Mackenzie N. Wofford 

(Image From, https://www.hbo.com/succession ) 

The 2018 HBO drama Succession follows the Roy family, owners of the media conglomerate Waystar Royco, as they fight for power while their aging father nears retirement. The series takes inspiration from the creators of News Corps, the Murdoch family, and their fight for control over the media empire of their father, Rupert Murdoch. News Corps is a media conglomerate that owns The New York Post, The Wall Street Journal, Fox News, and numerous other media outlets worldwide. 

Succession’s Logan Roy, the aggressive and aging patriarch, is a dramatized version of Rupert Murdoch. He is a ruthless, domineering businessman and a manipulative, morally corrupt father to his four adult children. While not entirely reflective of Rupert Murdoch’s personality, the sentiment is strong; Murdoch is a fiercely strategic businessman willing to do anything to secure his company’s future. Throughout the series, Logan deceives his children into believing that earning his approval will secure their place as CEO, using them as pawns in his game of control.  

Kendall Roy, seen as Logan’s natural successor, represents Lachlan Murdoch. Since adulthood, Kendall has worked closely with his father, hoping to take over his position once Logan retires. Despite butting heads, Logan has always viewed Kendall as his successor, similar to Lachlan Murdoch. Since his father’s retirement, Lachlan has been named chairman of News Corps and is widely seen as Rupert’s ultimate successor due to their shared political views and strategy. 

Roman Roy, the youngest Roy sibling, represents James Murdoch. James was once considered a potential successor, but his moderate political beliefs led Rupert to rethink his role within the company. 

Shiv Roy, Logan’s only daughter, represents Elisabeth Murdoch. Meanwhile, Connor Roy, Logan’s oldest son from a previous marriage, represents Prudence Murdoch. Neither Shiv nor Connor closely resembles Elisabeth or Prudence regarding political beliefs or career paths, but they are both similarly uninvolved in the company. While Shiv and Connor Roy eventually join the fight for power, neither works closely enough with Logan to be a serious contender for the role. 

In season four, Logan Roy dies mid-flight to meet with shareholders, sparking an internal battle among the Roy siblings. Each of them feels entitled to the CEO position, and chaos within the family ensues with no explicit successor named in Logan’s will. 

As stated in court documents obtained by The New York Times, the Murdoch family watched an episode of Succession, titled “Connor’s Wedding,” and began scrambling at the possibility of their aging father’s death and what it would mean for the future of News Corps, and this culminated in a legal battle between Rupert and Lachlan on one side and James, Elisabeth, and Prudence on the other. Rupert worked to grant Lachlan control over the News Corps empire but was halted in his efforts by James, Elisabeth, and Prudence. While the planned alterations to the Murdoch Trust would still ensure equal payouts to all his children, his three remaining children would have no voting power, leaving the company’s future solely under Lachlan’s control. 

The Guardian reported that this is due to James, Elisabeth, and Prudence’s moderate political beliefs, which do not align with Rupert’s and threaten the future of News Corps. For example, James Murdoch donated over $600,000 to Joe Biden’s 2020 election campaign, clashing with his father’s and the company’s conservative beliefs. 

This legal battle resulted in a Nevada judge ruling that Lachlan acted “in bad faith” regarding his and his father’s goal to dissolve his sibling’s voting power. The legal fiasco ended with James, Elisabeth, and Prudence keeping their voting power in the company against Rupert and Lachlan’s wishes. 

Succession‘s ability to mirror the Murdoch family’s internal drama and influence them in decision-making is why creating media is so important. The ability of a series to influence its subjects exemplifies how media shapes public perception and the way we view the world around us.