All eyes on Murdoch

The Murdoch clan is used to the rest of the media, politicians and the chattering classes trying to decode their political stance and its implications from their public actions.

The early signals were that Rupert Murdoch favoured Hillary Clinton in the US presidential election. But yesterday Murdoch-watchers were digesting the news that Elisabeth Murdoch, Rupert's 39-year-old daughter, who runs a large TV production company, will host a London fundraiser for Clinton's rival, Barack Obama, this month.

Rupert Murdoch's News Corp media empire includes the rightwing Fox News, as well as the New York Post, Twentieth Century Fox, BSkyB, the Wall Street Journal and the News International stable of UK newspapers including the Sun and the Times.

His backing is assiduously courted by politicians around the world, with his choices often decided by expediency, and both Labour and the Conservatives are working on securing the backing of his newspapers in time for the next general election. Last year he donated $2,300 to Hillary Clinton's campaign fund, but the New York Post has more recently criticised her campaign and appeared to be siding with Obama.

Prompted by his son James, now head of all News Corp's European and Asian operations, he has also endorsed former vice president Al Gore's environmental campaign.

All eyes on Murdoch as daughter hosts fundraiser for Obama | The Guardian