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Memo Sent, Received & Transmitting.
Author: Raine    Date: 07/18/2011 12:54:00

Yesterday the head of Scotland Yard resigned over bribery in a phone hacking scandal, a scandal that involves the Rupert Murdoch owned News Corp. As this story is still unfolding, the fine folks over at Fox and Friends decided to cover the story. Watch if you have not already:
Hacking is the problem -- not News Corp., and this is a really important point. Personally, think Fox & Friends have little credibility, so I laughed this little exchange off as another example of silliness.

That said, The Wall Street Journal has an Op-Ed piece today that a Managing Editor from another newspaper called "Jawdropping". I tend to agree, How about you? It not a very long piece and worth reading in its entirety so here are a few snippets:
At least three British investigations into phone-hacking and payments to police and others by the now-shuttered News of the World tabloid are underway, with 10 arrests so far. News Corp. and its executives have apologized profusely and are cooperating with authorities. Phone-hacking is illegal, and it is up to British authorities to enforce their laws. If Scotland Yard failed to do so adequately when the hacking was first uncovered several years ago, then that is more troubling than the hacking itself.
***
In braying for politicians to take down Mr. Murdoch and News Corp., our media colleagues might also stop to ask about possible precedents. The political mob has been quick to call for a criminal probe into whether News Corp. executives violated the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act with payments to British security or government officials in return for information used in news stories. Attorney General Eric Holder quickly obliged last week, without so much as a fare-thee-well to the First Amendment.
***

The last time the liberal press demanded a media prosecutor, it was to probe the late conservative columnist Robert Novak in pursuit of White House aide Scooter Libby. But the effort soon engulfed a reporter for the New York Times, which had led the posse to hang Novak and his sources. Do our media brethren really want to invite Congress and prosecutors to regulate how journalists gather the news?
***
Phone-hacking is deplorable, and we assume the guilty will be prosecuted. More fundamentally, the News of the World's offense—fatal, as it turned out—was to violate the trust of its readers by not coming about its news honestly. We realize how precious that reader trust is, and our obligation is to re-earn it every day.
Schadenfreude indeed. Fox and Friends seems to have gotten the same memo that was published this morning in the WSJ.

It appears that everyone else is guilty of bad journalism except the enterprises held under the umbrella of News Corp. I'll add more as the day progresses. One thing I know, is that this certainly doesn't appear to be the type of Op-Ed that will rally the journalism world to their side. What do you think?

and
Raine
 

83 comments (Latest Comment: 07/18/2011 23:52:27 by livingonli)
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Comment by Mondobubba on 07/18/2011 12:56:54
Mondo will now gloat. First! HA-HA!

Comment by Mondobubba on 07/18/2011 12:58:17
Is the hacking scandal the begining of the end of the Murdoch media empire? Discuss!

Comment by TriSec on 07/18/2011 13:03:50
Morning, comrades.

Got BBC World Service on; there was a headline regarding a "Recall of Parliament" that's supposed to happen Wednesday. I don't know what that means in terms of British Politics, but I expect to be filled in further later in the hour.

Is the current British Government in danger of falling over this?


Comment by Mondobubba on 07/18/2011 13:05:24
Quote by TriSec:
Morning, comrades.

Got BBC World Service on; there was a headline regarding a "Recall of Parliament" that's supposed to happen Wednesday. I don't know what that means in terms of British Politics, but I expect to be filled in further later in the hour.

Is the current British Government in danger of falling over this?



Actually, I think there is a good chance of the current government falling. This is the biggest scandal to hit the UK in a long time.

Comment by wickedpam on 07/18/2011 13:07:20
Morning

wow...just wow..."move along, nothing to see here" that's what this reminds we of

Comment by TriSec on 07/18/2011 13:08:06
Ah, I see. It's like the Pres calling a Joint Session of Congress. The PM is expected to make a statement regarding his secretary and any links to the scandal. I still wonder how long it will be until a back-bencher calls for a no confidence vote, though.


Comment by Mondobubba on 07/18/2011 13:08:43
Tri, according the AP, "recall Parliment" is the PM calling a special session.

Comment by Raine on 07/18/2011 13:08:50
I'm amazed frankly at this line of attack from News Corp. -- I don;t know if it will take the company down, but I think the brand is finally thoroughly in the shitter.

When a major newspaper allows something like that editorial to be printed -- Going after the DOJ, The Police and others for things that they did-- it's just stunning.



