Missing Milly Dowler's voicemail was hacked by News of the World

[Infinite Chaos]

-- I was expecting Miliband to score more points about David Cameron's links with Murdoch. It seems as though there's almost a conspiracy of silence on the kind of influence he has in this country.

Milliband has used his unfavourable status with News international to good effect, the general consensus here in the media was that Milliband took the high ground and Cameron (who paints himself as able to make quick bold decisions) didn't.

What's been more interesting was that the broadsheets have taken the moral high ground and reported as much as possible of events while the red-tops have been fairly quiet. Last night's Question Time suggested that the red-tops have all engaged in similar activities and also bribed policemen.

There were reports tonight that the police were at the Daily Star as part of recent investigations.

 

[William Rea]

Milliband has used his unfavourable status with News international to good effect, the general consensus here in the media was that Milliband took the high ground and Cameron (who paints himself as able to make quick bold decisions) didn't.

What's been more interesting was that the broadsheets have taken the moral high ground and reported as much as possible of events while the red-tops have been fairly quiet. Last night's Question Time suggested that the red-tops have all engaged in similar activities and also bribed policemen.

There were reports tonight that the police were at the Daily Star as part of recent investigations.

If it hadn't been for the persistence of those goddamned, pinko, faggot, biased, commie, reds at The Grauniad this might have died a couple of years ago. I can't wait for the next edition of Private Eye; shurely shome mistake!

 

[PeteEU]

It gets better and better... Seems Murdoch JR might be heading to jail.. first in the UK and then in the US. You see, he admitted that Newscorp paid policemen... and that is bribery and that is illegal.... ups.

 

[Infinite Chaos]

-- Seems Murdoch JR might be heading to jail.. first in the UK and then in the US --

Didn't Rebekah Wade confess this to a parliamentary committee 5-6 years ago? I think the US would take such more seriously at the moment than the present UK govt.

We shall see.

Interesting bit of financial background to the closure of the NoW which I suspected a few days ago -

he News of the World accounted for just $10m – or £6.2m – of profit.

"Mr Murdoch is hoping, I think, that by giving up $10m of earnings they can close a big transaction," Ms Martin said.

"He loves the newspaper business but he's not going to let these assets stand in the way of a $12bn [£7.5bn] purchase." She is not alone. Michael Corty, the Morningstar analyst who covers News Corp, believes The News of the World "was a small piece of the business".

He points out that although the US media giant – whose more prized assets include the Fox television network in the US and the Twentieth Century Fox film studio business – has never explicitly broken down how much the paper made in profit terms, "from a cost-benefit analysis, it made more sense to shut it down". Daily Telegraph

 

[Manc Skipper]

It's looking like they wont get to buy up BSKY B as they fail the "fit and proper" standard. That in turn could affect their American business down the line if they are not "fit and proper persons" in the UK.

 

[William Rea]

It's looking like they wont get to buy up BSKY B as they fail the "fit and proper" standard. That in turn could affect their American business down the line if they are not "fit and proper persons" in the UK.

It's not like this is news to some people. I have despised this business and its owners from the minute that "Wapping" happened.

 

[PeteEU]

Didn't Rebekah Wade confess this to a parliamentary committee 5-6 years ago? I think the US would take such more seriously at the moment than the present UK govt.

She did but recanted and stated that it was not what she meant. The MP who asked the question was a few months later outed as a homosexual by the Sun...

We shall see.

We shall. Point is, in the US there is a newish law that was made exactly for such a thing.. to prevent that US companies use bribes overseas and the law was specific in targeting upper management. And there is no doubt what so ever that Newscorp, an American company, bribed UK police and Murdoch JR has admitted so.

Interesting bit of financial background to the closure of the NoW which I suspected a few days ago -

No doubt that the closing of NotW was both political and financial... dump 10 million in profit, to get BSKYB who is so much bigger... but it looks like it has failed for now any ways.

 

[Infinite Chaos]

She did but recanted and stated that it was not what she meant. The MP who asked the question was a few months later outed as a homosexual by the Sun...

Chris Bryant, I made reference in an earlier post to Hugh Grant's comments on Question Time last week. Bryant repeatedly requested her appearance before the Parliamentary inquest and she refused to turn up (or made excuses) and when she eventually did turn up, the consequences was Bryant's outing as being gay.

