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Facundo Arrizabalaga / EPA, file
James and Rupert Murdoch pictured in London at the height of the phone-hacking controversy in July.
News analysis
LONDON -- Media mogul Rupert Murdoch, CNN anchor Piers Morgan and the entire British newspaper industry are braced for their very own judgment day.
Thursday will see the publication of a report by a major U.K. inquiry into the phone-hacking scandal. It will likely be one of the most important days in the history of the country's newspapers.
Early reports suggest that the findings will be “excoriating.” In the language of the British tabloid press, the U.K.’s journalists are set to get “a bloody good kicking.”
Led by a judge, Lord Justice Leveson's inquiry was set up after journalists, mostly from the now-closed News of the World, were accused of listening to people’s cell-phone messages to gain stories. The paper – owned by Murdoch’s News Corporation -- even allegedly “hacked” the voicemail of a murdered schoolgirl.
News Corporation – home of Fox News, the National Geographic Channel, 20th Century Fox, and a host of newspapers -- appears to be back on its feet, recently buying into the Yankees Entertainment and Sports Network.
But if Lord Justice Leveson chooses to launch a high-profile attack on the Murdoch’s business practices then the multinational media giant could find itself facing another round of bad publicity.
Prosecutors have filed criminal charges against former News of the World editor Andy Coulson and former News International executive Rebekah Brooks for their alleged involvement in Britain's phone-hacking scandal. NBC's Michelle Kosinski reports from London.
UK PM's ex-aide, Murdoch protege face charges in phone-hacking scandal
What the Leveson inquiry looked at included what Murdoch’s son James, who was then head of News Corporation’s British newspaper arm, did and didn’t know about phone hacking. It went on to question the Murdochs’ relations with British politicians.
It even asked whether the political support of Murdoch newspapers had been leveraged to gain commercial advantage for the Murdochs’ television networks. Rupert Murdoch told the inquiry that such a suggestion was unfair – he had “never asked a prime minister for anything,” he said.
Morgan will also be looking anxiously across the Atlantic to see what the Leveson inquiry concludes.
At the end of his evidence in December, Morgan, who was once editor of the News of the World and then the rival Mirror, said he felt like a rock star “confronted with a back catalog of all his worst hits.”
“He made no fatal admission, but the cumulative effect of shifty denials and self-contradictions was awful,” wrote British commentator Michael White in the Guardian, the newspaper which uncovered the phone-hacking scandal.
Former UK PM accuses Murdoch of misleading inquiry into phone-hack scandal
But what matters now is what Leveson has to say. Morgan and the Murdochs await the judge’s verdict.
The British media will concentrate on the proposals for regulation of the newspaper industry.
Dave Hogan / Getty Images, file
Piers Morgan, former editor of the Mirror newspaper, and Rebekah Brooks, ex-editor of the Sun.
But during the inquiry there was one issue that Lord Justice Leveson himself called “the elephant in the room” -- the Internet.
Rupert Murdoch not 'a fit person' to run major company, UK lawmakers say
While the inquiry was still collecting evidence, two stories emerged that suggest Britain is no longer the home of the worst excesses of tabloid journalism.
First, U.S.-based website TMZ published pictures of Prince Harry cavorting naked with girls in a Las Vegas hotel room. Then a French magazine printed topless photographs of Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge, which were taken with a long lens while she was on holiday.
Prince William, Kate 'hugely saddened' by publication of topless photos
The pictures could be seen by anyone with a computer. And neither was reproduced by a British newspaper, except for News Corporation tabloid The Sun, which published the Harry snaps after days of consideration.
Cameras are swarming Prince Harry once again, as he steps out for the first time since his Las Vegas photo scandal, but this time they are catching him doing good works, visiting sick children and appearing at the Paralympics. NBC's Michelle Kosinski reports.
Little wonder that The Economist described the Internet as “A naked challenge to Lord Leveson.”
The Internet is awash with stories about the duchess, many of which are entirely speculative or plain wrong.