Comment by TriSec on 07/18/2011 13:11:02
Wouldn't you love to see Dick Cheney somehow involved in all this?



Comment by Mondobubba on 07/18/2011 13:13:13
Quote by Raine:
I'm amazed frankly at this line of attack from News Corp. -- I don;t know if it will take the company down, but I think the brand is finally thoroughly in the shitter.

When a major newspaper allows something like that editorial to be printed -- Going after the DOJ, The Police and others for things that they did-- it's just stunning.



When the history of News Corp is written, "Defiant to the end" would most likey be the wording you will see. Their editorial line in WSJ is pretty brazen, innit?

Comment by TriSec on 07/18/2011 13:14:22
Just in now - head of Metropolitan Police anti-terrorism unit Andrew Yates is going to resign. Literally just received and read on the air from Bush House. (BBC)


Comment by Mondobubba on 07/18/2011 13:14:29
So, how about that Woman's World Cup Final?

Comment by wickedpam on 07/18/2011 13:15:01
Yes, but its still 'over there'. American's who only watch Faux or read any of the news corp pubs are mostly likely in denial that it doesn't happen here

Comment by Raine on 07/18/2011 13:17:55
With Cameron cutting his trip short, one can safely assume this is not getting any better.

I do think the Government is in deep dodo -- yes.

It's only a matter of time before someone spills the beans. This was an interesting KOS diary, although I would say that there is no proof that phones were hacked -- it does appear fair to say that phone records may have illegally been accessed.

Even that is a weak case though -- John Dean said: Interesting but even Carl Bernstein admits he and Woodward used "private telephone and credit-card records" investigating Watergate.

However the NYT is reporting this:

The complaint summed up the ethos of News America nicely, saying it had "illegally accessed plaintiff's computer system and obtained proprietary information" and "disseminated false, misleading and malicious information about the plaintiff."

The complaint stated that the breach was traced to an I.P. address registered to News America and that after the break-in, Floorgraphics lost contracts from Safeway, Winn-Dixie and Piggly Wiggly.

Much of the lawsuit was based on the testimony of Robert Emmel, a former News America executive who had become a whistle-blower. After a few days of testimony, the News Corporation had heard enough. It settled with Floorgraphics for $29.5 million and then, days later, bought it, even though it reportedly had sales of less than $1 million.

But the problems continued, and keeping a lid on News America turned out to be a busy and expensive exercise. At the beginning of this year, it paid out $125 million to Insignia Systems to settle allegations of anticompetitive behavior and violations of antitrust laws. And in the most costly payout, it spent half a billion dollars in 2010 on another settlement, just days before the case was scheduled to go to trial. The plaintiff, Valassis Communications, had already won a $300 million verdict in Michigan, but dropped the lawsuit in exchange for $500 million and an agreement to cooperate on certain ventures going forward.

The News Corporation is a very large, well-capitalized company, but that single payout to Valassis represented one-fifth of the company's net income in 2010 and matched the earnings of the entire newspaper and information division that News America was a part of.

Because consumers (and journalists) don't much care who owns the coupon machine in the snack aisle, the cases have not received much attention. But that doesn't mean that they aren't a useful window into the broader culture at the News Corporation.




Comment by TriSec on 07/18/2011 13:19:34
Aaaaand BBC will be covering the Murdoch questioning live beginning at 1300 hrs GMT tomorrow.



Comment by Raine on 07/18/2011 13:21:32
As I said in yesterdays Blog, News Corp here in America likes to buy people off. They did it with Judith Regan as well during the Bernie Kerik Affair -- JUST when Rudy Guiliani was gearing up for a run.

Comment by Scoopster on 07/18/2011 13:26:32
Comment by Raine on 07/18/2011 13:30:44
I have to disagree with John -- those republicans were the ones who helped to prop people like Walker up.

Comment by Scoopster on 07/18/2011 13:32:39
Quote by Mondobubba:
So, how about that Woman's World Cup Final?

Man that was a heartbreaker.. Gotta give Japan credit each time after the U.S. scored they REALLY upped the tempo on offense big time which led to the equalizing goals.

Lotta talk going around about how this is a big deal for Japan, given all the stuff they've been through as a result of the earthquake/tsunami/meltdown crisis.

Comment by TriSec on 07/18/2011 13:58:41
Say Scoop, lovely little stadium ya got down there in Pawtucket! (Except for the parking lot attendant on a power trip. Why are they always named "Dick", btw?)

