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Phone hacking scandal deepens - Peter Lemkin - 11-07-2011 Despite the last issue of News of the World being published yesterday, the phone hacking scandal haunting Rupert Murdoch's British tabloid -- and his whole News Corp. empire -- is only getting scarier, with new allegations continuing to surface. Over the weekend, another grain-of-salt-required British gossip rag, The Mirror, came out with one of the most startling revelations yet -- at least for the majority of New Yorkers who may have never read an edition of the News. In addition to kidnap and murder victim Milly Dowling, war veterans and victims of the 7/7 British terrorist attacks, the Mirror reports that journalists from News of the World tried to hack into the phones of 9/11 victims. Cue non-media-obsessed Americans paying attention. Murdoch arrived in London yesterday to address his staff on the occasion of the embattled paper's end, "But he flew straight into another storm as it was claimed 9/11 victims may have had their mobiles tapped by News of the World reporters," reports the Mirror. Their claims come from an anonymous former New York cop via another anonymous source who says the officer was contacted by News journalists "who said they would pay him to retrieve the private phone records of the dead," presumably to use the same dirty voicemail tricks they pulled with the royals and other innocent people. The paper, he claims, was looking for calls to and from victims and their families just before the attacks. British victims were especially prized by the snooping News people, supposedly. But if the News scandal has reminded us of anything, it's that these papers -- the Mirror included -- probably deserve a skeptical eye every day. There's nothing like a thinly sourced, unsubstantiated 9/11-related accusation to grab some attention, so the Mirror report should be considered with that in mind. This specific accusation has not been reported independently by any other source. That said, if Murdoch incurs the wrath of the American government in addition to the already-angry Brits, this News Corp. madness becomes something else altogether. :plane: [jcoscarelli@villagevoice.com / @joecoscarelli] Phone hacking scandal deepens - Jan Klimkowski - 11-07-2011 If true, NI hacking of 9/11 victim and family phones will have the same impact on the other side of the Pond that hacking into the phones of murder victims Milly Dowler and the Soham schoolgirls had in Britain: it will cut through to the mass of ordinary Americans who don't know or care who Rupert Murdoch is or what he owns. It will cause popular revulsion, shock and fury. NI will likely no longer be a credible organisation. If so, it may have to follow a well established corporate tradition: when truly fucked, reinvent and rebrand. In the best tradition of Union Carbide (after Bhopal), Arthur Andersen (after Enron), Blackwater (after you name it) etc..... Maybe the new corporate slogan could be: "Naked Propaganda: Don't Believe A Word!" Pursuing their sex 'n sport formula, maybe their new presenters could be topless female olympians who giggle a lot*. *Damn - I think Berlusconi's already copyrighted that in Italy... Phone hacking scandal deepens - Peter Lemkin - 12-07-2011 Quote:Maybe the new corporate slogan could be: "Naked Propaganda: Don't Believe A Word!" .....you just made me shudder, with the thought that two Right-Wing Media Reich's [Murdockh & Berlusconni's] that are on the ropes and in need of rebranding might think to become one!.....they do use about the same ...ur...'techniques' on the 'news' and 'journalism'. I'd remind in light of this scandal, since no one has yet done a great film on Murdoch, to watch by hook or crook - and ASAP - the GREAT, GREAT film of our time on all of this - The War You Don't See, by John Pilger!!!!! Info Here Phone hacking scandal deepens - Keith Millea - 12-07-2011 I've not seen it,but Robert Greenwald has a Documentary called "Outfoxed". Trailor: Phone hacking scandal deepens - Peter Lemkin - 12-07-2011 Tony Blair accused of trying to silence Rupert Murdoch critic By Martin Hickman and Cahal Milmo Monday, 11 July 2011 Tony Blair urged Gordon Brown to persuade the Labour MP who led the campaign to expose the phone-hacking scandal to fall silent, according to a report yesterday. The Mail on Sunday stated that "well-placed" sources said Mr Blair had sought to encourage Mr Brown to ask his supporter Tom Watson to back off. A "friend of Mr Brown" was quoted as saying: "There is no doubt about it, Tony wanted Gordon to intervene." Mr Watson, who claimed last week that News International had entered "the criminal underworld", was reported to have been told that Rebekah Brooks, News International's chief executive, "will pursue you for the rest of your life". Earlier this year, another Labour MP, Chris Bryant, said in a Commons speech that a senior figure allied to Mr Murdoch had warned his friends that speaking out about the scandal would not be forgotten. Phone hacking scandal deepens - Magda Hassan - 12-07-2011 Shareholder Lawsuit: Phone-Hacking Scandal Caused 'Immeasurable Damage To News Corp.'s Goodwill' July 11, 2011 3:38 pm ET by Joe Strupp A group of News Corp. shareholders led by Amalgamated Bank has sued the media company claiming several of its business decisions, as well as the recent phone-hacking scandal at News of the World, have adversely affected shareholder interests. The lawsuit claims, among other things, that "News Corp executives are ... grossly overpaid, ensuring their loyalty to Murdoch and his personal initiatives," later stating that Murdoch is "larding the executive ranks of the Company with his offspring." Among the lawsuit's complaints: the company's purchase of Elisabeth Murodoch's Shine Group has