Clearly criminal wrongdoing by journalists will continue to be investigated. Charges against a list of Murdoch journalists await a court hearing. But when it comes to regulation -- Leveson’s main focus -- the Internet poses a challenge.
If Leveson ignores it and regulates British newspapers alone, he may shackle them to an increasingly insignificant existence amid falling sales. But if he proposes shutting down websites, he could be accused of trying to introduce China-style censorship laws.
Many will view it as a battle for the future of free speech in Britain.
Follow NBC News' Keir Simmons on Twitter.
More world stories from NBC News:
- ANALYSIS: Egypt learns the art of politics amid protests
- Arafat's exhumation: Palestinians' desire for truth might be dashed again
- Chinese paper falls for Onion 'sexiest man alive' spoof
- Europe sees US debt crisis as dire as its own
- ANALYSIS: Israeli defense chief quits politics — but for how long?
- As battle raged in Syria, Russia sent tons of cash to Damascus, records show
- Scientists rush to save manta rays, the 'pandas of the ocean'
Leave a Comment:
What people have missed here, is that what the reporters and papers did was already illegal; the failure was a joint issue between press power, political involvement and alleged police bribery. Adding extra regulation from a, say, politically appointed press regulatory commission would serve only to stifle freedom of the press.
What the Murdoch papers (and other suspected individuals) was clearly wrong, and should be fairly prosecuted, but don't suspend liberty at the soft words of a corrupt politician.
If you view falsely promoting a war because it was good for business and accusing skeptics of being traitors, then what Faux Noose has done is criminal.
There are over 4000 American soldiers who died because of the "fair and balanced" documentation of Iraqi Weapons of Mass Destruction.
The same Faux Heads (pronounce it anyway you want) who were responsible for the war, and the financial entitlements that caused our economic melt-down, are the biggest critics of President Obama.
JymAllyn - You must have forgotten, the intelligence agencies and the CIA all agreed that Saddam had WMD's, even top Democrats including Bill Clinton made speeches saying the same. The Democrats also voted to use force in Iraq. If you're going to prosecute, you're going to have to prosecure them all.
Never really liked Piers Morgan much and have always believed he was a poor choice to replace Larry King with!
I didn't know much about Morgan except his name when he took over the show. I've learned to thoroughly dislike him. What a pretentious ass. I hope both he and Murdoch take it on the chin.
I wish we could go back to the 60's when the media wasn't so "open." Now they feel they HAVE to report EVERYTHING whether it's important or not. I'm sorry, but the public doesn't NEED to know or see the Royals naked, or hear about other crap that is useless. I wish they'd just report the important stuff and leave the crap behind. They're so busy trying to find the dirt that they forget to report on the important things that we really need to know about.
With all the new technology, people feel they MUST know everything about anything, all the time....ridiculous! I closed my Facebook account because I didn't feel it was important to know when an individual "went to the movies," "hopped off at the mall," etc. It's a bunch of unnecessary information that wasted my time and (actually) theirs also! I'm sorry, but there are things that are happening in the world that just aren't that important, and I don't feel we have a "need to know" about them.
Rick-1103809,
I totally agree with your assessment of Morgan. He is smug and brings nothing to CNN. I was very disappointed with CNN's decision to put this guy on their network. He needs to go.
Didi, it all started when they went from a 15 minute news show to an hour news show to 24/7 news coverage. There is just not that much exciting news to make full time news shows so they fabricate news by hyping things that are not important enough to be on the news.
Murdoch is a Nazi
When is the United States going to revoke Murdoch's American citizenship?? It was GIVEN to him by a republikan Congress. He did not earn it, no application, no justification, no citizenship examination that all other want to be citizens must take. We gave it to him we can take it away. @cm-3483584 is right! He's a goddamned Nazi. Piss on him and his fascist tools.
Murdock is a Nazi? Exaggerate much? Please list all pertinent facts pointing to this conclusion.
