The world's most powerful media baron Rupert Murdoch, his son James and his chief executive, Rebekah Brooks, faced a few questions by a British parliament’s media committee probing the criminal corporate acts.
Murdoch’s embedded political friends – who used to hang on his every word – have abandoned him. The US and Australia are pushing for their own Murdoch investigations – threatening the survival of the entire global empire.
From the arrest of Murodchs’ protégée Brooks to the resignation of Britain's top cop, Murdochs’ belated efforts to contain a ballooning scandal at News Corp are being drowned out by fresh crises, resignations, arrests, deaths and ensuing fall outs. The waves of evidence about the illegal telephone-hacking, cell phone tracking, payoffs are criminal acts that are overwhelming. His company's independent directors are likely to consider a leadership change because of wilful blindness and collective amnesia to whitewash, close ranks and cover up criminal corporate acts.
Murdoch’s career took off by publishing a 13-year-old virgin schoolgirl’s diary in the Sydney Mirror in 1964, and her friend Digby Bamford committed suicide. Murdoch and his gang never lost sleep over those who killed themselves because the gang invaded their privacy or that of their loved ones (teenager Samantha McAlpine, and Max Moseley’s son). The gang never counted the number of people killed by their invasion of privacy. That was collateral deaths and damage from breaches of privacy committed in the interests of media profit. He will be remembered for his generous contributions to bring media integrity into disrepute. But they still want more power that captive media provides.
It emerged that the News of the World had hacked the phone of murdered schoolgirl Milly (Amanda) Dowler in 2002. Across Britain people were horrified. In 2003, after Milly Dowler’s family telephone were hacked, Brooks (aka Wade) told a 2003 parliamentary committee that the Dowler case was an example of how the ‘News of the World’ handled stories sensitively and respected the wishes of grieving parents! So, would his career end with the hacking of a 13-year-old murder victim’s mobile phone in 2002 but exposed later? The hacking had outrageously extended to 7/7 victims and Iraq and Afghanistan war widows, public pressure soared and politicians finally started to speak out.
The only reason this story came out was because of murdered teenager Milly Dowler, and Hugh Grant. The criminal corporate acts were not exposed by Murdoch or whistle-blowers at News Corp and News International. Murdoch is sorry his gang got caught. The apologies remain utterly insincere because Murdoch gang has refused to take responsibility for the corporate crimes, particularly when apologies remain so blatantly part of the new damage-limitation strategy or public relations efforts.
Thanks for collusions with politicians, global media baron, Murdoch has ruled with impunity for decades – making and breaking governments with his vast global multi media holdings and scaring opponents into silence. Corrupt politicians are always too willing to give into the powerful business moguls as they completed their strangle-hold on all aspects of people’s life.
A simple threat of arrest made Murdoch and his gang to agree to be questioned Tue 19 July 2011 in London by British parliamentarians. The fall outs are a remarkable development. Murdoch gang is not above the law. His reign of fear is breaking down, and politicians in the Briton, America and Australia are beginning to speak out. His empire is beginning to crumble.
It is a victory for the British media consumers. It is important that the criminal investigation and judge-led inquiry continue regardless of the bid being withdrawn.
There is a need to get to the bottom of this unethical and corporate criminal behaviour that has damaged British journalism, the newspaper and media industry, and has threatened to undermine democracy.
Murdoch and his gang promises of more internal inquiries into criminality, and their assurances to cooperate with somewhat inconsequential British parliamentary committees (home affairs, and media), criminal investigation, and a judge-led inquiry remain hollow to mollify the public, allowing Murdoch gang to conduct their business as usual to kill the "freedom of the press" and subvert democracy. This is a very slick and usual stunt from Murdoch and his gang. Millions of media consumers simply do not trust his gang any longer, and they have lost credibility. Murdoch’s own bespoke ‘independent committees’ is most unlikely to deliver anything other than a verdict that is pleasing to the man who sets it all up. He is stonewalling, running for cover, giving confusing and contradictory statements. His legacy is one of lies, deceit, wilful blindness and collective amnesia. He remains delusional. This could not happen to a nicer guy.
