With all considered, one could easily draw conclusions as to why so many seem to relish in Murdoch’s ruin. For years, Murdoch and his conglomerate have been loathed for its alleged right-wing bias and agenda-driven reporting. Now, with an open investigation implicating Murdoch’s British tabloid of corruption and phone hacking, many are hoping it will lead to the dismantling of his entire news empire.
Though Murdoch obviously is guilty of both harmful and innocuous yellow journalism, is all the media hate fairly warranted?
Yes, several Murdoch employees have been found guilty of unethical behavior, but is it really fair to socially indict Murdoch, without any concrete evidence that he is personally responsible for the immoral actions of his employees?
In May 2007, Murdoch made a $5 billion offer to purchase Dow Jones, owner of the Wall Street Journal. At the time, the Bancroft family, which controlled 64% of the shares, firmly declined the offer, opposing Murdoch's much-used strategy of slashing employee numbers and "gutting" existing systems. Later, the Bancroft family confirmed a willingness to consider a sale – besides Murdoch, the Associated Press reported that supermarket magnate Ron Burkle and Internet entrepreneur Brad Greenspan were among the interested parties. On 1 August 2007, the BBC's "News and World Report" and NPR's Marketplace radio programs reported that Murdoch had acquired Dow Jones; this news was received with mixed reactions.
The News International phone hacking scandal is an ongoing controversy involving the News of the World, a now-defunct British tabloid newspaper published by News International — a subsidiary of News Corporation — and the allegations that individuals working for the newspaper engaged in phone hacking. There are related allegations that the newspaper had obtained information in further illicit ways including making payments to police officers; that it exercised improper influence on politicians and the police; and that other British newspapers were involved in similar activities.
While it originally appeared that the News of the World had only hacked the phones of celebrities, politicians and members of the British Royal Family, revelations in July 2011 that victims included murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler, relatives of deceased British soldiers, and victims of the 7/7 London bombings generated widespread public outrage and revulsion. Advertiser boycottscontributed to the closure of the News of the World, which published its final edition on 10 July 2011 after 168 years of publication.
On 6 July 2011, British prime minister David Cameron declared that a public inquiry would convene to investigate the affair, once police inquiries had been completed. On 13 July, Cameron named Lord Justice Leveson as chairman of the inquiry, with a remit to look into the specific claims about phone hacking and police bribery by the News of the World, while a separate inquiry would consider the culture and ethics of the British media. He also said the Press Complaints Commission would be replaced "entirely".
The affair has resulted in several high-profile resignations and arrests. Staff who quit News Corporation in the wake of the scandal have included Les Hinton, a subsidiary chief executive, News International's legal manager Tom Crone, and its chief executive Rebekah Brooks. The Metropolitan Police Service's commissioner and Britain's most senior police officer, Sir Paul Stephenson, also resigned his post. Former News of the World editor Andy Coulson, the paper's former executive editor Neil Wallis, and Brooks were all arrested. Rupert Murdoch and his son James were summonsed to give evidence in Parliament.
The scandal eventually garnered attention in the United States, where News Corporation is headquartered and operates a multitude of media outlets. On 14 July the Federal Bureau of Investigation launched its own investigation into News Corporation, focusing on claims that its newspapers had violated the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and accessed voicemails of victims of the 9/11 attacks. On 15 July, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder announced that the Department of Justice had also opened an investigation into the company.
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