And you're the folks who get all upset when people call Obama a socialist or communist after Obama himself spent years associating with known self-proclaimed communists like Frank Marshall Davis, Bill Ayers, Bernadine Dohrn, Van Jones, et al.
Just because you repeat nonsense often, it doesn't make it true.
As a card carrying Obama supporter, I could not agree with you more. Two wrongs never make a right. Never. Although two rights and an uppercut would suit me just fine when it comes to Murdock.
Proud--And here you are yourself repeating right wing bull@!$%# about Obama. Please tell me more about the "years" Obama spent associating with Bill Ayers and Bernadine Dohrn. Neither of whom were communists. Dohrn was more of an anarchist and radical anti-war activist. But go ahead, please tell me about all those years Obama associated with these people.
Remember repeating your lies over and over again don't make them true.
To: Proud 2B liberal...Send that last line to faux news.
Ruppert is not a nazi, he is just another plain old greedy, racist, fascist. That he owns Faux News which broadcasts a lot of OUTRIGHT LIES about Obama and a lot of facist propaganda is an indication that he will support a totalitarian state which would be run by a group like nazis.
Germany was a facist state run by a nazis which I mention just so you will know what to expect if people like Mr. Mudduck ara able to futher tighten their grip on our electoral process.
If you are a liberal
Bluelake - Honestly, if you REALLY wanted to know more about Obama, the information is all there, but you don't, do you? You prefer to ignore it all and criticize anyone else who doesn't do the same. He spent 20 YEARS in the "church" of the black racist Jeremiah Wright, and yes, he served on a board with Bill Ayers who was a domestic terrorist and who helpeed Obama lanch his political career. He was mentored by active COMMUNIST PARTY MEMBER Frank Marshall Davis and others.
Seriously, what is it that you don't understand about this? How can you know these things about this man and still trust him in any government role?
Would you defend David Duke in the same way in a bid for President since he too spent years in a racist organization (the KKK)? Of course not, but I know why: it's not the racist part that bothers you, it's the WHITE racist part you disagree with (black racism is fine evidently).
Donald Parker--If he's a liberal, I'm Peter Pan AND I'm going to win Powerball tonight!
You seem to not even be awake....It is those liberal pills that are taking effect. Selective awareness.
Again, list your specific proof of exactly what Fox is lying about. What stories were untrue?
Unless you can list specific examples, your accusations mean nothing and suggest you have simply bought the line about "Fox lies" with no substantiation at all. Also are you unaware that forcing an agenda that you believe is right upon others who don't want it is exactly what Obama and the Democrats are doing (to half the country) and that's exactly the claim you are making about Fascism?
That's not smart, and it's NOT liberal.
Proud 2B A Right Wing Stooge--I'm calling you a liar! You repeat Fux and Newsmax garbage and call it truth. You cannot prove in any way the crap you are spouting. Seriously, you need to push this drivel on to similar low IQ people who might give a rat's ass about your "facts". Unless you can site specific sources, attributions and links you play the part of the loudmouth, right wing hypocrite that you surely sound like.
and the lemmings rejoice.......
and the idiots have lost their major source of "information"
and the partisan rhetoric continues on both sides and nothing gets done, or discussed with civility and debate.
Partisan hacks are part of the problem... actually the biggest part because they buy into one side or the other...completely.... and never see the WHOLE picture...
THE MEDIA IN AMERICA IS PURELY TABLOID SENSATIONAL REGURGITATED CRAP. That ALL it is...
And yes Murdoch is one of the biggest on top of the pile of crap
The report will be a tale, told by idiots, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing... Journalism, REAL journalism died a few decades ago and became just another arm of politics. Propagandist tools--all of them.
They are issuing a report, in which the culprits will no doubt be identified and called bad names. Oh, the horror! How much more brutal can it get?
quo...I so agree. Rupert Murdoch has publicly stated numerous times that his media will publish only according to his ultra right wing ideology.
