There has been a massive public response to Kevin Rudd's petition to launch a Royal Commission into the Murdoch-owned media landscape in Australia.
The former Australian Prime Minister set up the online petition to see what the public's appetite was for investigating why there are so many publications owned by Rupert Murdoch.
Since being launched on last week, it has managed to rack up an impressive 79,000 signatures, despite there being an online glitch over the weekend.
Mr Rudd has uploaded a video to YouTube thanking everyone for throwing their support behind the initiative.
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He said the IT glitch has been so severe that even his wife Thérèse couldn't submit her signature.
The former PM said this issue is 'beyond politics' and he hopes a Royal Commission will 'preserve the vitality of our Australian democracy into the future', which is something he believes can't be done when Rupert Murdoch owns a raft of media publications across the country.
On his petition, Mr Rudd wrote: "Our democracy depends on diverse sources of reliable, accurate and independent news. But media ownership is becoming more concentrated alongside new business models that encourage deliberately polarising and politically manipulated news.
"We are especially concerned that Australia's print media is overwhelmingly controlled by News Corporation, founded by Fox News billionaire Rupert Murdoch, with around two-thirds of daily newspaper readership.
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"This power is routinely used to attack opponents in business and politics by blending editorial opinion with news reporting. Australians who hold contrary views have felt intimidated into silence. These facts chill free speech and undermine public debate."
He's called this type of media monopoly a 'cancer on our democracy'.
However, his call for a Royal Commission isn't just focused on Rupert Murdoch.
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Mr Rudd is also concerned about the rise of Facebook and Google establishing a strong duopoly in online content, Nine Entertainment's takeover of two big newspapers, News Corp's acquisition of hundreds of small newspapers, and the attempt to replace AAP with an alternative from News Corp.
He wants the level of a Royal Commission to be able to make recommendations into how the country can improve.
"Only a Royal Commission would have the powers and independence to investigate threats to media diversity, and recommend policies to ensure optimal diversity across all platforms to help guarantee our nation's democratic future," he wrote.
People have until November 4 to put their signature on the official petition before it gets submitted to the Australian government for consideration.
Featured Image Credit: Kevin Rudd/YouTube