We shall. Point is, in the US there is a newish law that was made exactly for such a thing.. to prevent that US companies use bribes overseas and the law was specific in targeting upper management. And there is no doubt what so ever that Newscorp, an American company, bribed UK police and Murdoch JR has admitted so.

That will be good news. So if Cameron's personal friendship protects Brooks/ Wade, News Corp still pays overseas for corrupt practice.

-- but it looks like it has failed for now any ways.

Yes, Miliband again showed mettle and integrity today by saying on Andy Marr's TV show that he would force a vote on the matter on Tuesday.

Labour leader Ed Miliband says he will force a Commons vote to delay News Corporation's proposed takeover of BSkyB, until the investigation into the News of the World is completed.

The last edition of the newpaper has been published, with a full-page apology for hacking mobile phones.BBC

 

[PeteEU]

This is getting worse and worse for Murdoch. It looks like his crown jewels in the Times and the Sun are also involved in hacking and bribery.....

 

[Infinite Chaos]

This is getting worse and worse for Murdoch. It looks like his crown jewels in the Times and the Sun are also involved in hacking and bribery.....

The only difference in the titles so far is that the Sunday Times and Times (as far as I know) had nothing to do with Rebekah Brooks. I nearly fell out of my chair when it was revealed that she personally called Gordon Brown soon after the news of his son's illness to tell him her newspaper (the Sun) knew about his Cystic Fibrosis when only his close family and the child's doctor knew of this.

What gets me is the way nearly everyone has stayed away from the "Fit & Proper" judgement of being allowed to own a news outlet. If the events of the last week are not evidence that news International and Murdoch are NOT "fit and proper" - then what is necessary?

 

[PeteEU]

The only difference in the titles so far is that the Sunday Times and Times (as far as I know) had nothing to do with Rebekah Brooks. I nearly fell out of my chair when it was revealed that she personally called Gordon Brown soon after the news of his son's illness to tell him her newspaper (the Sun) knew about his Cystic Fibrosis when only his close family and the child's doctor knew of this.

What gets me is the way nearly everyone has stayed away from the "Fit & Proper" judgement of being allowed to own a news outlet. If the events of the last week are not evidence that news International and Murdoch are NOT "fit and proper" - then what is necessary?

Two words...

Les Hinton

Head of NewCorp International (I think it was the same job as Brooks today) at the time of the height of the hacking, told the parliamentary committee that his internal investigation had shown no additional wrong doing other than what everyone knew.. this was in 2009. He then got promoted to head of the Wall Street Journal when Murdoch bought (and ruined imo) this proud newspaper.

Now we have papers giving a pretty clear picture that most likely did he not only know but hid the truth about the scale but most likely approved it all including bribing of the police and others.... and this is not only illegal in the UK but since NewsCorp (thanks to US protectionist laws) is a US corporation now, it also is illegal in the US, where there is a small law that makes it illegal for US corporations to pay bribes overseas.

So we are full circle now.. not only is Murdoch in serious trouble in the UK, but most like if the law is followed, in very very serious trouble in the US as well.

I wonder when American's will start asking the question... if NewsCorp did this in the UK at all levels and some of those people are now running US media companies, could it have spread to US media that NewsCorp owns in the US? The consequences could be huge. N.Y.Post has a reputation of being "Sun" like, and then there is Fox News... will be interesting next few months to watch if American's give a damn about the integrity of their media or not.

 

[Infinite Chaos]

-- will be interesting next few months to watch if American's give a damn about the integrity of their media or not.

We'll see a lot of this type of response

http://www.debatepolitics.com/bias-media/103696-why-murdoch-killing-news-world-3.html#post1059642839

unless it becomes clear Murdoch has done similar things in the US. I suspect that poster's belief in freedom of speech will have a natural limit defined by patriotism.. :lamo

 

[Manc Skipper]

Do you think that hacking 911 victims' relatives phones would be enough?

 

[Infinite Chaos]

Probably not.

 

[PeteEU]

Probably not.

That happens when you live in a fantasy world where questioning things people say that have the same political stance as you... is totally unheard off.

