Targeting Murdoch: Major Media
Scoundrels Are Villainous Global Pirates, Murdoch's
The Worst of The Bunch
28 April 2012
By Stephen Lendman
Quelle surprise! Britain's parliament discovered what
media critics and people wanting real news and
information knew decades ago.
Murdoch's world features demagoguery, managed news,
scandal, sleaze, and warmongering. He's the
prototypical presstitute famed journalist George
Seldes (1890 - 1995) denounced in books like "Lords of
the Press."
He called them "the most powerful force against the
general welfare of the majority of the people." He
exposed their tactics long before Project Censored.
Major media scoundrels are villainous global pirates.
Murdoch's the worst of the bunch. Fairness & Accuracy
in Reporting (FAIR) once called Fox News "the most
biased name in news....with its extraordinary
right-wing tilt."
Viewing, it added, is like watching "a Harlem
Globetrotters game (knowing) which side is supposed to
win." It's hard-right, pro-business, pro-war,
pro-occupation, anti-populist, sleazy and biased,
combined with juiced-up infotainment and junk food
news.
It's a virtual mouthpiece piece for extremist
Republicans. It long ago stopped pretending it's
legitimate. It mocks real journalism. It's not
tolerated on air.
Famed Chicago columnist Mike Royko (1932- 1997) once
said "no self-respecting fish would (want to) be
wrapped in a Murdoch paper...."
Former Fox employees complain about management cooking
the facts to make stories acceptable to right-wing
audiences. Those unwilling to go along are fired.
Former Bush aid Lee Atwater once said Fox boss Roger
Ailes operates on "two speeds - attack and destroy."
He also demands programming conform to his views.
Murdoch's a force for evil, not good. Heir apparent
son James was groomed to succeed him. He currently
serves as News Corp. chairman and CEO. He's part of
its scandalous operations like his father.
At age 82, Rupert nears retirement. It may come sooner
than he wishes. James turns 40 in December. Whether
he'll ride out the storm remains to be seen. If he
wasn't Murdoch's son he'd have been gone long ago.
On May 1, the London Guardian headlined "Rupert
Murdoch 'not fit' to lead major international company,
MPs conclude," saying:
A parliamentary committee declared him "not a fit
person" to run a major company. Its report also
targeted James. At issue was last year's News of the
World phone-hacking affair.
Last July, London Guardian writers Nick Davies and
Amelia Hill broke the story. Milly Dowler and her
family were victimized. Their voicemails were hacked.
Related police corruption came out. So did information
about Murdoch, James, as well as other executives and
editors having private meetings with Prime Minister
David Cameron never disclosed.
Observers wondered if father and son would weather the
storm. They're still wondering. Tarnished and exposed,
News Corp. retains clout. Readers, viewers, and
shareholders will likely decide its future.
Tuning it out makes it bleak. What UK, US, and other
lawmakers decide remains unknown. More on that below.
Guardian writers said "Labour MPs and the sole Liberal
Democrat on the committee, Adrian Sanders, voted
together in a bloc of six against the five
Conservatives to insert (specific) criticisms of
Rupert....and toughen up the remarks about his son
James."
Other News International (NI) employees got harsher
treatment. Language like "complicit" in a cover-up,
deliberately withholding vital information, and
falsely answering questions was used.
For his part, Rupert didn't "take steps to become
fully informed about phone hacking." He "turned a
blind eye and exhibited willful blindness to what was
going on in his companies and publication."
For decades, he's been known as a hands-on boss. As a
result, these accusations bite. The committee
concluded that NI's culture "permeated from the top."
It "speaks volumes about the lack of effective
corporate governance at News Corporation and News
International."
"We conclude, therefore, that Rupert Murdoch is not a
fit person to exercise the stewardship of a major
international company."
James was described as exhibiting a "lack of curiosity
(and) willful ignorance even" when phone-hacking 2009
and 2010 settlement negotiations were ongoing.
The committee added:
"We would add to these admissions that as the head of
a journalistic enterprise, we are astonished that
James Murdoch did not seek more information or ask to
see the evidence and counsel's opinion when he was
briefed by Tom Crone and Colin Myler on the Gordon
Taylor case."
It steered clear of drawing conclusions on evidence
about Milly Dowler because of an ongoing police phone
hacking investigation. In March 2002, she was abducted
and murdered.
MPs said company executives showed contempt for
parliament "in the most blatant fashion." They
willfully tried to obstruct and mislead.
