The press hits a new low -could this be the end of the road

Post by **eborr** » Tue Jul 05, 2011 7:21 pm

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/ju ... re-apology

This is a row that has been simmering for a couple of years now. Basically what happened was that a sleazy Private Detective was on the books of one of the UK slander sheets the "News of the World". His remit was to dial up the mobile phone numbers of the "slebrities" and listen into their voice mail messages which allowed the paper to run surprisingly accurate stories into the private lives of the rich and vacuous.

They tripped over when they started spying on the house of Windsor and a private detective - Mr Mulclair and the NOTW royal correspodent were sent to jail.

After that all went quiet, except for a number of folk who persued private procescutions against the NOTW(Jude Law, Sienna Miller, Johny(two-jags) Prescott amongst them.

The private prosecutions revealed that the police had been less than thorough in their investigations, now of course this had nothing to do with the fact that New International Entertained senior police officers to a number of meetings that occured in very agreeable restaurants, nor to the close relations between News International execs and T Bliar(Prime Minister of this parish).

However thanks to the tenacity and no doubt deep pockets of some of the wronged, the whole scandal blew up to such a level that the police investigation was reactivated.

Amidst all the sleaze and tawdry tales a really damming cruel episode has emerged, and it concerned the case of a young girl Millie Dowler who was abducted and murdered, and in the immdiate aftermath of the crime somebody in the NOTW arranged for Millies voice mail to be hacked. What happened was that soon after Millie disappeared friends and relatives left voice messages for her to get in touch, the consequence being that her mailbox very quickly became full, and then lo' somehow it emptied - that story was run as an exclusive by the NOTW whilst interviewing the parents giving them an entirely false hope that Millie was picking up her messages and alive.

This story has broke to almost complete revulsion, the Ford Motor company have cancelled all their advertising with News International, several other companies are sure to follow. David (Dave) Camerons mate Rebecca Brooke head of News International( and editor of the NOTW at the time of the phone hacking) has sent an email memo to all staff saying that they will route out all involved who will be mercilessly punished. This demonstrates how little regard Ms Brook has for our police force and judiciary that she considers that she has the right to sit as investigator and judge on matters which will surely be bought before the courts.

I am both disgusted that people can sink so low, and yet elated that the despicable Murdoch and his evil empire are revealed for what they are - a poisonous canker on our society.

Post by **vison** » Tue Jul 05, 2011 7:25 pm

The gift that keeps on giving, that story.

Vile creeps.

Post by **ToshoftheWuffingas** » Tue Jul 05, 2011 11:19 pm

Rebecca Brookes has also refused to come to Parliament to answer questions to MP's about illegal phone surveillance. MP's who tried to pursue the matter were warned privately that their private lives would be targeted by the Press. The Metropolitan Police are reportedly scared of the power of the Murdoch press.
A story breaking tomorrow is that this Murdoch paper was conducting secret surveillance on the policeman in charge of a different murder enquiry when some of the murder suspects were private investigators employed by the paper.

And just to make eborr's story clear, the man employed by the paper not only hacked into a missing 13 year old child's mobile phone to read and pass on the voicemails to his employers, he also deleted them when it became full so he could read more. This is destroying evidence. The girl's body was discovered later. One BBC reporter was told by unnamed Murdoch journalists that there are even worse stories in the pipeline.

Post by **eborr** » Wed Jul 06, 2011 8:55 am

As predicted by Tosh this moves on. Allegations have been made that the phones of victims of the underground and bus bombings of 2005 had their phones hacked and also the parents of a horrible crime known as the Soham murders ditto.

For the News of the World there is a story running of an email sent by Andy Coulson(up to a couple of months ago Cameron's press secretary) authorising payments made to police officers.

There is information coming out that senior newspaper executives in 2006 gave false information to parliamentary committees regarding phone hacking, they new it was going on, but gave the assurance to Parliament that the incidents referred to regarding the Royal Correspondent were one-offs, and not the endemic problem that it really is.

Post by **eborr** » Thu Jul 07, 2011 11:04 am

Sleazy links between Cameron and News International

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/peter ... l-friends/

if the link doesn't work between the UK and where ever you are and you would like me to post the material, please let me know.

Post by **Ghân-buri-Ghân** » Thu Jul 07, 2011 3:47 pm

I think the major implications of this story are being missed here. "Sleazy journalists" is about as arresting a headline as "Dog bites man". Newspapers have always engaged in scurrilous activities. What is most noticable about this case is the role of Murdoch and the "establishment". Not only was Coulson, ex-NotW editor, deeply involved with the British PM, David Cameron, after he had resigned from the NotW for "hacking" issues, but the police deliberately avoided investigating the issues, even going so far as to lie to Parliament about the extent of the hacking. If it hadn't been for civil actions, the whole issue would have been buried.

The corruption of the Metropolitan Police is staggering. They have, in effect, been working for Murdoch, burying investigations of News International and its employees, and receiving tens of thousands of pounds in payment. The bonds between the public and police are being broken. Simply put, the police cannot be trusted.

Post by **vison** » Thu Jul 07, 2011 4:51 pm

Simply put, the police cannot be trusted: What's new?