Lies, distortions and PNAC NWO Goebbels-like propaganda marketed as "news"? Why would this be worth salvaging? The world will be a much better place without Murdoch and without his destructive criminal-media syndicate.
Just like corrupt politicians, Murdoch and his gang only hire dubious people who are paid to close ranks and have cover up abilities above and beyond the call of duty. Remember, Henry Kissinger on the 9/11 Commission Report? So, why not hire George H/W Bush, Tony Blair, Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, Bill O’Reilly of Fox News and other PNAC NWO pathological liars to control internal inquiry?
Back in 1982, Murdoch questioned Fred Emery, the home editor of The Times of London, saying “I give instructions to my editors all around the world, why shouldn’t I in London?” In 2007, he engineered the departure of Marcus Brauchli, who was also assigned to regulate relations between News Corp management and Journal editors. So, his promises and undertakings are not worth the papers they are written on.
Murdoch’s media rival, Condrad Black, described him as “a malicious myth-maker, an assassin of the dignity of others… great bad man… has difficulty keeping friendships; rarely keeps his word for long; is an exploiter of the discomfort of others; and has betrayed every political leader who ever helped him…”.
The scandal is educational, proving Murdoch remains ruthless, sociopath, banal and a genius but dangerous businessman. His media empire continues to comprise and degrade journalistic integrity in print and on air where ever his maverick outfits, News International and News Corp, Sky, Star, and Fox, etc operate.
During the parliamentary media committee hearing Tue 19 July 2011, comedian, Jonathan May-Bowles (aka Jonnie Marbles), splattered Rupert Murdoch with white foam in a foil pie dish, shouting “you naughty billionaire”. Rupert Murdoch's third wife, Wendi Deng, 43, smacked down a pie-throwing Marbles who was arrested Marbles and taken away. It does show how much disgust Britons holds for the Murdochs and their gang. "I guess I did it because I had no faith in the Parliamentary process and I wanted to see some kind of justice done," Marbles explained, copying Murdochs, he added "I cannot comment on an ongoing police investigation"!
Murdoch and other News Corporation executives are at the centre of a shocking British media scandal that involves illegal hacking of telephones, bribes to British policemen for scoops and information (criminal offence), corruption, a corporate cover-up and even subverting murder investigation of a teenager, Milly Dowler.
This is about justice to ensure the criminals are deterred, so this never happens again in Europe, USA, Australia and elsewhere. Murdoch’s global media empire corrupts and controls politicians and undermines democracies, justice and human rights everywhere. Is it once in a generation chance for enlightened media consumers and credible investigative journalists to roll back the Murdoch menace everywhere?
This is the most serious scandals to hit the British media, political and police establishments. The criminal acts prove how media barons destroy integrity, honesty and truthfulness in journalism. It is about institutionalised criminal behaviour and institutional corruption from top-down headed by power thirsting, megalomaniacs and crooks.
American senators, Robert Menendez, Jay Rockefeller and Frank Lautenberg, have both said an investigation of News Corp is warranted. It would be foolish to dismiss the dangers of one company amassing too much control over public and political discourse.
News Corp may be sued by shareholders who say that a failure of corporate governance is behind the crimes engulfing Murdoch's global media outfits, saying the directors failed to exercise proper oversight and take sufficient action since news of the crimes first surfaced nearly six years ago when they knowingly enjoyed healthy dividends as the outfits violated privacy.
British deputy-PM, Nick Clegg, said the public had “reacted with revulsion” to the allegations of phone hacking at the News of the World adding that Murdoch should "do the sensible thing, reconsider and think again for your bid for BSkyB".
More than 3,800 people are reported to be on Murdoch’s hit list, including murdered teenager Milly Dowler, George Galloway, Hugh Grant, members of British royal family, the Queen and her husband, and Prince Charles, compromising their security.
Former British PM Gordon Brown said Murdoch’s newspapers (The Sun, and The Sunday Times) hired and paid known criminals to target his bank, steal his son’s medical records and his legal files. Brown refers to the criminal acts as "the most disgusting work". London police assistant commissioner, John Yates, said mobile telephone was also hacked illegally in 2005-2006 by unknown criminals.
