News Corp. chairman and CEO Rupert Murdoch criticized the “Jewish owned press” for its coverage of the conflict in Gaza in a November 17 tweet:

The Anti-Defamation League writes of the “anti-Semitic lie” that “Jews control the banks, the media, and the government” :

This myth originates with The Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion, a proven forgery. The forgery continues to promote the stereotype that Jews own the banks and control the media. The reality is, in societies, like the United States, individuals who identify as Jews have succeeded. But in almost every other country where Jews have lived, they have been a small minority and experienced centuries of persecution.

The Daily Beast's Peter Beinert writes that Murdoch's comment is offensive to journalists as well as to Jewish people and suggests that Murdoch believes reporters for his publications should conform their reporting to his political views:

It's offensive to journalists because it implies that institutions of the “press” should reflect the ideological biases of their owners. Reading Murdoch's tweet, it would be logical to conclude that he believes that any newspaper he owns should reflect his right-wing views, even in its news coverage. The FCC might want to consider that when evaluating Murdoch's reported bid to buy the Chicago Tribune and Los Angeles Times.

UPDATE: In a November 18 tweet, Murdoch wrote that he does not understand the criticism of his comment about the “Jewish owned press,” claiming that critics were “suggesting [a] link to Jewish reporters” and that he does not see the connection, but nonetheless apologizes “unreservedly” :