's most influential figures.

But the operation's news division has drawn frequent criticism under his leadership for blurring the line between commentary and journalism.

Fox News anchor Bill Hemmer offered gratitude, saying Murdoch's "contributions are both innumerable and extraordinary."

Critics such as Angelo Carusone, CEO of Media Matters for America, a liberal group, painted a different picture.

"In Fox News, Murdoch created a uniquely destructive force in American democracy and public life, one that ushered in an era of division where racist and post-truth politics thrive," Carusone said. "The world is worse off because of Rupert Murdoch."

Murdoch was typically unapologetic, taking a parting shot at what he called the "elites" who had "open contempt" for outsiders.