News of The World – Murdoch’s Unused Toy?

Rupert Murdoch might not be guilty of picking up a phone and hacking into someone’s private messages, but he is guilty of not knowing what is going on in the apparent one percent of his business empire. In the phone hacking hearing which took place in the UK, Murdoch claimed that the News of the World represented less than 1% of his business as a whole. This was nearly as ignorant and disrespectful as his opening line; “Today is the most humble day of my life”, as he interrupted the heir to his throne at the beginning of proceedings.

The aim of the hearing was to get answers, as to who was responsible for the phone hacking and who should be brought to justice. However, at the end of the proceedings, an idiot and shaving foam remained the centre of attention. So what did we learn from the hearing? Not a lot surprisingly.  Murdoch is blaming the people he trusted, which would have been Brooks, who not surprisingly also went on to blame someone else. The hearing provided the world with an image of Murdoch never before seen, a speechless, defeated,  confused old man. Rupert Murdoch is certainly showing his age, as question marks must be raised over how much control his son James now has over his business empire.

Rupert answered questions like any man in his eighties would, pithy and to the point with a brazen attitude. The younger Murdoch was much more advised and acted as a PR practitioner more than a son. This was clearly evident when Murdoch senior was attacked by an idiot comedian during the hearing and hit in the face with a shaving foam pie. While James appeared to move back from the incident, Wendi Deng - the wife of Rupert Murdoch, leapt to the defence of her frail husband and retaliated with a right hook of her own for the attacker. This almost heart warming defence of Murdoch by Wendi took the attacker by surprise. When asked about the attack Marbles ironically replied, "As Mr Murdoch himself said, I'm afraid I cannot comment on an ongoing police investigation."

When quizzed about his dealings with former News of The World chief reporter Neville Thurlbeck, Murdoch senior stated that he, “Never heard of him”. Murdoch also stated that he spent more of his time talking to the editor of the wall street journal than with representatives of his papers in the United Kingdom. If this, “hands off” approach by Murdoch is true, who has been in charge of the News of the World and for how long? It is absolutely fascinating what Murdoch claims not to know and also what he may not have been told. James Murdoch served as his father’s chief protector during the hearing and it looked like damage limitation on his behalf. He attempted to fine tune his father’s answers and “old school approach”, with much more advised answers and feedback. James also stated that the Murdoch’s welcomed David Cameron’s inquiry.

I’m sure it is as welcome as a shaving foam pie.

Further Phone Hacking Claims Signifies New Low for Journalism

Following the disgusting revelations that News of the World journalists and investigators hacked the voicemail of murder victim Milly Dower and the parents onf murdered school girls Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman, it is now evident that family victims of the London 7/7 attack may also have been targeted. These fresh claims have placed further pressure on News of the World CEO Rebekah Brooks, to resign from the disgraced newspaper. The revelations that private investigator Glen Mulcaire not only invaded the privacy of Milly Dowler but also had the cheek to delete her messages and crucial evidence in her case, makes him guilty just like the man who murdered her. To think that voicemail messages were deleted to allow the NOTW (News of the World) to listen to messsages from the Dowler family, is sick beyond belief.  Every journalist wants a good story with the best information, but this method goes beyond belief. This sickening act gave the parents of Milly Dowler false hope in believing that there beloved daughter was still alive.

The sickening thought that similar phone hacking was evident during the Soham inquiry, where innocent school girls Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman were brutally murdered, is frightening to say the least. The fact that the parents of these children had there voicemail and privacy hacked in the aftermath of this terrible attack, displays a lack of humanity and shows henius behavior of the highest calibre. Surely these journalists had enough to write about covering the sick and twisted actions of Ian Huntley without sinking to this level of fishing? The news that police are now to re-investigate all child abduction cases, provides evidence to further cases of hacking possibly being identified. The most high profile of these cases being the disappearance of Madeline McCann. What does it say for the image of journalism, when journalists are becoming part of the investigation and deleting evidence? For an extra headline, is this how far journalists will go? It appears so, after claims of phone hacking of the family victims of the 7/7 London terrorist attacks surfaced in the UK this morning. Several familys of the victims of the devastating attacks are believed to have been affected.

It has been evident for some time that phone hacking had been used by journalists to get information on; celebrities, public figures and even members of the royal family. The plea of innocence by Rebekah Brooks along with her firm stance against resignation, is farsical to say the least. In 2003 Brooks confessed to paying police for information, while she was also editor in 2007 when Glen Mulcaire anf Clive Goodman were jailed for hacking the phones of royal aids. In 2009 the Guardian reported that up to 3,000 celebrities and public figures including Boris Johnson and Sienna Miller were intercepted. When NOTW journalist Paul Mcluhan was asked whether he believed Brooks was aware phone hacking was being conducted he replied; "Of course she did". However, in her present role as NOTW chief executive under media baron Rupert Murdoch, Brooks denies any wrong doing. Not surpisingly she also possesses the full backing of Murdoch as he closeses in on his takeover of the remainder of BskyB he wishes to possess.

It is difficult to determine the outcome of this potentially drawn out case, but the immediate effects could see NOTW facing a boycott from companies and the public alike. Ford are the first company to have withdrawen its advertising from the newspaper, with Aer Lingus, Npower, Halifax, T-Mobile and Orange, all expected to review their positions with the organisation. The pressure on Brooks to resign is expected to escoalate, along with phone hacking scandals continuing to dominate the headlines. This will surely result in the unwillingness of Brooks to resign to be tested heavily. With numerous cases of child abductions and attacks to be reviewed, further incriminating evidence may be produced against not only the NOTW but also journalists across Britain. The acts undertaken by Andy Coulson, the former director of Communications for David Cameron and editor of the NOTW, will place further pressure on the British Government to act on this matter and possibly conduct an in-house investigation. The interference of an indivuals phone is an invasion of privacy, the interference of a murder inquiry is inhuman.

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Article first published as <a href='http://technorati.com/technology/article/further-phone-hacking-claims-signifies-new/'>Further Phone Hacking Claims Signifies New Low for Journalism</a> on Technorati.