Steve Jobs Called Fox News a 'Destructive Force'

Steve Jobs told Rupert Murdoch to his face last year that Fox News is "destructive" and that he was "blowing it" with the conservative news channel, reports Gawker, in the latest round of excerpts from Walter Isaacson's biography of the Apple founder. Jobs was invited to speak at the annual News Corp management retreat in 2010, and in exchange for talking he got to speak directly with Murdoch. "Fox has become a destructive force in our society," Jobs told Murdoch over dinner. "You can be better, and this is going to be your legacy if you're not careful." Murdoch, for his part, seemed unconcerned by the criticism from Jobs' "left-wing view."

Not only was Jobs facing down Fox News, he was also trying to push traditional journalism, especially the New York Times, says Mediabistro. Before the launch of the iPad, Jobs met with the leadership of the Times, offering them advice about the newspaper's app and digital subscription service, suggesting they charge $5 at most. “I think it’s important for the country for them to figure it out," Jobs said. At the dinner with Murdoch, Jobs said papers like the Wall Street Journal were terrible with technology, largely because "you're in New York and anyone who's any good at tech works in Silicon Valley." (More Steve Jobs stories.)