Rupert Murdoch's media empire has come under intense scrutiny over the past year.
During the Black Summer bushfires, some of the publications were called climate change deniers because of the way it covered some of the stories.
Rupert's son James Murdoch and his wife Kathryn Hufschmid lashed out against News Corp in January for their coverage of the 2019-20 bushfire season and sensationally quit the board of directors.
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Well, the big boss has hit back at those specific claims as well as the general view that the Murdoch press is against climate change science.
During the company's annual general meeting, Rupert Murdoch was quizzed on why James' views weren't taken on board.
He replied: "Our board has many discussions but James... claims that our papers have covered the bushfires in Australia without discussing climate change. We do not deny climate change, we are not deniers."
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The Murdoch empire has come under particular scrutiny from former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd recently, who launched an online petition that called for a Royal Commission into media diversity in Australia.
Rudd likened the Murdoch media as a 'cancer' that was affecting democracy in Australia and around the world and wanted the highest powers in the land to investigate whether changes needed to be made.
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.
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"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.
"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."
A Royal Commission hasn't been announced, however the Senate will look into the issue.
It will officially look at 'the state of media diversity, independence and reliability in Australia and the impact that this has on public interest journalism and democracy' as well as 'the effect of media concentration on democracy'.
News Corp Australia's editors and commercial executives, as well as editors from independent and regional and rural publications will also speak about media diversity.Featured Image Credit: PA