Andrew Butcher

Career

Butcher became Rupert Murdoch's long term primary spokesperson after he accepted a position as Senior Vice President of Corporate Affairs at News Corporation in New York City.

His career in the media had begun with a job as a copyboy at the Melbourne Sun, from which he later emerged a journalist# Butcher worked from Tokyo as a North Asia correspondent, from New York as a business correspondent for The Times of London and from Canberra as chief political reporter for The Herald Sun. He was the Executive Director of Communications and Media Relations at Telstra Corporation, prior to establishing his own businesses, Butcher & Co, and later Bespoke Approach. In the latter venture, Butcher has worked closely with former Australian politicians Nick Bolkus, Alexander Downer and Kevin Foley as a corporate advisor.

Butcher is a Director of the Australian American Association Limited, and continues to provide occasional comment to the media on the affairs of Rupert Murdoch and News Corporation.

In March 2014, The Australian revealed that Butcher was being paid $600 an hour to "repair its damaged relationship with the Abbott government and stem criticism from News Corporation" which attracted further commentary from opinion-writer Andrew Bolt.

Personal life

Butcher is from Muckleford, near Castlemaine in country Victoria. His partner is American journalist, Sarah James and the couple has two children, Sophie and Jacquie. On his friendship with Rupert Murdoch, Butcher told Australian Story that he "got along famously with Rupert. I was lucky enough to not be in awe of him. I found him to be very Australian."