I updated all my pics on FB, if anyone wants to head over and check them out.



Comment by Raine on 07/18/2011 14:00:36
OH dear lawd.

This is what They are talking about:


Comment by wickedpam on 07/18/2011 14:08:53
and I thought Baby Alive was creepy

Comment by Raine on 07/18/2011 14:20:13
This is awesome. Cheetowago Ny representing how a disgruntled employee quits a job!

Employee announces he quit on sign: wivb.com



Comment by Raine on 07/18/2011 14:41:59
I think James Murdoch will spend time.

He will be Ruperts sacrificial lamb

Comment by Raine on 07/18/2011 14:46:22
Does Murdoch own any papers in Boston?

Comment by wickedpam on 07/18/2011 14:47:09
Did Charlie say he owned the Herald?

Comment by TriSec on 07/18/2011 14:50:50
Well, I finally had a minute to read the WSJ editorial. I think my brain fell out.



Comment by Raine on 07/18/2011 14:51:51
Quote by wickedpam:
Did Charlie say he owned the Herald?
That is what I thought I heard. I know that Scoop and Tri have been known to frown upon it. I know that on some baords and pages it has been mentioned as being particularly conservative, but I wasn't sure if it is owned by NewsCorp™


Comment by trojanrabbit on 07/18/2011 14:52:04
Quote by wickedpam:
Did Charlie say he owned the Herald?


Yes, the Herald is a Murdoch fishwrap.

Comment by TriSec on 07/18/2011 14:52:11
Quote by Raine:
Does Murdoch own any papers in Boston?


Yes, the Herald. One of his first US acquisitions, I think; he's had that since the late 80s or early 90s, if I recall. That's when I stopped reading it. (although they still have one or two sports columnists still worth reading, if I find a copy kicking around the lunchroom.)





Comment by Raine on 07/18/2011 14:52:32
Quote by TriSec:
Well, I finally had a minute to read the WSJ editorial. I think my brain fell out.

It's an amazing piece innit?


Comment by Raine on 07/18/2011 14:53:08
Thanks for the Confirm guys!

Comment by Raine on 07/18/2011 14:55:24

Murdoch made his first acquisition in the United States in 1973, when he purchased the San Antonio Express-News. Soon afterwards, he founded Star, a supermarket tabloid, and in 1976, he purchased the New York Post. On 4 September 1985, Murdoch became a naturalised citizen to satisfy the legal requirement that only US citizens were permitted to own American television stations. Also in 1985, Murdoch purchased the 20th Century Fox movie studio. In 1986, Murdoch purchased six television stations owned by Metromedia. These stations would form the nucleus of the Fox Broadcasting Company, which was founded on 9 October 1986. In 1987, in Australia he bought The Herald and Weekly Times Ltd, the company that his father had once managed. By 1991, his Australian-based News Corp. had worked up huge debts (much from Sky TV in the UK)[citation needed], forcing Murdoch to sell many of the American magazine interests he had acquired in the mid-1980s.

In 1995, Murdoch's Fox Network became the object of scrutiny from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), when it was alleged that News Ltd.'s Australian base made Murdoch's ownership of Fox illegal. However, the FCC ruled in Murdoch's favor, stating that his ownership of Fox was in the best interests of the public. That same year, Murdoch announced a deal with MCI Communications to develop a major news website and magazine, The Weekly Standard. Also that year, News Corp. launched the Foxtel pay television network in Australia in partnership with Telstra.
From his wiki page. Juicy Stuff.

Comment by Scoopster on 07/18/2011 15:04:14
Actually News Corp. sold off the Herald in 1994, but it was bought by the paper's publisher who was a former exec under Murdoch. It changed ownership again in 2006 to some company out in the midwest. It's kept the conservative slant all along though.

Comment by TriSec on 07/18/2011 15:08:53
Reading the Wiki entry for the Herald....I was once a paperboy for them, back when it was a broadsheet called the "Herald American".

Comment by trojanrabbit on 07/18/2011 15:08:53
Morning all

I just don't see this News Corp stuff going far here, at least I'm not getting my hopes up. The right people will be bought off and there's still Rethug control in the House and Judicial. The same bad feeling that tells me Roger Clemens' trial was deliberately botched.

