Rupert Murdoch’s specialty has been the practice of journalism in cynical mockery of our desire for knowledge.
Suddenly it’s clear to everyone.
Hacking a missing teenager’s cell phone? Deleting calls, interfering with the desperate search for her whereabouts? Tapping the phones of terrorist victims, dead soldiers? What kind of newsroom culture could possibly value the intimate tidbits of unbearable worry and sorrow thus obtained? What kind of organization would call it “news”?
(...)
Here’s the other extreme, from Fouhy’s AP story describing Murdoch’s influence on British politics: “Murdoch eventually switched his allegiance to Tony Blair, the Labour prime minister from 1997 to 2007. Blair telephoned Murdoch repeatedly before committing British troops to the Iraq war in 2003, which was strongly endorsed by Murdoch’s newspapers across the world.”
To my mind, this magnifies the scandal a millionfold. Here’s a democratically elected head of state conferring with his secret benefactor for the purpose of bringing war to the planet. This is military-industrial journalism, colluding in war for profit, bending politicians to its interest on the strength of its financial success at peddling sleaze. Murdoch’s ethical void isn’t limited to his trashy media empire. He’s a player in war and peace. Full story...
Don't miss:
Suddenly it’s clear to everyone.
Hacking a missing teenager’s cell phone? Deleting calls, interfering with the desperate search for her whereabouts? Tapping the phones of terrorist victims, dead soldiers? What kind of newsroom culture could possibly value the intimate tidbits of unbearable worry and sorrow thus obtained? What kind of organization would call it “news”?
(...)
Here’s the other extreme, from Fouhy’s AP story describing Murdoch’s influence on British politics: “Murdoch eventually switched his allegiance to Tony Blair, the Labour prime minister from 1997 to 2007. Blair telephoned Murdoch repeatedly before committing British troops to the Iraq war in 2003, which was strongly endorsed by Murdoch’s newspapers across the world.”
To my mind, this magnifies the scandal a millionfold. Here’s a democratically elected head of state conferring with his secret benefactor for the purpose of bringing war to the planet. This is military-industrial journalism, colluding in war for profit, bending politicians to its interest on the strength of its financial success at peddling sleaze. Murdoch’s ethical void isn’t limited to his trashy media empire. He’s a player in war and peace. Full story...
Don't miss:
- Murdoch scandal has exposed the scale of elite corruption...
- 'Rupert Murdoch's only the start, the psyche of British politics has changed'
- Is there a more sickening sight than leaders sucking up to King Murdoch?
- Murdoch and the rule of the oligarchy, and how elections are controlled...
- Tony Blair must be arrested, says John Pilger...
- War is murder...
- Bradley Manning, an American hero...
- In India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, independent journalism is a real risk...
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