London Met police commission, Sir Paul Stephenson, is also facing more questions about his links to former NOWT executive Neil Wallis (arrested in July 2011), and for questionable meetings with powerful people employed by Murdoch. Stephenson presided over a regime which failed to maintain the public's trust. Stephenson resigned Sunday 17 July 2011 with Scotland Yard having been badly tarnished by allegations of payoffs and its bungled investigation of the News of the World.
"I've taken this decision as a consequence of the ongoing speculation and accusations relating to the Met's links with News International at a senior level and in particular, with relation to Wallis,” who was arrested as part of Operation Weeting," Stephenson said. He had been criticised for hiring Wallis, a former deputy editor of the News Of The World, in a public relations role. London Mayor, Boris Johnson, said he had accepted Stephenson’s resignation with "great sadness" and said there was "no question about his personal integrity".
Andy Coulson, the former ‘News of the World’ editor and head of communication for Cameron, paid police officers for information. Cameron was warned by Lib-Dem leaders Nick Clegg (deputy PM), Lord Paddy Ashdown, and Guardian editor Alan Rusbridger about Coulson before Cameron knowingly decided to hire him, questioning his judgment. Stephenson did not alert the PM about Wallis mainly because Coulson was too close to Cameron.
Back in 2003, Brooks (Wade), admitted to a parliamentary committee that News of the World made payments to police but ever since she failed to retract the admission convincingly. In early July 2011, London police chief Stephenson confirmed that internal News Limited documents appear to show “inappropriate” payments to police. Those payments were criminal.
Just like the William Randolph’s Hearst empire decades ago, Murdoch rags media is a menace to every society his media empire invaded, including Australia where it began. With the arrival of ‘Fox News’ in 1985 the very nature of news began a fatal transition from a non-profit oriented service offered by television networks to a strictly ratings and advertising driven entity. ‘Fox News’ does not so much sell news, but rather it sells news which is encapsulated in fear based rhetoric, propaganda and topped by an addictive dessert called "telling people what they want to hear".
Propaganda disguised as news is pure evil. Fox News introduced inflammatory propaganda sources, masquerading as news that continues its negative impact on public discourse, undermining democracy, free speech and justice around the world.
Fox News, funded by over US $1.2 billion annual refunds (50% of annual profits in the past four years alone) from the US government, is nothing but 21st century yellow journalism and redneck political and endless war-mongering propaganda. Fox News remains the ultimate disaster for America as it undermines reason, truth and justice and becomes the kingmaker for the Republicans, global PNAC NWO gang and their undue influences to brainwash billions of minds with dubious yellow journalism. Murdoch makes Randolph Hearst seem like Mother Theresa's kinder sister Ethel. Murdoch is more interested in his ego and power trip than good journalism.
‘News of the World’ reporters tried to hack the voicemails of dead 9/11 victims, according to a former New York policeman. US Rep Peter King is asking the FBI to look into reports that Murdoch's journalists tried to snoop on 9/11 victims.
Les Hinton, 67, the chief executive of Dow Jones & Co, publisher of The Wall Street Journal (and a crucial top lieutenant in the Murdoch media empire for almost 50-years) spent a dozen years running News International (UK), including the time when the illegal phone hacking was taking place at News of the World. It was Hinton who told a 2007 British parliamentary committee that he was "absolutely convinced" that the illegal accessing of phones was limited to a single rogue reporter, Clive Goodman, who was jailed even after his defence was funded by Murdochs’ outfits.
Hinton was one of only five people in the Murdoch ranks who saw the company’s internal investigation report, which has never been made public. His wife, Kath, was an adviser to former British PM Gordon Brown.
Hinton often claims: “don’t recall, don’ know, don’t remember, before my time” that he repeats pathetically whenever he is interrogated. That is the collective amnesia and wilful blindness Murdoch gang generously continue to deploy to defend corporate crimes before the media committee Tue 19 July 2011 and elsewhere even when the information is available in public domain.