Anyway, another addition to the Rabbit's Electronics Fail Of The Week. Last week was my laptop. Yesterday was my DVD recorder's DVD drive (I think). Says every DVD I put in is "dirty". Tried vacuuming it out and of course Sophie was trying to replace what I vacuum out by rubbing the side of the case. I'll try cleaning the DVD burner lens before I start scouring eBay. Or try an old slower DVD-RW disc that I know works.

Just ordered a work laptop, so maybe I'll have that in a couple of days. Need it for when I do my little trips to Andover.

Comment by Raine on 07/18/2011 15:19:39
Obama was being quite honest -- he isn't trying to scare anyone.

No debt ceiling, no checks. Why? No bank to send the checks out. That is why defaulting on the debt ceiling is so bad. There will be no money to write the checks!

Comment by wickedpam on 07/18/2011 15:20:14
oh lord, tea party crazy

Comment by trojanrabbit on 07/18/2011 15:22:08
Quote by TriSec:
Reading the Wiki entry for the Herald....I was once a paperboy for them, back when it was a broadsheet called the "Herald American".


Let's see....there was the Record Amercan and the Herald Advertiser.....
Morning and Evening editions....

I was only a paperboy for the Attleboro Sun Chronicle

Comment by Raine on 07/18/2011 15:22:49
Quote by wickedpam:
oh lord, tea party crazy

Yeah, I am not really feeling this. John is trying to debate honestly with someone who set up a strawman as his debate position.

Comment by BobR on 07/18/2011 15:23:17
Quote by TriSec:
Wouldn't you love to see Dick Cheney somehow involved in all this?


If he actually was, it would get buried.

Comment by wickedpam on 07/18/2011 15:24:59
Quote by Raine:
Quote by wickedpam:
oh lord, tea party crazy

Yeah, I am not really feeling this. John is trying to debate honestly with someone who set up a strawman as his debate position.



I think this is were we Dems trend to trip up - we like honesty and try keep a playing field fair to all.

This guy will not care about anything but himself. He's selfish.

Comment by Raine on 07/18/2011 15:28:46
I don;t even mind playing fair... but do so with others who are willing to do so as well.

I noticed that caller got dumped after the break.



Comment by Raine on 07/18/2011 15:29:44
I spoke too soon.

Comment by Raine on 07/18/2011 15:30:30
Unsustainable? Simple minded Moran.

Comment by Raine on 07/18/2011 15:32:20
This guy is totally showing true colors. Trying to say we should go back to a post WWII levels????

Basically it comes down to this: he wants to get rid of what little shreds we have left from the New Deal. Limbaugh advocated that about 20 years ago.

Comment by Raine on 07/18/2011 15:33:36
Quote by Raine:
This guy is totally showing true colors. Trying to say we should go back to a post WWII levels????

Basically it comes down to this: he wants to get rid of what little shreds we have left from the New Deal. Limbaugh advocated that about 20 years ago.
The current GOP is trying to take us back to 1960's levels. You should totally check out the graphic there.


Comment by Mondobubba on 07/18/2011 15:35:26
Quote by trojanrabbit:
Morning all

I just don't see this News Corp stuff going far here, at least I'm not getting my hopes up. The right people will be bought off and there's still Rethug control in the House and Judicial. The same bad feeling that tells me Roger Clemens' trial was deliberately botched.

Anyway, another addition to the Rabbit's Electronics Fail Of The Week. Last week was my laptop. Yesterday was my DVD recorder's DVD drive (I think). Says every DVD I put in is "dirty". Tried vacuuming it out and of course Sophie was trying to replace what I vacuum out by rubbing the side of the case. I'll try cleaning the DVD burner lens before I start scouring eBay. Or try an old slower DVD-RW disc that I know works.

Just ordered a work laptop, so maybe I'll have that in a couple of days. Need it for when I do my little trips to Andover.



About the Clemmons thing. The mistrial was declared because of bone headed mistakes made my prosecution regarding the jury, the exclusion rule and video tape. No dark RW conspiracy there.

Comment by Raine on 07/18/2011 15:36:56
We CAN sustain Social Security and Medicare. It will require altering how things are paid FOR -- and here's a thought: it not about cutting the benefits that people are entitled to.

As a matter of fact, THAT is exactly what the POTUS has been talking about. This caller just wants to kill the programs altogether.

IF this guy said this to Eric Cantor, he would have slipped 10 bucks into the dudes gun belt and asked for a lap dance.

Comment by Raine on 07/18/2011 15:43:10
I love this caller. She's making a really good point.