The Fall of News International.

[bloodhokuto]

Much to the relief of a lot of people here (UK), it appears that there are still a few good journalists out there.

Props must go to The Guardian (yet again) and of course the beloved BBC.

Unless you just watch Fox, you may have heard that over in the UK there has been a major scandal kicking off regarding phone hacking allegedly carried out for tabloids, in particular The News of the World (although other tabloid rags were probably up to no good too).

This is not the first time this is happened, (involved Royals, someone got jailed), this time however and what has really pushed this into the stratosphere was that the voice-mail account of a child murder victim was hacked, and messages deleted, which prompted the police and parents of the victim to believe that she was still alive.

Add to this a now much more extensive number of people who had their phones hacked and tapped, along with pay offs and alleged cover ups and issues with how the police have handled (sic) the investigations and things have really intensified for News International who owned the News of the World and own The Sun and The Times.

Following the wake of this News International closed down The News of the World (est 1843).

In addition News Corp, also owned by Murdoch has pulled out taking over the reigns of the satellite broadcaster BSkyB, which it currently owns the largest ownership share.

News Corp were being lined up to comfortably taking over Sky, as they have the knack of having politicians giving them a sympathetic ear - even David Cameron has a LOT of mud on him, due to his pal who he appointed as director of communications being a previous editor at News of the World ... he had been sacked as he was in charge when the last phone hack scandal took place.

Big Dave should take a lot of flack, he was aware of the previous problems, chose to ignore them and only when the shit hit the fan has he started to do the right thing.

Anyway, it looks like this is not going away soon, due to the allegations of thousands of other victims, including the families of dead service personel and 9/11 victims.

The latest development is that a select committee hearing has been set up and Rupert, James (Murdoch) and the current editor Rebekah Brooks have been called to appear.

Speaking of the editor Brooks, she of course was in charge when the incidents were alleged to have taken place and only recently did she decide to remove herself from the in-house investigation that they were doing. She also ordered the shutdown of the News of the World, which many people believe was a cynical move (although it is of no loss that it is no more).

All in all News International is in a pretty big mess and it's ambitions for the UK are likely in tatters and with possible further international ramifications - with NewsCorp.


Some Links;

Timeline: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-14124020

Guardian: http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/jul/04/milly-dowler-voicemail-hacked-news-of-world

 

[aria]

It's been getting excellent coverage by NPR and the major print newspapers --including the Wall Street Journal which, despite being purchased by Murdoch a few years ago (as a trophy piece), has maintained good control over its own newsroom (he was smart enough to know he shouldn't mess with it too much --it's basically the US version of the FT).

Though, because it doesn't involve a missing or dead white girl, it hasn't gotten as much coverage in the TV news.

 

[Lagduf]

Though, because it doesn't involve a missing or dead white girl, it hasn't gotten as much coverage in the TV news.

Which is suprising given that one of Murdoch's Brit. Tabloids is accused of hacking the voicemail to the mobile phone of a young white girl who was abducted some years ago. I believe they're accused of even deleting some voice mails so the mailbox wouldn't get full...all to get a story.

I've been following this NewsCorp story on NPR.

Are the American television media picking up this story? I don't watch those channels these days.

 

[bloodhokuto]

It's been getting excellent coverage by NPR and the major print newspapers --including the Wall Street Journal which, despite being purchased by Murdoch a few years ago (as a trophy piece), has maintained good control over its own newsroom (he was smart enough to know he shouldn't mess with it too much --it's basically the US version of the FT).

Though, because it doesn't involve a missing or dead white girl, it hasn't gotten as much coverage in the TV news.

I heard about the WSJ being taken over a while back and expected the worst. I'll take your word on that it hasn't changed much. I think to some respect the WSJ is in the same position as the UK Times in that regard, although I haven't got the Times in a good while.

I imagine that coverage in the US, is only set to increase if there is any mileage in the 9/11 allegations.

From out of all this, perhaps we can hope (let's hope big) for News Int. to exit the paper business in the UK.

With that said we could really do with a wholesale clean up of newspapers here, perhaps with a move away from self regulation. The likes of the other tabloids, along with the infamous Daily Mail are a stain on Journalism in this country.

 

[abasuto]

Fair and Balanced

Maybe Murdoch's Federal trial will be.

lol

AP source: FBI investigating News Corp

NEW YORK (AP) — A law enforcement official says the FBI has opened an investigation into allegations that media mogul Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. sought to hack into the phones of Sept. 11 victims.

The official spoke Thursday on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly.

New York City-based News Corp. has been in crisis mode.

A rival newspaper reported last week that the company's News of the World had hacked into the phone of U.K. teenage murder victim Milly Dowler in 2002 and may have impeded a police investigation into the 13-year-old's disappearance.

More possible victims soon emerged: other child murder victims, 2005 London bombing victims, the families of dead soldiers and former Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

The FBI's New York office hasn't commented. There's been no response from News Corp. or to a message left with the U.S. attorney's office in Manhattan.

