Murdoch’s News Corp. to launch California version of New York Post
Rupert Murdoch once wanted to own the Los Angeles Times. For the moment, he seems happy to mess with it, tweaking its billionaire owner, Patrick Soon-Shiong, as he toys with taking the West Coast’s biggest paper public.
The New York Post Media Group, a division of Murdoch’s News Corp., said Monday it’s launching a new venture, The California Post, in 2026. Aside from the chance to complicate a rival’s life, Murdoch is seizing on the continued hollowing out of California local media and the consolidation of many of the Hollywood trades. The Post has always specialized in the type of news that could do well in California — local political outrage bait and celebrity news. The Post is undoubtedly betting that the conservative minority in California is hungry for a rightward spin, and it could catch a few liberal politicians unschooled in the paper’s aggressive tabloid journalism off guard.
The Post’s biggest challenge likely isn’t the audience’s political leanings but their media preferences: Plans for a printed daily version of the Post cut against the habits of California’s car commuters, who historically prefer listening to the news. Keep an eye out in six months for a California Post podcast.