Lack of transparency and accountability, consistent mismanagement compounded by endless failures of Murdoch’s boards, corporate governance and audits have led to a piling on of questionable deals, a waste of corporate resources, a starring role in a blockbuster scandal, and a gigantic public relations disaster.
The Murdoch gang turned a blind eye to the criminal acts in the global media empire that abused and violated trust of its audience and its shareholders. They hired a numbers of criminals to violate the laws, and then went on to pay legal fees to defend them in British courts.
The criminal acts, misdeeds, failures and errors of judgements may cost Murdoch much more than just the most profitable paper in Britain, ‘News of the World’, which closed on Sunday 10 July 2011. British regulators and Competition Commission are reviewing News Corp’s takeover bid of British Sky Broadcasting (BSkyB).
Murdoch gang’s news rags, The Sun and The Sunday Times, continue to exploit millions by feeding their appetites for sex scandal and invidious lies about race, ethnic groups or other minorities. Murdoch simply does not understand the revulsion public felt towards his sleazy media outfits. In 1970s and 1980s, Murdoch's papers canvassed the Australian government not to recognise the rights of the Aborigines.
Without any fear or favour, British MP Tom Watson accused James Murdoch of criminal wrongdoing. James is shielded by his father Rupert, and their News International (NI) chief executive Mrs Rebekah Brooks, 43 (nee Wade), who was editor of the ‘News Of The World’ (NOTW) between 2000 and 2004 when murdered teenage schoolgirl Milly Dowler's phone was hacked and then voicemail messages were tempered with or deleted, destroying evidence.
Brooks is the tenth person to be arrested in connection with the NOTW scandal since detectives reopened their investigation earlier in 2011.
The three (two Murdochs and Brooks) initially refused to appear before the 2011 British parliament’s media committee. Murdoch went on to show contempt by publicly backing Brooks. Watson said: "in the world of Rebekah Brooks no-one can cry in private, no one can weep without surveillance".
The refusals consolidated the public revolt against the Murdoch empire that is seen as an arrogant, detached power block influencing events but unwilling to be scrutinised.
The refusals also indicated their utter contempt for the law and public opinion. As a result, Brooks agreed to provide limited testimony to the media committee (Tuesday 19 July 2011) for fear of incriminating her powerful employer, and she resigned Friday 15 July 2011. Brooks was arrested by ‘pre-arranged appointment’ Sunday 17 July 2011 by ‘Operation Weeting’ police officers investigating conspiring to intercept communications (illegal telephone hacking), and corruption.
The timing of Brooks’ July 2011 arrest was remarkable because since January 2011 she has been offering to help the police with their probes. It is a remarkable coincidence that she was arrested three days before she appeared before the media committee Tue 19 July 2011.
A separate investigation, titled ‘Operation Elveden’, is looking at allegations of inappropriate payments to police.
Brooks appeared before the media committee Tue 19 July 2011, alongside News Corporation chairman Rupert Murdoch and his son James, who is chairman of NI. As a result, the media committee was unable demand candid answers that relate to on going police investigations. They are doomed when they plead wilful blindness and collective amnesia, claiming “I will not answer that question on the grounds it could incriminate myself and others,” “I don’t remember/recall, before my time,” etc.
Sean Hoare, former NOTW journalist, was found dead Monday 18 July 2011 at his Langley Road home in Watford, north London. He leaked useful information to help expose the scandal. He said Andy Coulson and others knew about endemic illegal phone hacking, adding that was the culture in the media empire. Hoare said: "Coulson 'actively encouraged me to do it". He said Coulson's insistence that he didn't know about the practice was "a lie, it is simply a lie". Around mid-July 2011, Hoare told the New York Times, and the Guardian UK, that reporters at the News of the World were able to use police technology to locate people using their mobile phone signals in exchange for payments to police officers. Hoare said he would stand by everything he had told the New York Times about "pinging" (mobile or cell phone tracking) which measured the distance between mobile handsets and a number of phone masts to pinpoint its location, adding "there is more to come. This is not going to go away". So, is it a remarkable coincidence that Hoare died a day before the home affairs and media committees questioned the Murdochs, Brooks, former police commissioner Stephenson and his assistant commissioner John Yates.