Police forces are as prone to corruption as any entity. Most individual officers are decent and honest men, but then, most entities are made up of decent and honest men.

Look at the appalling actions of the Canadian government and police during the G20 meetings in Toronto!

The apparent coverups in Britain are part and parcel of the secrecy/powermad culture that grows in police forces. The refusal to admit wrongdoing, the militaristic structures that lead almost inevitably to corruption, are not things likely to change. The government has a vested interest in always supporting the police and vice versa. The symbiosis between them is powerful.

Add to the stew the enormous influence of big money? Add to the stew the amoral Rupert Murdoch and his minions?

What can you expect?

Post by **ToshoftheWuffingas** » Fri Jul 08, 2011 1:26 am

So this is still brewing and it's going to be big. So far a 150 year old newspaper has been completely closed down. One previous editor who was hired by the Prime Minister to be his press aide is to be arrested tomorrow. A whole slew of advertisers, all big corporations pulled their advertising from the paper after an onslaught of complaints from their customers. All within four or five days.
If you want a taste of what one big supermarket, Tesco, that advertised in the paper and who dragged their feet in pulling out faced from its customers read this:
(I don't think there is scurrilous language)

https://www.facebook.com/topic.php?topi ... #topic_top

The comments really are astonishing.

Post by **Ghân-buri-Ghân** » Fri Jul 08, 2011 1:28 am

vison wrote:Simply put, the police cannot be trusted: What's new?

Oh, I know! And yet the systemic corruption of our "public servants" would appear to require identifying, time and time again.

It is not restricted to the "oiks and grunts"; this cancer is endemic, and cross-national at that.

Knowing the venality of the press, and the rampant double-speak of the executive, with lie after lie dripping forth, where can Joe Public turn for a semblance of truth?

Each and every one of us relies on dissemination of knowledge. But from where? Each and every one of us who relies on the mainstream media has to concede the dubious provenace of their factual authencity.

Is there anything that can be believed?

Post by **Primula Baggins** » Fri Jul 08, 2011 2:15 am

Maybe our own eyes, for the many of us who've seen conscientious work and genuine self-sacrifice among the public servants where we live, including the police.

Post by **vison** » Fri Jul 08, 2011 2:31 am

Primula Baggins wrote:Maybe our own eyes, for the many of us who've seen conscientious work and genuine self-sacrifice among the public servants where we live, including the police.

As I said above, most policemen are decent men. But that's not the issue. The issue is "police culture", which demands, first and above all, loyalty to the force.

Post by **Holbytla** » Fri Jul 08, 2011 3:05 am

I know it would have been really difficult for me to live these 50 years without seeing what was going on around me and being such a dolt as to having been totally unaware as to who was what and why.

Unless you are totally unaware or are naive beyond compare, I would submit that the wool got pulled over our eyes not too often without us noticing.

Everyone has a motive and trust no one. Cynical I know, but you have to start somewhere.

Post by **Túrin Turambar** » Fri Jul 08, 2011 7:02 am

It's the end of the road for News of the World. The next edition will be its last.

Truly remarkable.

Post by **Primula Baggins** » Fri Jul 08, 2011 7:08 am

Better that, I suppose, than letting the chains of fault be followed to their ends, even when they lead upward.

Too bad for the people who made their careers there.

Post by **Alatar** » Fri Jul 08, 2011 9:23 am

Its far from over Prim. The chains of fault are being doggedly followed. The British Prime Minister is in the spotlight, as are the Murdock's attempts to takeover BSkyB.

Post by **samaranth** » Fri Jul 08, 2011 11:14 am

Two inquiries have been announced (including one into the Press Complaints Commission which appears to have been largely useless through all of this). Also, apparently Andy Coulson has now been taken into custody.

The person I think should also be put under the spotlight is Rebekah Brooks - her role throughout all of this is seriously questionable.

It's not going away, Rupert.

Post by **Aravar** » Fri Jul 08, 2011 12:20 pm

Closing the News of the World is just a cynical ploy. The super soaraway Sunday Sun can't be far away.

I can't wait for the next edition of Private Eye.

Is there any fallout in the US regarding Murdoch's onwership of Fox?

Post by **ToshoftheWuffingas** » Fri Jul 08, 2011 1:44 pm

It will be The Sun on Sunday. They registered the name several days ago so yes, it was pre-planned.

Post by **River** » Fri Jul 08, 2011 2:19 pm

Aravar wrote: Is there any fallout in the US regarding Murdoch's onwership of Fox?

One can only hope. However, I've been out of the US for the past week and have no clue what, if anything, is going on back home over this. The UK is too important and close an ally for a scandal that goes all the way up to your PM to be completely ignored in our press, but in all likelihood this whole affair is going to go into the "not our problem" bin. I'm not sure the American press is even paying much attention yet.

Post by **Lalaith** » Fri Jul 08, 2011 2:33 pm

Well, I rarely watch the news, so I can't say. I haven't caught any wind of it anywhere other than here and something on Yahoo's homepage, I think.

(I'm refraining from commenting on the generalized police officer disparaging that was going on upthread. Not worth raising my blood pressure over.

)