News Ltd hacked murdered girl's 'phone.

[JAS]

Among today's developments...

The Times and The Sun also facing accusations
BSkyB take-over being reviewed
Alleged attempt to buy the 'Green Book'

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-14112097

...and just mentioned on Sky News...ouch...

http://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/Shareh ... 7.html?x=0

News Corp is being sued by a group of shareholders who allege that a failure of corporate governance is behind the phone-hacking scandal engulfing Rupert Murdoch's media company.

The lawsuit, filed by Amalgamated Bank and a group of pension funds, accuses News Corp's board of "failing to exercise proper oversight and take sufficient action since news of the hacking first surfaced at its subsidiary nearly six years ago."

Regards
JAS

[Q.]

storm in a tea cup

Yes, there really should be more illegal surveillance, breaching of civil rights and interference of police investigations.

[redandblack]

Hello, overloaded is really Andrew Bolt

[redandblack]

A look at it from The Guardian, who have led the reporting of Murdoch's hacking:

Is Murdoch now finished in the UK? As the pursuit of Gordon Brown by the Sunday Times and the Sun blows the ¬hacking scandal into new corners of the old man’s empire, this story begins to feel like the crumbling of the Berlin Wall. The naked ¬attempt to destroy Brown by any means, including hacking the medical files of his sick baby son, means that there is no obvious limit to the story’s ¬ramifications(1).................................................

The papers cannot announce that their purpose is to ventriloquise the concerns of multi-millionaires; they must present themselves as the voice of the people. The Sun, the Mail and the Express claim to represent the interests of the working man and woman. These interests turn out to be identical to those of the men who own the papers.

So the right-wing papers run endless exposures of benefit cheats, yet say scarcely a word about the corporate tax cheats. They savage the trade unions and excoriate the BBC. They lambast the regulations that restrain corporate power. They school us in the extrinsic values – the worship of power, money, image and fame – which advertisers love but which make this a shallower, more selfish country. Most of them deceive their readers about the causes of climate change. These are not the obsessions of working people. They are the obsessions thrust upon them by the multimillionaires who own these papers.

The corporate media is a gigantic astroturfing operation: a fake grassroots crusade serving elite interests. In this respect the media companies resemble the Tea Party movement, which claims to be a spontaneous rising of blue-collar Americans against the elite, but was founded with the help of the billionaire Koch brothers and promoted by Murdoch’s Fox News(5).

[overloaded]

Who gives a rats......

I think their are bigger issues in the world than this mate

[Booney]

Who gives a rats......

I think their are bigger issues in the world than this mate

Probably is, but some people including me find this repulsive and are willing to discuss it. You dont have to.

[Q.]

I think their are bigger issues in the world than this mate

Not too many things bigger than a corrupt fourth estate.

[redandblack]

For those interested.

An Australian view of how News Ltd works here.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/

[OnSong]

For those interested.

An Australian view of how News Ltd works here.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/

This is sarcasm, yeah?

[Gingernuts]

That ABC article was very interesting.

This whole business has made me think a bit more the way we view our print media. We often talk about The Advertiser being an inherently biased newspaper with agendas galore, but we are so used to it that we have become resigned to the fact.

I think because the process has evolved slowly, we just accept the current situation, but why should we??

I must be honest, this situation has me reconsidering my subscription to the Advertiser/Sunday Mail on the weekends. I just get it for something to read, but why should I hand over my cash to such an inherently corrupt organisation so they can root around with the politics of my country, my state, and through these directly affect my life?

I've never been much of a protester, and I doubt my 20 bucks a month will change much. Out of principle though I think I might steer clear of New Ltd publications from now on.

I must say, I'm very surprised no one has started a social media campaign against them yet.

[JAS]

I think one of the worries here from chatting to friends is that after the police inquiry some convicted child killer/s could use any illegal actions by News Int at the time of their crime/trial to have their convictions overturned.

Obviously if the inquiry discovered that any genuinly innocent person was wrongly convicted it would be a good thing and the hunt for the real culprit could resume but the thought that someone like Levi Bellfield (Milly Dowler) or Ian Huntly (Soham murders) could ever be released just because of what NotW did doesn't bear thinking about.

Regards
JAS

[overloaded]

That ABC article was very interesting.