 

[Lagduf]

http://www.neo-geo.com/forums/showthread.php?226522-The-Fall-of-News-International.

Can we get this thread merged with the above thread? Thanks.

I'm wondering if these allegations Abasuto has posted about 9/11 victims will make this story front page news on the mainstream American media.

 

[aria]

There's definitely some interest growing on US TV (the papers were already all over it), I was at the gym this morning and noticed that both MSNBC and CNN had bits about it --I couldn't see the Fox News tv

 

[SNKorSWM]

Sounds like the plot of some movie from 10 years ago.

 

[bloodhokuto]

Well the Guardian dropped the ball slightly with the Gordon Brown Story, and Gordon seems to have done his best to really mess things up, or rather distract some of the attention by being a complete cock as usual.

Moving forward however we have now seen the (at last) resignation of Brooks and also interestingly the resignation of Les Hinton at NewsCorp.

In addition Rupert has made further efforts in trying to polish over matters by publishing apology adverts in the press over here and in addition has met with the parents of Milly Dowler.

Some of the focus of interest has also been moved again to the Prime Minister's links and also the 'incompetence' of the Met Police, although it appears that there is more to it than that.

The Met have blamed N.I. previously over stalling and withholding evidence, but at the same time did not fully investigate evidence.

What is not addressed is this and other failings and (in)actions that makes their role very questionable.

For example apparent payments for evidence that took place. Also, it appears that the Police had meetings with the Guardian in 2009 to convince them that nothing was up ... except it just so happens that they had recently hired the Deputy Editor of the News of the World as an advisor ... oh and senior police figures had about 18 dinner meetings with N.I.

So we have a big player in the news industry up to all sorts of dodgy stuff, with over friendly relations with the Police, whose enquiries were stalled or neutered, people paid off and government officials who seemed compliant or afraid of rocking the boat.

It paints a very sorry picture of modern day corruption and conspiracy, - for not just these incidents, that goes right to the very top.

Some more links;


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-14173150

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/jul/06/met-chief-phone-hacking-payments

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/jul/15/phone-hacking-met-police-guardian

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/17/world/europe/17police.html?pagewanted=1&_r=2&src=twrhp

http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2011/jul/13/john-yates-meeting-news-international

 

[norton9478]

I really can't stand the British Press in general. Too much sensationalism sold as news. And the lines between editorial and reporting is too blurred.

the BBC is better than the rest. But still.....

 

[Chunky Lover 53]

Maybe Murdoch's Federal trial will be.

lol

The Simpsons will save him again.

 

[SpamYouToDeath]

Oh man, it's fun watching Viacom and Comcast tearing into News Corp.

 

[bloodhokuto]

I really can't stand the British Press in general. Too much sensationalism sold as news. And the lines between editorial and reporting is too blurred.

the BBC is better than the rest. But still.....

The tabloid newspapers in this country are an absolute disgrace, all of them. In addition papers like The Mail are equally complicit in miring down the value of the press.

The TV News however is much better, and thankfully there is nothing quite like Fox over here.

Latest news on this is that Rebecca Brooks has been arrested in connection with alleged phone hacking and payments to the police (will she make it to her hearing on Tuesday?)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-14178051

... Oh yeah the MP who is the chairing the select committee has links to Murdoch too.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ukn...-has-close-links-with-News-International.html

Jude Law claims that his phone was hacked in the US, which may pave the way for further issues over your neck of the woods.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ukn...of-News-of-the-World-phone-hacking-in-US.html

Finally, the head of the Police Sir Paul Stephenson has resigned!!

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/jul/17/met-chief-quits-over-phone-hacking

So, all in all, its really heating up!

 

[fake]

Sounds like the plot of some movie from 10 years ago.

There will be a made-for-TV movie based on this.

 

[bloodhokuto]

There will be a made-for-TV movie based on this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFufrqhp0eE

 

[fenikso]

Democracy Now! piece on the whole debacle. Including an interview with the reporter that has been working on the story for 2+ years.

 

[bloodhokuto]

This may not be as significant and invigorating a story as Casey Anthony's whereabouts, but if you put your cocks away for a few minutes there are some additional developments on this little matter.

1) Following the resignation of the head of the Met Police Sir Paul Stephenson, the assistant commissioner John Yates has also resigned.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-14181344

2) The whistle blower of the phone hacking affair, Sean Hoare has been found dead. Possibly suicide?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-14194623

It seems every time I look away from this story, something else happens.

Finally, Bobak, you were talking about the WSJ earlier, did you read this lovely piece they did?

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB100...6451812776293184.html?mod=WSJ_Opinion_LEADTop

Guardian's take on it;

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/jul/18/wall-street-journal-editorial-phone-hacking

Oh well tomorrow is going to be fun, the Murdochs and Brooks are to appear before a Parliamentary committee, then on wednesday we have an emergency session of Parliament.

 

[Lagduf]

Murdochalypse