Murdoch's Newscorp Woes and the Ethics of Journalism

[malasadas.livejournal.com]

Rupert Murdoch's media giant Newscorp is probably best known to Americans as the home of Fox News Channel, a consistent thorn in the side of liberal media consumers since its inception in 1996. But other than being the home of such media personalities as Sean Hannity, Bill O'Reilly, and, until recently, liberal tormentor extraordinaire Glenn Beck, Murdoch owns a vast array of newspapers in the UK, Australia and the United States.



This was discussed recently, in more than one post but I have a different set of questions in mind.

Newscorp has already shut down the tabloid News of the World in the UK as several current and former employees were arrested in a scandal that includes hacking phone accounts of major British politicians and the Royal Family. The scandal, however, is not being contained in the now defunct tabloid and has spread to The Sun and The Sunday Times which are accused of trying to hack email, financial records and medical records of former Prime Minister Gordon Brown and of attempting to bride Scotland Yard officers for information on the Royal Family. Former P.M. Brown gave an interview with the BBC where he accused Murdoch's papers of employing criminals to steal personal information. Most distressing to Brown was an incident when he and his wife had just been informed that their young son had cystic fibrosis and were quickly contacted by The Sun for comment on a story they were running revealing his illness. Newscorp was already facing lawsuit for accusations of nepotism, a lawsuit now amended to include accusations that the board is providing no effective oversight of business practices given the continued release of accusations.

The discussion on NPR this morning raised a few interesting points that may get lost in the overall furor that may or may not cross the pond to Murdoch's U.S. holdings. One, there is the question of to what degree this kind of behavior permeates tabloids in the UK that are NOT part of Murdoch's media company. Second, what are the limits on journalists and investigation?

This is actually a lot more complicated than it seems. While some of the continuing accusations are shocking (such as hacking the cell phone of a murdered girl and possibly deleting voice mail messages from the account), it would be hard to argue that if The Sun had hacked P.M. Brown's financial records and found clear evidence of bribery that they would not be hailed for uncovering wrong doing. Instead, they got their hands on a story about the P.M.'s son and are being called bastards.

What evidence should a news outlet already be in possession of BEFORE it engages in undercover surveillance of political and popular figures? And if the UK takes its promise to investigate seriously, just how widespread will we find these kinds of practices within the institution of journalism as a whole?

Comments

[devil-ad-vocate.livejournal.com]

The "institution" of journalism would be much healthier if moguls like Murdoch didn't encourage flushing ethics down the toilet. But yellow journalism has been around for a long time; it won't disappear any time soon. The occasional slap-down like the current scandal is necessary.

[htpcl.livejournal.com]

News of the World will resurface soon under another name, I'm sure.

[dreadfulpenny81.livejournal.com]

Just like ACORN...

[anfalicious.livejournal.com]

It's the Sunday Sun now.

[fizzyland.livejournal.com]

In America, open recording in a public place is against the law in many jurisdictions. There have been several police cases where police were filmed breaking the law but instead the person making the recording was charged and convicted because of wiretapping and recording laws.

I would think that police would insist on their interactions with the public to be recorded because it would protect them from frivolous claims. But I guess they're more worried about legitimate ones against them.

[malasadas.livejournal.com]

As for limits - the press should have the same limits as everyone else.

But I think there is an inherent conflict here.

Hacking someone's financial records is almost certainly criminal. And it seems as if Murdoch's papers did so in an effort to fish with no hint of any actual wrong doing to initiate the hacking as an investigation.

But if they HAD had a hint and had actually uncovered serious fraud, they'd be properly lauded -- because that's how criminal behavior is properly flushed into the open a lot of the time: a) there's reason to think something shady is going on (department of public works guy suddenly buys a Lamborghini) b) a journalist starts snooping around and gathers evidence c) publication of the wrongdoing.

That's why I am not enamoured of Wikileaks -- encouraging schlubs to steal huge numbers of documents and then sifting through them for ones you think are juicy is not the same model of whistleblowing and investigation.

So -- if a newspaper is pursuing a legit story on worngdoing and hacks to get the evidence, should they be shielded...or should the journalist accept his or her Pulitzer from within prison?

[oportet.livejournal.com]

As a journalist, you can get the story right, or you can get the story first - as bad as it sounds, your job security is threatened more by failing on the latter.

[htpcl.livejournal.com]

OK, that's more sad than funny, but it's DQ-worthy nevertheless...

[mintogrubb.livejournal.com]

So this is the guy who owns Fox News?
Why am I surprised that it's him, given that Darth Vader doesn't really exist ???

[malasadas.livejournal.com]

Daily Quote!

[debergerac.livejournal.com]

what about darth cheney?

[underlankers.livejournal.com]

The best thing that could come of this is a media equivalent of the Sherman Antitrust Act.

[okmewriting.livejournal.com]

UK as several current and former employees were arrested
Current employees? I thought it was former employees. They've interviewed or are going to interview some current employees but I don't believe any have been arrested.

in a scandal that includes hacking phone accounts of major British politicians and the Royal Family.
That's not why it's a scandal. It was news of the hacking of a murdered girl's phone while she was still missing and deleting messages. The hacking of the Royals, Celebs, Politicians was known but it wasn't really a big thing until it turned out that vulnerable ordinary members of the public were caught up.


All of the papers are up to it. Every time you talk about regulation they scream freedom of the press. Most of them were ignoring the story until Milly Dowler became public knowledge and the public was indeed outraged. I think all print journalists should have to abide by the same regulations as broadcast journalists.

[telemann.livejournal.com]

Boy that's one sad face. Reminds me of Droopy Dog from Tex Avery cartoons:

[luvdovz.livejournal.com]

Wasn't Droopy = Lieberman? Ugh, I probably watch too much Jon Stewart.

[htpcl.livejournal.com]

Check these out.

[luzribeiro.livejournal.com]

On a slightly side note, here (http://gawker.com/5814150/)'s an interesting read on how Fox was launched and why.

[telemann.livejournal.com]

Matt Tiabbi wrote a fascinating piece on Roger Ailes in Rolling Stone a few months ago (http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/how-roger-ailes-built-the-fox-news-fear-factory-20110525), and there are several quotes attributed to Murdoch where he states he thinks Ailes is a bit insane.

[harry-beast.livejournal.com]

Journalists wanting to engage in espionage should be subject to the same restrictions as intelligence or law enforcement agencies. If they want to engage in surveillance of anyone -- politicians, celebrities, sick kids, bereaved family members, what have you -- they should get a warrant. If they have sufficiently compelling evidence and can justify the need for their actions to a judge, then power to them. Otherwise, no can do.

[anfalicious.livejournal.com]

it would be hard to argue that if The Sun had hacked P.M. Brown's financial records and found clear evidence of bribery that they would not be hailed for uncovering wrong doing. Instead, they got their hands on a story about the P.M.'s son and are being called bastards.

Bribery is in the national interest, a sick child isn't. This is the big issue here; this isn't investigative journalism keeping the bastards honest and upholding the fourth pillar, this is just gutter trash.

[malasadas.livejournal.com]

I honestly agree with this.

But I wonder how many examples of investigative journalism "keeping the bastards honest and upholding the fourth pillar" BEGAN as searches for the gutter trash.

[caerfrli.livejournal.com]

the company's stock is tanking and there are rumors around NYC that he'll have to get rid of such money-losing appendages as Fox Business and the NY Post.

[malasadas.livejournal.com]

Rumors in NYC are that the Post already engaged in shenanigans like this -- a former NYPD officer claimed a few years back that the Post tried to bribe him to help them hack email accounts of 911 victims' families.