A study released today shows that news anchors are quite capable of holding appallingly misguided right-wing opinions, without any interference from Rupert Murdoch at all.

The survey shows that the media giant, who owns a large but not overwhelming number of newspaper titles and TV stations, hasn’t made people buy the Daily Mail, join the BNP, enjoy laughing at gypsies on TV, oppose the human rights act or generally dislike immigrants.

Professor Harry Stanstead who ran the study said “It’s quite clear that even without the saggy-faced Australian’s intervention it’s perfectly possible for a normal person, or even a journalist, to take over-simplistic soundbites and rehash them into real opinions, albeit ones that bear no relation to reality.

“Just look at the headlines you get in the Daily Star about how the awful Muslims are ruining everything and how the EDL will save us all. Even Murdoch doesn’t stoop that low. The idea that Sky News won’t turn into Fox because it’s not part of News Corp seems like wishful thinking to me.”

Meanwhile the misguided celebrations about Sky News leaving Murdoch’s control turned to disappointment when it became clear that Kay Burley would not, after all, be fed to ravenous tigers.