Americans have a huge distaste for media mogul who impose their ideology on those who don't want it. But, what's more dangerous about such ideologically bent media is that the stream of consciousness of those who are ravaged daily by the constant onslaught of such biased, rhetorical ideology lose the ability to think independently. Worse, in a time of a major crisis, if only Murdochian media is available, important information needed could readily be skewed to the advantage of those who'd profit most from said crisis.
Piers Morgan is a toffee-nosed quasi-aristocrat who detests Americans. His loyalties lie on the other side of the pond. No matter who he thinks he is fooling.
i too believe journalism is gone, real true journalism. It seems that we need to prevent journalism from entering into congress....we really screwed up on our choices for many years now..
Fox News originated as GOP TV (circa 1968). Murdock bought it as a propaganda instrument, and just like Clear Channel, populated it with radical right wing talking heads in order to sell advertising to likeminded corporations and businessmen. And just like the National Inquirer and Rush Limbaugh, Americans ate is up.
P.T. Barnum (early 20th Century): "There is a fool born every minute."
Rupert Murdock (early 21st Century): "There is a conservative fool born every second."
It is time for Murdoch to pack it in anyway. The half truths and dirt reported by his employees/, papers created misery for others and is a reflection of the type of garbage he and others of his ilk glory in. Some misery must hit him and his followers now, if this is revenge well it is due . I hope this is his waterloo
Joyce...This is also true of the New York Post. Not a day goes by when Krauthammer isn't swilling with criticism and sniping away at Americans, liberals, President Obama and anyone else who doesn't fit the perfection Krauthammer believes he has achieved. Think again oh mighty one.
Yes so very true...just like NBC and MSN do it to promote Obama and bash all republicans....
All mainstream media infotainment is just tabloid crap
Yeah, all those liberals on MSNBC. That Joe Scarborough, what a liberal!! And that paid MSNBC consultant Michael Steel, for sure he's just another liberal democrat. What a one sided...what?...they are?... oh well, never mind...
Bluelake Yeah, and that Fox news putting liberals and conservatives together on a panel to discuss events...how one sided!
I watch Fox from time to time and when this was going on and periodically as info boke since then they did broadcast it.
They did it in my opinion in a similar manner to CNN and the other networks.
They did give it fairly extensive coverage as news.
Morgan works for CN now.
Stan- 2150195, Wait- let me get this straight:
Piers Morgan is a cartoon show now?
9 deleted, Bill Collins-1907616 with a 'who cares' derail about how the POTUS and Benghazi are more important. If so, comment on those articles instead of this off-topic stuff. You're suspended for a week for violating #4 - and #1 - of the Code of Honor.
One British journalist I know who blogs here was horrified over "what had become of his profession." It is a huge deal across the pond...
Yet, like the elixir salesmen of the Old West, the operation has packed up its wagon and moved on to the next town and a fresh batch of customers to fleece...
Allowing Murdoch to purchase the Wall Street Journal was horribly lax oversight, and now the acquisition of the Yankee Network may cause me do what forty years of Steinbrenner shinola couldn't accomplish and abandon my passion for pinstripes.
It's time to just say no....
What I'm more concerned about is Murdoch purchasing two more papers...the Chicago Times is a big midwest paper. Don't we have enough problems with midwestern state mentalities rabidly feasting on Tea Party Koch BS?
If the FCC grants Murdoch and other billionaire media moguls their way, theirs no end to the consequences. If Murdoch is flushed down the toilet in the UK, that won't stop him from starting to disease the media in the US.
Again...this is why making more and more billionaires from men who point and delegate conservative tyrannical style is dangerous. How many more of our Constitutional rights will be flushed down the drain?
The disease in the U.S. media started a long time ago. We have very few credible
sources for honest journalism today.
I concur 100%
This guy is the ultimate SB, a very far right winger whose ego now attempts to buy governments. Look at how he tried to manipulate America, via his new stations, FOX and others. Worst yet, he's not even an American. Giving him life in prison (what little he has left), isn't worth it. I would put him somewhere in the Congo's or Siberia, some place without a phone or a pair of shoes.
