This British phone-hacking business is nothing new. If you didn’t read Vanity Fair’s timely article on the subject just weeks before the latest scandal, you must check it out. It provides context to understand the gravity behind Prime Minister Cameron’s comment that authorities should follow the scandal “wherever it goes.” If the authorities do their job, it appears some in Scotland Yard could be in serious trouble as well.
The fact that James Murdoch shuttered News of the World, a 168-year-old paper, immediately should be even more reason to look into all other media sources. One of the biggest newspapers in the world, and one with such a history, should be worth fighting for. It was just one arm of a media empire that is interconnected and heavily managed from the top down. That arm was amputated quickly in a public display of bravado, and I think it had more to do with getting out of the airy scrutiny of the hospital gown and hiding a terminal illness in the entire industry. We’ll see how well that works out for him.
In the spirit, The Huffington Post lists “10 Jaw-Dropping Journalism Scandals“
Tags: journalism, news, News of the World, phone hacking
July 9, 2011 at 2:18 pm |
Not such a surprise since it has been going on since 2003 and probably a little sooner, so not in such a hurry. I agree that these people have had a lot to hide. It’s a shame that less senior members of staff have had to suffer the loss of their jobs but other than that I don’t personally believe that the paper was worth fighting for.