Murdoch hacking scandal latest

[french frank]

I liked this anecdote from Wiki's article on NoW:

'Frederick Greenwood, editor of the Pall Mall Gazette, met in his club one day Lord Riddell, who died a few years ago, and in the course of conversation Riddell said to him, "You know, I own a paper." "Oh, do you?" said Greenwood, "what is it?" "It's called the News of the World—I'll send you a copy," replied Riddell, and in due course did so. Next time they met Riddell said, "Well Greenwood, what do you think of my paper?" "I looked at it," replied Greenwood, "and then I put it in the waste-paper basket. And then I thought, 'If I leave it there the cook may read it'—so I burned it!" '

J. W. Robertson Scott, The Story of the Pall Mall Gazette (1950), 417

[Serial_Apologist]

I liked this anecdote from Wiki's article on NoW:

'Frederick Greenwood, editor of the Pall Mall Gazette, met in his club one day Lord Riddell, who died a few years ago, and in the course of conversation Riddell said to him, "You know, I own a paper." "Oh, do you?" said Greenwood, "what is it?" "It's called the News of the World—I'll send you a copy," replied Riddell, and in due course did so. Next time they met Riddell said, "Well Greenwood, what do you think of my paper?" "I looked at it," replied Greenwood, "and then I put it in the waste-paper basket. And then I thought, 'If I leave it there the cook may read it'—so I burned it!" '

J. W. Robertson Scott, The Story of the Pall Mall Gazette (1950), 417

Reminds one of the judge's famous summing-up in the Lady Chatterley case.

[mercia]

and even those adults who bought the wretched thing rarely denied as much

so why did so many millions buy it if they held it in such contempt, keeping it consistently as the largest circulation newspaper?

[scottycelt]

so why did so many millions buy it if they held it in such contempt, keeping it consistently as the largest circulation newspaper?

I didn't say that they held it in contempt.

People, even you and I, might do and say things that we instinctively know are not particularly worthy.

My point is that the NOTW was a widely-recognised 'filthy rag', and even if everyone in the world read it, that did not, in any way, make it 'honourable'.

[Stunsworth]

Apparently the reason the NOTW used to feature so many stories about vicars and their antics in the 1960s (and I assume earlier) was that vicars were (are?) not allowed to sue for libel. I didn't know that before today.

[mercia]

I didn't say that they held it in contempt.

well you said that the people who bought it [more than bought any other newspaper] didn't deny that it was a filthy rag, which I would have thought amounted to the same thing

[scottycelt]

well you said that the people who bought it [more than bought any other newspaper] didn't deny that it was a filthy rag, which I would have thought amounted to the same thing

Hardly ... I may well concede that too much whisky is bad for me ... but ... oh, never mind! ...

[Ferretfancy]

Amateur51,

One of the tabloids, the Sun maybe, had an office competition for the headline that fulfilled all necessary requirements.

The winner was :- RANDY VICAR IN MERCY DASH TO PALACE!

[Stunsworth]

No mention of Eastenders, Corrie, or Lady Di? Their standards were obviously slipping.

[eighthobstruction]

Still waiting for someone to shout ANDY HAYMAN....police officer [Ass Comissioner in fact] in charge of first enquiry 2003-06 ref Royal Phone Hacking....and put the rest of the evidence away in a dark draw for it NEVER cough ahem WHOOPS, NEVER to be seen again....HE NOW WORKS FOR RUPERT AT NEWS INTERNATIONAL....funny that....

[french frank]

Still waiting for someone to shout ANDY HAYMAN....police officer [Ass Comissioner in fact] in charge of first enquiry 2003-06 ref Royal Phone Hacking....and put the rest of the evidence away in a dark draw for it NEVER cough ahem WHOOPS, NEVER to be seen again....HE NOW WORKS FOR RUPERT AT NEWS INTERNATIONAL....funny that....

This from 18 months ago. So the police acknowledge that it was "unfortunate" that Hayman went to work for NI - even if only as a columnist. Leaving Hayman aside, it will be interesting to discover what the current duties were of the police officers who accepted money from NoW i.e. was the money simply for information ...

[Anna]

Well, according to the BBC (3 mins ago) "He flew into London on Sunday and went to News International (NI), which News Corp owns, for talks with executives.

He appeared later with Mrs Brooks, NI chief executive. Asked what his priority was, he said "this one" gesturing at her and smiling"

Never trust a shark that smiles

[french frank]

He appeared later with Mrs Brooks, NI chief executive. Asked what his priority was, he said "this one" gesturing at her and smiling"

Cor! Is it on Youtube yet?

[scottycelt]

Well, according to the BBC (3 mins ago) "He flew into London on Sunday and went to News International (NI), which News Corp owns, for talks with executives.

He appeared later with Mrs Brooks, NI chief executive. Asked what his priority was, he said "this one" gesturing at her and smiling"

Never trust a shark that smiles

Yes, and never mind the 200 or so human expendables who have just lost their jobs ... Ms Brooks must indeed be very, very special ...

[Stunsworth]

Yes, and never mind the 200 or so human expendables who have just lost their jobs ... Ms Brooks must indeed be very, very special ...

My take on her survival is that she is being kept on so that she can be the sacrificial lamb when the full revelations come out. That keeps her as a buffer between the illegality and James Murdoch. Murdock senior will weep some crocodile tears, say how he trusted her and was disappointed in what has happened, and then sack her. That's why he's being so supportive now, it will make his abandoning of her later seem all the more sincere. If she was to go now all the ire would be directed at James Murdoch, and that would inevitably lead to call for him to go.

What de Gaulle once said about France holds for the Murdoch clan "We don't have friends, we have interests", and Murdoch's interest is in having a smooth transition to the next generation.

Unfortunately I think things have moved too fast, and he no longer has people frightened of him. If you are as ruthless as him you can't afford to blink, and Murdoch has blinked. His bluff has been called, and found out to be nothing more than a bluff.