Tony...the stretch from billionaire to government takeover was always the goal. Always. If there is anything billionaires like Murdoch, the Kochs and Adelson want less, it's a government with citizen representation. Money can destroy as we've seen numerous times. How many millionaires and billionaires offed their own spouses to get it ALL? All, of course, being the major goal when limitless supplies of money are available by simplying buying the government politicians you want.
The US has never been in a more dangerous situation than it is at present. With a single stroke of a pen, House Republicans and Republicans in the Senate can make the Middle Class disappear. That's how easy it is. And, all they have to do is impose more taxes on the class struggling most to keep their heads above water. Then, their dream of government takeover is complete...and the birth of a new nation, America Inc. with a CEO instead of a president, a Board of Directors comprised of the top dozen billionaires and the rest of us become their indentured slaves.
Damn it, he IS an American thanks to a republikan Congress! We need to REVOKE his American citizenship and we need to do it NOW !!!
OK Bluelake, we get your stupid point! How many times are you going to post the same thing?
To anyone who believes everything without the effort of research I would like to inform you that the Murdochs, especially the younger, are liberals. News Corporation and Fox News are also run by liberals.
The reason why FOX is right of all the other liberal media is simply due to its business model. The Murdochs saw a niche and filled it with much success. Anyone who thinks they are a conservative organization needs to learn more.
The only factual news anyone can get today is from the Drudge Report.
You are correct in your research. Fox has gained considerably because they provided to the consumer what they wanted. All media is Liberal in the world.
Wider...Wrong...Murdoch is a self-declared ultra right wing conservative. He said so in an interview on his own Fox News station in 2007 and again in 2009. He also said the only reason he "became an American citizen was for the money."
He was born in Australia and his father was a newspaper owner in that country. So, like all rich old buzzards, Murdoch inherited his wealth from his old man.
Wider, Ol' Buddy -
Your last line tells the ENTIRE story about you.
FAUX News is run by Liberals??? Yeah - Riiiiiggghhhht.
Earth to Wider: Get back on your meds - ASAP!!
Larry pass the joint back to wilder............you've bogarted it for way too long
Murdoch does have a strong rightward bias- and media isn't liberal.
It's owned by rich Republicans these days- and with very few exceptions indeed, it promotes their agendas with unwavering diligence.
Fox is rabidly extremist by design- not "for profit".
For the facts on who Mr. Murdoch funded in politics, see: http://www.opensecrets.org/news/2011/07/rupert-murdoch-cash-lines-pockets.html
Yes, he funded some democrats as well- but at rather low levels, and generally only those regarded as "blue dogs".
Quit dignifying regurgitated opinion without any basis in fact as "research", and you might end up doing enough real research of your own to attain a working relationship with reality.
Interesting how the Liberal Press finds this phone hacking scandal so criminal because the business was part of Rupert Murdoch's business holdings. Yet all these Liberals cheered when Sarah Palins e-mail was hacked. They cheer when someone sifting through her garbage finds a tidbit to show the world. Frankly, when you tolerate this sort of activity from one source then it grows like wildfire as perfectly legal to do. The press throughout the world in particular in the United States needs to be reigned in when they infringe on others rights. I am in favor of jail time for reporters. That is how you fix this problem.
Larry...Give it up already. Tell you what I find interesting. How conservative noses are in everyone else's business but how dare anyone start looking too closely at the dirty business of conservatives.
Hacking is theft. If you illegally hack into a private phone conversation, you are guilty of theft. Need it explained better than that? Or is theft among neoconartists these days the accepted mode of life?
What I say on a phone is no one else's business. Trying to explain the right to privacy to a neoconartist is like trying to negotiate a deal with Madoff. Stinks from all angles.
Too much Kool-ade has damaged whatever brain cells you may have once had! Conservative noses are in everyone else's business? Really? So it was conservatives who put the provision in Obama care requiring government access to our medical records. Wow, that's news to everyone but you!
