Phone Hacking

[Sam.]

After many months of deliberation, of the past weeks several revelations in the News media have forced the News Corp owned newspaper, The News of the World, to stop publishing.

This is due to the dshonest, cruel and thoughtless actions of journalists and private detectives in the employ of the newspaper. They hacked into the phones of murder and kidnap victims, of soldiers killed in action and the victims of the 7/7 bombins in london. Although these are simply allegations, I can, from personal experience, say with some confidence that the News of the World has no qualms about lying, cheating and planting evidence to get a headline. These revelations did not come as a surprise to me.

For more details on the story, go here http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/phone-hacking

I was wondering how this story resonates around the world, News Corp are an International organisation owning, amongst MANY others, the fox network in the USA.

These recent revelations may well stand in the way of News Corp's aims to purchase the remainder of shares in Sky Television, a move I believe would be detrimental to the state of broadcasting in the UK.

Many people tend to put a blanket over journalists of being untrustworthy, while I do not think this is true, I have little faith in News Corp to uphold any kind of journalistic standards.

Does a story like this in the UK affect how you consider News Corp outlets where you live? If you are in the UK do you think it affects their other publication such as The Times?

[Kweepa]

Wow, they stopped publishing the paper?
That's a poor attempt to avoid prosecution.
I have no doubt that complicity goes right to the top.

[Wyz]

Actually it's big news here too (the Netherlands) and well they deserved it. It's a bit of a last resort that they pulled the plug, like cutting the arm off before the virus spread. I hope this doesn't stop the court cases, and well the paper might have stopped publishing but that does not stop the main man behind it so let's hope that happens somehow.

[Phemar]

I don't watch news, it's boring.

[monkey0506]

"The news" ..hmm..isnt that what twitter used to be called before the internet was invented by Mark Zuckerberg?

[Eggie]

I'd love to live to see the Murdoch empire crumble, it would restore my faith in peoples ability to stand up for what's right and somewhat waylay my guilt that the money on my Firefly DVD wriggled it's way up the system and ended up forming part of the paycheck for a slimy private investigator or Glenn Beck or *shudder* a Family Guy writer.

And yeah, the phone hacking thing's always been despicable and unacceptable. It was despicable and unacceptable back when we just thought it was just a way to embarrass famous people, it's worse now. It's good people are finally taking an interest.

[Ali]

[ahem] 38 degrees petition to block BSkyB takeover bid [/ahem]

[Shane 'ProgZmax' Stevens]

Ever notice that, these days, nobody really really wealthy ever gets arrested and sentenced to do HARD TIME?  Crimes are exposed every day committed by people at the very tip-top of agencies like the FBI and ATF, Freedom of Information Act papers all but indict people at several levels of government (check out Eric Holder's moonwalking around committing purgury!), news agencies conduct all manner of underhanded disinformation at the behest of their owners (Rupert Murdoch's the tip of the veritable iceberg), but no matter how much evidence appears, no matter how damning, we never see these people, the puppeteers, figuratively 'hang' for their misdeeds.

Doesn't that infuriate any of you, even a little?  Have the wealthy and powerful themselves become TOO BIG TO FAIL?

Discuss.

[Tuomas]

Even though I see it so, that the poor usually have more reason of committing small crime because they have less money to poke around with, and what I've noticed, in Finland a lot of money-men have been under surveillance for a long time, and there's really not that much corruption ... you are right. Even, and should I say especially these days the law can be paid to look the other way. And the higher authorities have no complaints because usually the big guys are considered to be the ones who keep the economy or the whole state, even the world alive and rolling. Yes, of course it bugs me because I'm quite poor myself, though it bugs me as much, when rapists only get a small fee and not even a sentence after molesting women.

[LUniqueDan]

I was wondering how this story resonates around the world,

Right now, it's one article every 2-3 days in the french-canadian press (on the events) but with no columnist comment yet. We missed all the early development of the scandal even if  the major papers have correspondants in London.

In other hands, the biggest "news group" arround here just lauched a Fox-News rip-off, but seems to have a very slow start.

[Radiant]

I found a pretty good summary here, at SA.

Doesn't that infuriate any of you, even a little?  Have the wealthy and powerful themselves become TOO BIG TO FAIL?

Yes, but it's not like that's new.

[mkennedy]

I found a pretty good summary here, at SA.

Doesn't that infuriate any of you, even a little?  Have the wealthy and powerful themselves become TOO BIG TO FAIL?

Yes, but it's not like that's new.

While it would be quite satisfying to see Rupert Murdoch thrown in jail it would feel even better if they seized all his assets and sentenced him to 25 years of community service and living in poverty. Split up News Corp and sell off the various pieces.

[veryweirdguy]

Perhaps the most amusing/infuriating part about this I've seen so far is this segment from Fox News which paints News of the World as the victim of this whole debacle.

[Ali]

I like the way the host says, "this happened a long time ago... at a tabloid... in London" as if the very idea of something important happening in London is laughable.

[Anian]

Fox doesn't do the news, they make the news...like literally they make them up.   

You know there should be a punishment, they could even call it "Good Samaritan" or something - if you're suspeceted of corruption etc. - you are to give out all you buisness wealth and art collections etc., you get to do public services for the rest of your life while you get monthly salary that amounts to a minimum to average wage. Your assetes and wealth are to be sold and given 50% to charity and 50% to the state. Done deal, better world right there. 

[Bailey]

News Corp has taken a beating here, but I think what's interesting is the reactions.

I think in the UK people are kind of being naive to think that Murdoch and the last..4? 5? Prime Ministers were not in close contact, not to mention that Murdoch's minions were helped by members of the police in order to get scoops.
Dunno what the legal position is here so i will add an 'allegedly' to that