This whole business has made me think a bit more the way we view our print media. We often talk about The Advertiser being an inherently biased newspaper with agendas galore, but we are so used to it that we have become resigned to the fact.

I think because the process has evolved slowly, we just accept the current situation, but why should we??

I must be honest, this situation has me reconsidering my subscription to the Advertiser/Sunday Mail on the weekends. I just get it for something to read, but why should I hand over my cash to such an inherently corrupt organisation so they can root around with the politics of my country, my state, and through these directly affect my life?

I've never been much of a protester, and I doubt my 20 bucks a month will change much. Out of principle though I think I might steer clear of New Ltd publications from now on.
I must say, I'm very surprised no one has started a social media campaign against them yet.

Finally someone has hit the nail on the head.

Readership has dropped 30% over the last 3 years. The paper is dying. Yet dumb companies still spend the money to advertise in it

[redandblack]

Overnight, Rupert has been asked to appear at an inquiry and the British Governemnt is going to vote with the Opposition to ask Murdoch to withdraw his BSkyB bid.

This is front page news everywhere.

In Adelaide, of course, Murdoch owns the newspapers and a TV station.

I checked for the story on Adelaide Now website and eventually found it as a tiny link near the bottom of the page.

[JAS]

Overnight, Rupert has been asked to appear at an inquiry and the British Governemnt is going to vote with the Opposition to ask Murdoch to withdraw his BSkyB bid.

This is front page news everywhere.

In Adelaide, of course, Murdoch owns the newspapers and a TV station.

I checked for the story on Adelaide Now website and eventually found it as a tiny link near the bottom of the page.

It's a Parliamentary Select committee...the culture, media and sport committee...that he, James and Rebekah have been asked to appear before so it's not the actual judicial inquiry, which isn't up and running yet Unfortunately I believe all they can do is ask him and James to appear as they're US citizens but I think Rebekah could be summoned if necessary. Yesterday it was the police chiefs who performed the original inquiry that were up before the committee.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-14127282

Latest here...inculding Jay Rockerfeller calling for an investigation in the US in case the same happened there...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-14131555

Regards
JAS

[JAS]

David Cameron has just announced the scope of the inquiries...

As reported by Sky News...
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/pm-unveils-sco ... 49385.html

As reported by BBC News...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-14131555

Still being debated in the House and I believe the debate on the BSkyB takeover will follow it.

An interesting news item reported about an hour earlier...

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/sun-fights-bac ... 24984.html
(full article)

News International's legal manager Tom Crone has left the company, it has emerged.

Mr Crone worked primarily for the News of the World and The Sun during his time with the company.

His reasons for leaving are not yet clear...

Regards
JAS

[JAS]

Just announced as breaking news on the BBC News channel and Sky News...

News Corp have withdrawn their bid for BSkyB.

Regards
JAS

[redandblack]

Thanks for the updates, JAS.

I hope this is just the first of many hurdles for this corrupt organisation.

[JAS]

Thanks for the updates, JAS.

I hope this is just the first of many hurdles for this corrupt organisation.

Your welcome...apparently the BSkyB withdrawl has caught everyone by surprise...reporters, pundits, MP's...all of them. They say Cameron had just begun a meeting with the Dowler family and some other MP's were about to meet for some last minute discusions before the House debate on the bid.

Should add that News Corp are saying that 'they remain a committed and long-term shareholder of BSkyB' (quote from Sky News). I believe that's 39% of the shares.

Debate is still going to go ahead but without a vote (now pointless).

Initial comments from the party leaders...

No10-PM's office (Conservative) We welcome the withdrawl of the BSkyB bid.
Clegg-Deputy PM (Lib Dem) Withdrawing bid for BSkyB is the decent and sensible thing to do.
Milliband-Leader of the Opposition (Labour) This is a victory for people up and down the country.


Regards
JAS

[JAS]

Debate on BSkyB takeover has started in the House of Commons and looks like it's going to be a long one.

If anyone wants to see an American view of the News Corp/Int events then it looks like the CNN website has a fair bit of coverage...

http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/europ ... ?hpt=hp_t1

Regards
JAS

[Trader]

News Corp have withdrawn their bid for BSkyB.

Smart move, now the government won't put a block in the way.
Means in 12 months time they can just do it then the fuss has died down.