This happened because they embarrassed the rich and the powerful- and because they deserved it.
Tabloids have been wrecking people's lives forever- but it's one thing to harm sheep, and quite another to harm tigers.
Julian Assange believed he could safely expose the peccadilloes of the powerful- and found himself assassinated in character if not yet in reality.
The donations by which WikiLeaks lives or dies have also come under an illegal assault which has just been quietly allowed to stand in a European court. This was largely ignored by a press which now provides far less in the way of news and far more in the way of propaganda than it did when five people didn't own most of it.
See: http://news.yahoo.com/eu-says-card-firms-block-wikileaks-did-not-105841227--sector.html
Judgement day my foot. Murdoch and the others will get nothing more than a Mild tongue lashing. They all have far too much money to get anything more than that. The wealthy Never get any punishment for anything. The people know it, the courts know it.
@tarzan you hit the nail right on the head, these smug ba$tard$ are not worried one bit ,does anyone here really think these guys will learn some kind of lesson? or start reporting facts for that matter? murdoch will continue to spew the truth as he sees it, and hide behind the freedom of speech act. but to hack the voicemail of a poor dead girl just to get a scoop, oh man that is low as it gets right there. sad but true but when you have the kind of money murdoch has you are held by a completely different standard of law than the rest of us.
@dscott15-3513026, that's possibly the most ignorant post yet! Have you ever read the U.S. Constitution? What is "the freedom of speech act"? Something you dreamed about?
@ OldDog47- No sir, YOU do not know how reading comprehension works. dscott's statement "freedom of Speech" act was not properly punctuated, I'll give you that. But it was meant in the context of an "act ", as in a "song and dance" act. A farse, a show. NOT as an actual act of Congress. Besides, the First Amendment already states all that needs to be said about freedom of speech. So as far as ignorance goes, I see your comment as an exxageration due to the fact that I have personally read several on here that FAR outstrip dscott's, but then again that's simply my opinion that calling Mr. Murdoch a "Nazi" (While I also personally detest the man as well) is ignorance in it's purest form. You sir, however are the perverbial "Pot calling the kettle black" with your lack of understanding of the fairly simple phrasing mistake of dscott's comment, and compounded by your exxagerated statement in regards to it.
Keep telling yourself that WiderGlider and you and your "compassionate conservatism" will go the way of the dinosaur. Fox is trash and so is Rupert. They are running the republiklan party to extinction and fast. Almost half the country gets ALL their "news" from Fox. Turn the channel and enlighten yourself. You might find out that the future is bright and Obama is a great guy! Or just keep reading Drudge and be an angry honkey the next 4 years.
I guess that now we can use any racial slur we want. If you are white and agree with Obama then you are good. If you diagree with Obama then you are an angry HONKEY. So you base racial hate on politics. We need you to be the next ambassador to Lybia. Good pay, good benefits and you get to meet honkeys from all over the world. If there is any trouble don't worry, Barak Obama has your back.
Racial slurs are uncalled for, even towards those that spew hatred themselves.
well, since we have much the same type of media corruption in Canada, then I dare say many here will also! be very interested in this report,,control freaks in media can be and so often are, extremely dangerous to many, and since in the past, they dont experience the consequences of their actions, at all,, then they are running amuck and in some cases, selling out their colleagues journalistic integrity to the highest bidder, which is so often crimland in all its guises,,so,, courts etc are all very well,, but it is the journalists themselves! that absolutly must be! the architects of any changes,oversight, reviews etc,,,and that! is of extreme interest,, since it can be and so often is corrupted from within,, look to see many more hats in the ring and then exposures of criminal intent in the very! near future,,and thats the thing about media these days,, while it can be and is corrupted with criminal intent, it also! can be and is a tool for exposing those who will use it for evil,, ten seconds is all it takes for a "story" to travel around! the globe,, funny that these crimland losers dont understand the real world implications of the very tool they are using for evil actions,,its a 2 way street crimmies,, think about it[if you can, think that is?? which seems doubtfull I must say]..this surely aint! the "old days", and a good thang that is too,,as for "ruprecht"??.. jail the slime, and the others, its the only thing that works with these type of psychopaths,,real! consequences,,and take away their assets under "proceeds of crime" as a detterant to others, to not do these things in the first place,then we will see some scrambling, you bet!! HA HA HA,..do the crime? do the time, it aint rocket science after all, is it??