In an interview with Howard Kurtz of the Daily Beast, Ian Spiegelman remembers how the culture of Murdoch’s New York Post made him feel “pretty uncomfortable”.
News is delivering factual information. News must be free of influences by any market forces, state or private enterprise pressures and political control. News is not a commodity. News is not a market product. News is not about market or audience ratings. News is not about fear and war mongering. So, news is not about a closing few newspapers, such as the ‘Sun’ or ‘The News of the World’.
This is not only ‘News of the World’ or a ‘Fox News’ problem. It is also any Murdoch-owned media problem that has a brass-knuckled style of journalism with questionable media practices and underworld criminal culture. He has far too much on the politicians and the police for him ever to be touched personally by this.
It is about illegally hacking into a murder victim’s phone (Milly Dowler), about deleting messages that leave her family thinking her mobile activity means she’s still alive. It is about tampering with evidence of an open criminal investigation. It is about invasion of privacy and how untouchable and above the laws the mighty really think they are.
In a 2007 affidavit, Spiegelman said “accepting freebies, graft and other favours was not only condoned by the company but encouraged as a way to decrease the newspaper’s out-of-pocket expenses… and that News Corp attorneys had been instructed to ‘look the other way.’” There was a policy of “favour banking,” the affidavit said, “practiced on a much larger scale by Murdoch”.
When celebrities criticized the Iraq War, Spiegelman said, he was told to remind readers of their show-business projects “in case they feel like boycotting”.
At the time, Howard Rubenstein, a spokesman for the New York Post, called the allegations “a tissue of lies” and a “disgrace”.
The Pandora Box is now open, bringing all machinations to light. This is about deliberate attempt to undermine police investigations and judicial public enquiries. It is about bribes paid to the police and Buckingham Palace staff to get information on 3,800 individuals. This is not about markets, ratings and advertising revenues. News is not about sacking or moving few individuals or criminal hackers employed by media barons. There is enough incriminating evidence to shut down Murdoch's print and air media worldwide.
Murdoch rags published rubbish about Iraq's WMDs and the 45 minutes before they would hit London, and continue to promote war criminals and endless wars against Algeria, Libya, Egypt, Sudan, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Hezbollah, Hamas, the Palestinian Authority, Islam and 1.5 billion Muslims.
The purchase of a major satellite outlet in the UK by the Murdoch syndicate would spell the end of any remaining objectivity in pure straight news reporting and the beginning of what is now defined not as news but as "infotainment".
So far, top public relation professional remain unable to contain the mess. PR outfit Edelman, Joel Klein, the former New York City schools chancellor, who is in charge of the overall effort; Steven Rubenstein, who represents the New York Post as president of the firm chaired by his father, Howard Rubenstein; and Murdoch’s son-in-law Matthew Freud. Freud’s marriage to Murdoch’s daughter Elisabeth has made him a key voice in News Corp. Elisabeth Murdoch has replaced her brother James as the strongest family contender to succeed her father. She pushed for Rebekah Brooks' resignation against the wishes of James and their other brother, Lachlan.
The maggots urinated on millions of legs and said it is raining. The maggots deserve everything they get. Their day of reckoning is long overdue.
In the final analysis, Murdoch's empire "entered the criminal underworld". Hacking mobile telephones of murdered teenager (Milly Dowler), grieving widows, dead soldiers, 9/11 and 7/7 families, and almost 4,000 other targets; paid off police to bury investigations; destroying incriminating evidence; threatening politicians. For decades, Murdoch has ruled with impunity -- making and breaking governments with his vast media holdings and scaring opponents into silence.
This is the tip of the iceberg. The growing public anger at News International is showing no sign of abating. This is a global media reign of smear and fear problem that politicians back criminal ideas on endless wars, collateral murders, torture and hatred against 1.5 billion Muslims. Murdoch deploys and maintains too much power and influence. This is about media standards and ethics that define facts, fairness, balance, opinions, rhetoric and propaganda, favouring one side. Illegal hackings went right to the top down. That makes Murdoch’s print and air media outfits unfit and improper people to hold TV licences anywhere in the world.