NI executive chairman Les Hinton was accused of
"inexcusably" misleading MPs on his role in
authorizing a 243,000 pound Clive Goodman payoff.
Convicted of phone hacking, he formerly served as NI's
royal editor.
"We consider, therefore, that (Hinton) was complicit
in the cover-up at (NI), which included making
misleading statements and giving a misleading picture
to the committee," MPs said.
NI's legal affairs manager Tom Crone and
journalist/editor Colin Myler were also accused of
deliberately concealing vital information from the
committee. In addition, they lied when asked
questions.
Besides unresolved internal NI issues and legal ones,
accused executives may be called before parliament to
apologize. If so, they'll be the first ones forced to
in half a century.
In response, they deny all accusations. A News Corp.
statement said:
"News Corporation is carefully reviewing the select
committee's report and will respond shortly. The
company fully acknowledges significant wrongdoing at
News of the World and apologises to everyone whose
privacy was invaded."
A more detailed press release added:
"Hard truths have emerged from the Select Committee
Report: that there was serious wrongdoing at the News
of the World; that our response to the wrongdoing was
too slow and too defensive; and that some of our
employees misled the Select Committee in 2009."
"News Corporation regrets, however, that the Select
Committee's analysis of the factual record was
followed by some commentary that we, and indeed
several members of the committee, consider unjustified
and highly partisan. These remarks divided the members
along party lines."
"We have already confronted and have acted on the
failings documented in the Report: we have conducted
internal reviews of operations at newspapers in the
United Kingdom and indeed around the world, far beyond
anything asked of us by the Metropolitan Police; we
have volunteered any evidence of apparent wrongdoing
to the authorities; and, we have instituted sweeping
changes in our internal controls and our compliance
programs on a world-wide basis, to help ensure that
nothing like this ever happens again anywhere at News
Corporation."
"As we move forward, our goal is to make certain that
in every corner of the globe, our company acts in a
manner of which our 50,000 employees and hundreds of
thousands of shareholders can be justly proud."
UK media regulator Ofcom said:
"We note the publication of the Culture, Media and
Sport Committee report. Ofcom has a duty under the
Broadcasting Acts 1990 and 1996 to be satisfied that
any person holding a broadcasting licence is, and
remains, fit and proper to do so."
"Ofcom is continuing to assess the evidence -
including the new and emerging evidence - that may
assist it in discharging these duties."
On May 1, the Guardian headlined, "Rupert Murdoch's
Fox broadcast licenses targeted by US ethics group,"
saying:
Citizens for Responsibility in Washington (CREW) wrote
FCC chairman Julius Genachowski. It want Murdoch's
television licenses revoked on grounds of character.
It cited UK parliament's committee calling him "not a
fit person" to run a major international company.
CREW director Melanie Sloan said father and son failed
the test US media law requires. "If they are not
passing the character standard under British law, it
seems to me that they are not going to meet (it) in
America."
FCC regulations require broadcast licenses only given
to people of good character who serve the "public
interest" and speak with "candor."
By that standard, all US, UK, and most other Western
media fail the test. FCC officials won't likely act.
US regulatory agencies don't regulate corporate
America. They serve it. Genachowski already suggested
he won't touch this.
CREW hopes new information will force his hand. It
also wants Congress to act. Bipartisan complicity will
also steer clear. Murdoch's safe in America. Britain's
another matter.
New Corp. owns 39.1% of pay TV giant BSkyB. If Ofcom
judges NI "not a fit and proper" owner, it may order
Murdoch to sell part or all of his lucrative holding.
Shuffling key management and editorial positions may
minimize the damage. The rot starts at the top and
filters down.
Policy analyst Michael Pryce-Jones calls the "company
in crisis." It needs to shake things up quickly. Its
board should act on a succession plan. Rupert "cannot
stay on as CEO and chairman of this company."
If James wasn't his son, he'd have been sacked months
ago. Shareholders may have the last word. Readers and
viewers can hold them accountable by tuning them out
and walking away.
Imagine the joy of a Murdoch free world. Imagine a
better one freed from all scoundrel media. Imagine
credible choices replacing them. It's an idea whose
time has come.
Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago and can be reached
at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net. His new book is
titled "How Wall Street Fleeces America: Privatized
Banking, Government Collusion and Class War" http://www.claritypress.com/Lendman.html Visit
his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com and listen to
cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on
the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive
Radio Network Thursdays at 10AM US Central time and
Saturdays and Sundays at noon. All programs are
archived for easy listening. http://www.progressiveradionetwork.com/the-progressive-news-hour.
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