Wake up dumb FUX NEWS nation wake up, you are being used!
Hannity, Huckabee, etc. are agents of the devil!!!
fool!
I don't know about anyone else in the world but I do know how I feel. I feel we have been snowed into believing that a so called free press maintains our powers of freedom of speech. It's just another avenue for the World's wealth to occupy our minds, body and soul. Murdoch's FOX News is a perfect example and the show and tell of the English Newspaper antics are proof of how dirty and manipulative it will get to gain power, wealth and favor within governments everywhere. He's not a Newsman. He's a unconscionable Businessman. One that rapes the truth making it into the truth that he needs for his service. The one thing he didn't realize is the younger people with street smarts aren't going to bite into it. Sure he has today's over 70's hooked. But not the educated. The Republican Party leans heavily on his type of propaganda reporting. Pretty soon the Vietnam era protesters and Veterans will be dying off along with Murdoch himself and they must find ways to educate the young to sell their trash to and have another crooked veil to hide behind, while maintaining power and wealth. Think about it.
I'm sure you consider yourself "educated" newbob, but just all the libs that are so sure how smart and "educated" they are, you're not so much. The last line of your post says "Think about it." Anyone who does think about it will realize how ignorant your ill-informed rant really sounds!
he had “never asked a prime minister for anything,”
More likely, he waved a wad of cash and DEMANDED everything. Murdoch doesn't seem to be the type of guy to politely ask for anything - just demand. Or perhaps he just didn't ask the PM, but asked everyone around him.
Whoever ordered the hacking deserves a long prison sentence. Lean on the hacker and you'll find out who ordered it.
An educated public can be brutally discerning about the news they get from the media. Warren Buffet stated quite wisely today in an NPR interview this morning that he closes his ears to all the voices in order to hear only facts.
Men like Rupert Murdoch fabricate their own facts. That's why they can't be trusted. It's the same reason you can't trust any conservative. They are prone to fabricating their own truths and facts as only they see them. It's like trying to reason with a brick wall. With the same result.
There sure a lot of "educated" libbies here today!
Along with an awful lot of biased, uneducated, right wing conservatives.
Cut it, OldDog. Rmoney lost, remember?
Who says that half-truths, distortions of the truth and outright, intentional lies are not lucrative??
People like Murdoch, who gives comfort to the enemies of our Beloved Nation during a time of war, should be prosecuted here in the United States for their ongoing criminal violations of the provisions of U.S. Criminal Code 18 USC Chapter 115, entitled TREASON, SEDITION, AND SUBVERSIVE ACTIVITIES.
OK, you get today's award for stupidest post! Since you obviously know nothing about the law, maybe you should stop posting about it.
The only problem with you OldDog is that you're a stupid con. How's Rmoney lately?
OldDog, Old Buddy, Old Pal -
The legal line between "Freedom of Speech" and "yelling 'FIRE!!!' in a crowded theater" is not nearly as broad as you obviously think. The NON-STOP SEDITIOUS AND TREASONOUS RANTS of Murdoch's talking head puppets on the FOX "News" Channel have done more to stir up POTENTIALLY VIOLENT Right-wing Extremists than any other force currently at play during these EXTREMELY PERILOUS TIMES.