harmed the shareholder value; the board as it is comprised has numerous conflicts of interest; and the phone-hacking scandal has hurt the company's reputation and investor value. "In sum, these acts will cause a direct harm to News Corp shareholders by diluting their ability to influence the Company through the exercise of the shareholder franchise because a greater percentage of the Board will be completely beholden to Rupert Murdoch's wishes," the lawsuit, filed Friday, stated in part. "In contemplating, planning, and/or affecting the foregoing conduct, Murdoch and the other Defendants were not acting in good faith toward News Corp shareholders, and breached or will breach their fiduciary duties owed to them. As a result of these actions, News Corp shareholders have been and will be damaged." The 94-page lawsuit seeks unspecified monetary damages, a determination that News Corp. board members "breached their fiduciary duties to the Company," and to block the appointment of Elisabeth Murdoch to the News Corp. board, claiming that would also be a violation of fiduciary responsibilities. "News Corp.'s behavior has become an egregious collection of nepotism and corporate governance failures, with a board completely unwilling to provide even the slightest level of adult supervision," Jay Eisenhofer, co-managing director of Grant & Eisenhofer and co-lead counsel on the lawsuit, said in a statement. The lawsuit specifically cites the recent phone-hacking scandal as a major element in the dilution of shareholder value, stating: The egregious conduct triggering this stunning turn of events was not limited to reporters. Former News Of The World employees involved in the phone hacking have indicated that at least two editors-in-chief of the paper were aware of and condoned the hacking in order to obtain news stories that would drive readership. The suit also cites various business decisions by the News Corp. board of directors as being harmful to investors, including the takeover of Elisabeth Murdoch's Shine Group:Rebekah Brooks ("Brooks"), a very close friend of Murdoch and his family who has repeatedly been promoted by Murdoch (most recently to the position of Chief Executive Officer of News International), and Andy Coulson ("Coulson"), a Murdoch political ally and a close friend of Brooks who became an aide to British Prime Minister David Cameron, both were editor-in chief of the paper while the illegal hacking was on-going and have been linked to explicit knowledge of the practice. Coulson, in fact, has been arrested on suspicion of phone hacking and making payments to police and faces criminal indictment for his conduct. These revelations should not have taken years to uncover and stop. These revelations show a culture run amuck within News Corp and a Board that provides no effective review or oversight. The Transaction made little or no business sense for News Corp, and is far above a price any independent, disinterested third-party would have paid for Shine. The lawsuit, filed in the Court of Chancery of Delaware, is being done on behalf of Amalgamated Bank and several pension funds it represents, according to plaintiff attorneys. The plaintiffs own 835,000 News Corp. shares.Further, even if the pricing was proper or there was some business justification for News Corp to acquire a start-up, niche television production company, there was no reason for News Corp to acquire Shine specifically, except to enrich the Murdoch family, perpetuate the family's involvement in the senior management of News Corp, and further tighten Murdoch's control over the Company. Nevertheless, the Transaction was rubberstamped by News Corp's Board at Murdoch's urging. That is how Murdoch and the Board have interacted for years. The Board's acquiescence to Murdoch's desire to benefit his daughter, and the Company' willingness to overlook transgressions on the part of Murdoch protégés is nothing new. Throughout his tenure, Murdoch has treated News Corp like a family candy jar, which he raids whenever his appetite strikes. The filing is a continuation of a complaint filed in May that initially targeted News Corp.'s purchase of Shine Group, according to a release from the plaintiffs' attorney.News Corp. declined comment to Media Matters on Monday. http://mediamatters.org/blog/201107110018 Phone hacking scandal deepens - Peter Lemkin - 12-07-2011 Murdoch and his two top deputies have been 'invited' to submit to questions in British Parliament on Tuesday, I believe it is. If they show [unlikely!], they'd be asked searing questions - but if they don't come [likely, they do not legally have to!], the World will view it almost as an admission of guilt and further guilt, as of yet undisclosed. The noose is tightening...! Update - apparently they WILL show.....will be quite a scene! :dancingman: Phone hacking scandal deepens - Jan Klimkowski - 12-07-2011 The top cops were before Parliament today. Scotland Yard Asst Commissioner John Yates' performance was described the committee chair as "unconvincing". Which is a generous interpretation. Quote:Met officer John Yates's evidence on phone-hacking inquiry 'unconvincing' Phone hacking scandal deepens - Jan Klimkowski - 12-07-2011 Former top rozzer Andy Hayman, who led one of the pathetic police investigations, faced even more direct questions from the parliamentary committee: Quote:Andy Hayman, the officer in charge of the original investigation into phone hacking, told MPs that that operation now looks "very lame" but rejected suggestions that he was in the "back pocket" of News International as "unfounded". Source. Phone hacking scandal deepens - Jan Klimkowski - 12-07-2011 Meanwhile, via Zero Hedge: Quote:Over The Past 4 Years News Corp Generated $10.4 Billion In Profits And Received $4.8 Billion In "Taxes" From The IRS |