Jul/11

The Murdoch feeding frenzy

7 Comments · Posted by Heather Mac Donald in Uncategorized

What is the likelihood that non-Murdoch-owned British tabloids did not practice phone hacking? Exactly the same as the likelihood that they will be investigated for such misdeeds.

lynch mobs

7 comments

SFOtter · July 19, 2011 at 4:58 pm

Don’t think of this as ‘justice for phone hacking’. This is more like ‘getting Capone on tax evasion’. It is an excuse for the UK government to get out from under Murdoch’s thumb.
Author comment by Andrew Stuttaford · July 19, 2011 at 6:43 pm

Heather, if you follow a couple of the links included in this post I put up on the Corner a day or so ago, it’ll help answer the question….
http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/271850/news-world-and-other-scandals-andrew-stuttaford
John · July 20, 2011 at 1:39 am

I have to admit that I was surprized at the depravity of the press in this. Tapping people’s phones? Not cool at all. And the police covering it up? Even worse. It looks like this was common knowledge in the industry, but I don’t think the typical person knew about it. People ought to spend some time in jail over this.

And again, we have another case of the right thing done for the wrong reason. Of course they are going after Murdoch because he is on the right. Yes, it’s not fair that the other papers aren’t being looked at. Yet, the public outrage from this means it may be more difficulty for anybody, left or right, to get away with this in the future.
Polichinello · July 20, 2011 at 2:18 pm

I agree with John. The stuff being alleged, like hacking and erasing messages from a missing girl’s voicemail, are simply indefensible, reprehensible. We shouldn’t rely on tu quoques, and speculative ones at that.

As far as the hatred towards Murdoch, it goes a bit deeper than his politics. He’s thrown a lot of elbows. He created this environment.

There is one bit of real hypocrisy, though. This scandal in England is getting all sorts of play over here by self-interested players, like the NYT, but no one seems to eager to give the same coverage to the Fast and Furious Scandal. Here, the government bungled a sting that led to death–which, by my estimation, is a bit worse than hacking.
Sean · July 20, 2011 at 6:33 pm

“What is the likelihood that non-Murdoch-owned British tabloids did not practice phone hacking? Exactly the same as the likelihood that they will be investigated for such misdeeds.”

So then, if there is zero likelihood that non-Murdoch tabloids did it, there is zero likelihood they will be investigated? Somehow I doubt that was your intent.

Speaking of “hacking,” you might consider your metaphors a bit more carefully before posting them. This is just sloppy.
cc · July 20, 2011 at 9:56 pm

If a non-Murdoch owned tabloid did what NOTW did, all it takes is a whistleblower or three to step forward to make an accusation. That’s what got the NOTW investigation underway. Until then, I’ll reserve the right to say that the non-Murdoch tabs did not phone-hack, or at least not nearly to the extent that we’re seeing here.

I’m open to being proved wrong, though. And if I am, I won’t be surprised.
Clark · July 22, 2011 at 5:06 am

It seems the problem is that (a) everyone did it and (b) all the political parties were involved. What I’m most curious about is what reforms are apt to be implemented. It’d be nice to call up all the heads of major media companies and demand some transparency and explicit reforms to ensure this won’t happen again.

However what I bet will happen is that after a month of everyone getting their jabs in that it will be in everyones best interest to sweep this under the rug and do little about this.