 

[Infinite Chaos]

We now have a little more substance to the worries starting to happen in the US.

Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Jay Rockefeller said the authorities should consider whether journalists working for the media giant had broken US law.

--snip--

'Breach of ethics'

In a written statement, Mr Rockefeller said he was concerned that hacking by News Corporation journalists may have extended to American targets, including victims of the 11 September attacks.

He did not present any evidence to support that claim, but called on the authorities to look into any possible wrong-doing.

"I encourage the appropriate agencies to investigate to ensure that Americans have not had their privacy violated," he said.

"The reported hacking by News Corporation newspapers against a range of individuals - including children - is offensive and a serious breach of journalistic ethics. This raises serious questions about whether the company has broken US law," he said.

Mr Murdoch's American assets include Fox News, The Wall Street Journal, the New York Post and Harper Collins publishers. BBC

There are some famous old names that could go down the plughole if all this is true. Times, Sunday Times, Wall Street Journal etc. I wonder who would get eventual custody if he and his son are guilty in more than one country.

 

[Baltim]

There are some famous old names that could go down the plughole if all this is true. Times, Sunday Times, Wall Street Journal etc.

A great malignancy would be removed from from the media world if this happens

 

[Infinite Chaos]

The Guardian has now apologised to the Sun and Gordon Brown for getting its story wrong on how Brown's son Fraser's medical condition became public knowledge.

The Sun itself publishes a "Brown wrong" story, claiming a distant relative or family friend was the source of the story and that Gordon and Sarah (more particularly Sarah) gave consent to the story.

All points to asking why Gordon Brown made a rare appearance in Parliament to accuse that the criminal underworld was involved in getting the story. Did he know before he stood up and made his speech that he or Sarah had given consent for the story? Why didn't they ask the reporters who contacted them about how they found out?

The plot takes a new twist..

 

[DarkWizard12]

I thought News of the World has closed...

why is there any debate on this? The corp is disbanded, I don't see murdoch taking over sky, and the individuals that hacked should be prosecuted. End of story.

 

[PeteEU]

I thought News of the World has closed...

why is there any debate on this? The corp is disbanded, I don't see murdoch taking over sky, and the individuals that hacked should be prosecuted. End of story.

Because the people in charge of the hacking are now sitting as head of the Wall Street Journal and head of News International, plus previously were heads of other papers. On top of that, other News Corp media outlets are under serious suspicion of doing what News of the World did... so that is why we are talking about it still.

 

[DarkWizard12]

Because the people in charge of the hacking are now sitting as head of the Wall Street Journal and head of News International, plus previously were heads of other papers. On top of that, other News Corp media outlets are under serious suspicion of doing what News of the World did... so that is why we are talking about it still.

then why don't we investigate all media corporate outlets then? considering that one has to be knowledgeable in computers and networking to hack, combined with the fact that, just about all tabloids like to push just about all the social limits to sell a good story, this is hardly isolated.

 

[PeteEU]

then why don't we investigate all media corporate outlets then? considering that one has to be knowledgeable in computers and networking to hack, combined with the fact that, just about all tabloids like to push just about all the social limits to sell a good story, this is hardly isolated.

Why not, but in this case we have clear cut evidence that wrong doing was done.. which we dont with other media outlets. Just admit you are hurt that your hero Murdoch is such a scumbag and runs a scumbag company.

 

[DarkWizard12]

Why not, but in this case we have clear cut evidence that wrong doing was done.. which we dont with other media outlets. Just admit you are hurt that your hero Murdoch is such a scumbag and runs a scumbag company.

Yeaaa that really really makes me want to agree with you. You may be from europe, but that doesn't give you an excuse to be a troll.

 

[PeteEU]

Yeaaa that really really makes me want to agree with you. You may be from europe, but that doesn't give you an excuse to be a troll.

LOL you loose an argument and go straight to the personal attacks...

 

[DarkWizard12]

LOL you loose an argument and go straight to the personal attacks...

Yea, you see, me and my pal Murdoch like to drink beer together and discuss how to personally attack opponents on public internet forums. Yea, i tell you, Murdoch is my bro.

whatever pete. Dont you have some republicans to troll or something?