The world’s most powerful media mogul and owner of Fox News and the Wall Street Journal, the hard-line conservative Rupert Murdoch last night admitted he had told one of his publications to back Democratic candidate Barack Obama. Could this be the start of a home run for Obama? A political communication analyst tells us why he should be wary.

CEO and chairman of News Corporation, Rupert Murdoch has a huge stake in the world press, including dozens of newspapers, magazines, television channels and websites. He has been criticised for a biased and overbearing influence, especially coming from his American news channel Fox News. In the UK, he owns almost all of the conservative written press and is thought by many to be the reason behind Tony Blair’s landslide victory in 1997. Last night, speaking at a technology conference supported by the Wall Street Journal, the media tycoon praised Barack Obama, calling him a “star”.