The outfits can not be trusted to serve the public with facts. It is about time the unscrupulous media steamroller was stopped. If corrupt British politicians "reward" Murdoch and his media empire with the BSkyB broadcasting, they might as well turn out the lights on sanity and decency, and admit they are too cowardly to face up to the bully. Italy’s Berlusconi's shows just how far a nation can sink when a media mogul is given free rein. There is a need ethics in journalism. Not sleaze.
Is it time to bring the sick and twisted power mongers to their knees? Is it time to make them pay for their crimes? Do billons miss the steadying influence of a press that is fair and balanced with editorial influence that seeks to educate, make politicians accountable and transparent? Do people really want British government and media to represent them?
The wilful blindness and collective amnesia makes Murdoch and his ilk remain unfit to hold any British broadcasting licences. Government and Murdoch controlled media is incompatible with democracy.
British PM David Cameron stripped business secretary Vince Cable (who knew about Rupert Murdoch) of his power to decide on Murdoch’s bid to take full control of British Sky Broadcasting (BSkyB). That responsibility was handed to culture secretary Jeremy Hunt, an unabashed fan of Murdoch’s maverick media empire. Hunt refused to budge. Hunt said hacking had nothing to do with the deal (that was illegal as it failed to protect the public interest and handed control of UK media to a dangerous and unfit media mogul). Cameron, who was grilled by MPs more than 68 times Wed 20 July 2011, is still mulling whether to turn against Murdoch’s media empire completely. He has no choice but to distance himself from the crimes.
Murdoch's News Corporation has withdrawn its bid for satellite broadcaster BSkyB in the wake of the illegal telephone-hacking scandal. According to March 2011 poll only 5% of British public support of Murdoch's purchase of BSkyB. On 13 July 2011, British parliamentarians voted unanimously against the BSkyB deal and Murdoch abandoned the biggest expansion deal of his lifetime. Public outrage continues to shake powerful Murdoch gang to the core. News Corp, which also owns the Sun and the Times newspapers as well as its 39% shareholding in BSkyB, said it will continue to be a long-term shareholder in BSkyB.
Although he has closed the News of the World (NOTW), Mr Murdoch still owns the Sun, the Times and the Sunday Times, and 39% of BSkyB. It is dangerous and unhealthy when one powerful person, like Murdoch, owns more than 20% of the newspaper market, the Sky platform, Sky News and almost 40% of BSkyB. Murdoch and his group of media outfits have abused that power and trust. BSkyB had £877m (7.3%) wiped off its value on Monday 11 July 2011. BSkyB's shares slumped 17pc in first 10 tens of July 2011, valuing the company at £12.3bn.
Powerful politicians and top law enforcement officers often meet and do deals with media barons behind closed doors. Cameron has met Murdoch’s top executives 26 times in the 15 times since June 2011. Police commissioner Stephenson met the top executives ten times in one year. Cameron knowingly hired and then fired former Murdoch man, Andy Coulson, who has at the centre of the illegal telephone hacking. After he fired Coulson, Cameron invited him to Chequers to thank him for his work! All media outlets have failed to hold politicians to account. The councillors, politicians and corporations have little to fear from the public outcry unless voters and media consumers organise as a cohesive voice.
The only way to get to the bottom of the cesspit is through police investigations as well as a judicial (or parliamentary) enquiry, with powers to summon and cross examine individuals under sworn statements, where lying is done at considerable personal peril.
If we are going to excuse corporate criminality for the sake of providing jobs and making money, then it is only fair we pardon drug dealers and mafia who also create jobs and make money.
NOTW reporters had hacked the voicemail of a murdered teen, Milly Dowler, giving her parents false hope that she might still be alive.
The FBI is investigating whether News Corp outlets violated the privacy of 9/11 terror victims in America.
It does not require genius to detect the bias, political frame, and dishonesty presented by Fox News. But evidently it does require a certain sensibility-- one that can discern information from entertainment, gravitas from spectacle, and discourse from diatribe.