If you have any doubts regarding this observation, take the time to check out how the firearms manufacturer, Sturm Ruger & Company , Inc. stock has performed since President Obama took office. On January 1, 2009 it was $6.61. At the moment, it is $59.38 - which is approximately a 900% increase in less than four (4) years as a direct result of the UNFOUNDED FEAR-MONGERING of Murdoch, et al. There's a lot of mentally-unstable and POTENTIALLY VIOLENT Right-wing Extremists out there who are sitting on top of a large accumulated stockpile of weapons and ammunition - and they're itching to put their investment to use. These unstable Extremists are more dangerous than thousands of kegs of dynamite - and Murdoch keeps trying to "light the fuse".
Murdoch's "media puppets" freely abuse our SACRED rights to Freedom of Speech under the intentionally fraudulent guise of merely "BROADCASTING THE NEWS". When Murdoch knowingly and willfully promulgates half-truths, distortions of the truth and intentional OUTRIGHT LIES under the DECEPTIVE guise of merely "BROADCASTING THE NEWS". then the FCC should have the authority to intervene.
I advocate the FCC adopting regulations that involve stiff penalties for any alleged "NEWS" program to promulgate SEDITIOUS AND TREASONOUS OPINIONS consisting of the aforementioned half-truths, distortions of the truth and outright LIES, which are deceptively represented as being factual "NEWS".
Dog - based upon your post, you are an extremely GULLIBLE "hook-line-and-sinker FOX Sheeple". What an absolute FOOL you are for taking your marching orders from an anti-American foreigner like Murdoch!! Take time to step outside the FOX echo chamber and take a deep breath of REALITY! You may even learn to like REALITY (but, based upon your half-baked and highly-insulting post, I seriously doubt if you have the gumption to come out of the rain, much less face REALITY).
I suggest you take the time to review all of the provisions of U.S. Criminal Code 18 USC Chapter 115, entitled TREASON, SEDITION, AND SUBVERSIVE ACTIVITIES. Clear and convincing evidence over the past four (4) years proves that the anti-American, foreign born Murdoch would be found guilty by a Jury of well-informed and reasonable fact-finders.
BTW: I've forgotten much more than you'll ever know about the law.
Rupert who??
Hey, get a clue or STFU, imbecile!
Rupert who??
thisbusymonster "I only hope Murdoch lives long enough to see everything he's done burned to ashes. He's a despicable piece of @!$%#."
Don't be surprised. If young Rupert follows in the footsteps of his mother he may continue to pollute this planet with his insidious presence for decades to come. His mother celebrated her 100th birthday two or three years ago.
From memory, it was the French aristocrat and diplomat Joseph de Maistre (a contemporary of Russia's Catherine the Great) who stated words to the effect: "Every society deserves the government it has."
Applying the same logic, "Anyone who relies on Fox deserves to remain ignorant".
Here's the thing, the reason that this report is a big deal is that it will (I hope) finally draw that line in the sand over what is journalism and what is just fodder for the masses. I love a bit of fodder now and again who doesn't but that doesn't make it journalism. In this age of instant news, the race has been to break the story first, and then make corrections later. I give you Benghazi , on Tuesday the attack happened and by Wednesday, we were demanding to know what happened, and thus we get the conflicting stories. Cover up I don't think so, I think it was more of business of usual, break the story with whatever we think we know and who cares if it's wrong.
Getting back to Fodder, unless the man that the Duchess of Cambridge was topless with was NOT her husband I fail to see how this was news and as such journalism, likewise how did hacking a dead girls phone and deleting her messages so her parents thought she was still alive inform the public.
In this new digital age we need a new code of ethics for journalism, freedom of the press is sacred to us, but with that freedom comes responsibility and I feel that fodder for the masses is not journalism but entertainment and thus should not be called journalism or protected.
I am not a Fox News fan, but they all do it to some degree or other. They don't inform us with the news the entertain us with the news.
When news became entertainment by coincidence~Ron Teflon Reagan became President. Was that truly a coincidence??? I think NOT!
Everybody hacks industrially. But if you gong to take Murdoch on, you better have bloody big ones. This is not some adolescent teen that happened to play video games...then could not get a date...now he can buy a boyfriend.