After landing in London with his characteristic elan a week ago to deal with the crisis, 80-year-old Murdoch changed gears as the controversy threatened to spill over beyond Britain and affect his global media empire.
Murdoch initially supported Rebekah Brooks -- who was head of his British operations and ex-editor of the now-closed News of the World tabloid, under whose editorship the phone of murdered teenager Milly Dowler was hacked -- but yesterday showed her the door.
Another top Murdoch aide to resign was Les Hinton, chief executive of the media group's Dow Jones, who was head of News International from 1995 to 2007 and has worked with Rupert Murdoch for more than five decades.
Hinton, the most senior executive to leave the conglomerate, said in a statement that he was "ignorant of what apparently happened" but felt it was proper to resign.
In the advertisement published today, Murdoch said: "We are sorry for the serious wrongdoing that occurred... I realise that simply apologising is not enough. Our business was founded on the idea that a free and open press should be a positive force in society. We need to live up to this".
He added: "In the coming days, as we take further concrete steps to resolve these issues and make amends for the damage they have caused, you will hear more from us".
"We are sorry," states the advertisement in large black type on a white background -- a copy of which was provided by Murdoch's British newspaper operation.
It is signed "Sincerely, Rupert Murdoch".
The advert will run in his Sun and Times newspapers. It will also run in the rival Daily Mail, Daily Telegraph, Financial Times and Independent, as well as in the Guardian, the newspaper that helped break the scandal.
In smaller letters under the heading, the apology reads: "The News of the World was in the business of holding others to account. It failed when it came to itself.
"We are sorry for the serious wrongdoing that occurred. We are deeply sorry for the hurt suffered by the individuals affected.
"We regret not acting faster to sort things out.
"I realise that simply apologising is not enough. Our business was founded on the idea that a free and open press should be a positive force in society. We need to live up to this.
"In the coming days, as we take further concrete steps to resolve these issues and make amends for the damage they have caused, you will hear more from us."
Murdoch on Friday met the parents of Milly Dowler, a 13-year-old British murder victim whose phone was allegedly hacked by the paper, reports said.
When news emerged on July 4 that Dowler was among the victims it set the touchpaper under the crisis, which on Friday led to the resignation of News International chief executive Rebekah Wade.
A second ad will run in ten major British newspapers and in the Murdoch-owned Wall Street Journal Europe on Sunday and Monday outlining steps taken by News International to "investigate, address and compensate previous wrongdoings".
It will also set out practices to "prevent these serious problems from reoccurring," the company said in a statement.
The company released the advert hours after News International chief executive Rebekah Brooksresigned following intense pressure over the scandal.
Father and son split on tactics in Murdoch family drama
Whether or not the announcement will give the company any respite from the growing indignation and official investigations, it seems to have already altered not only the dynamics within one of the world's most powerful and profitable media companies but also, possibly, the future of the newspaper business within the News Corporation.
The decision to withdraw the bid for BSkyB, as the satellite broadcaster is known, was made as a contentious family drama played out in recent days. James Murdoch, a leading contender to replace his father as chairman and the driving force behind the News Corporation's bid to take over BSkyB, argued that the company should press for regulatory approval of the deal, said three people with knowledge of the discussions who declined to be identified because they were revealing confidential company deliberations.
But Rupert Murdoch and the News Corporation's chief operating officer, Chase Carey, overruled the younger Mr. Murdoch, consulting him only after the decision was all but final.
The deal to buy the remaining 61 percent of BSkyB that it did not own was the single biggest ever attempted in the long history of the News Corporation, and the withdrawal is perhaps the most significant setback of Rupert Murdoch's career. Yet Mr. Murdoch is said to remain hopeful that the transaction is salvageable. One person involved in the discussions said that the News Corporation chairman saw the withdrawal as a way to mollify his critics while waiting for the anger to die down.
"Rupert is thinking long term here, I don't think he believes this deal is dead," said this person, who did not want to be named while discussing confidential matters. "He's just looking for ways to relieve pressure for the moment, to give this some breathing room. He fundamentally believes News Corp. can bounce back."
In a statement released Wednesday, the News Corporation acknowledged that the mood in Britain had become too hostile to pursue the BSkyB purchase. "We believed that the proposed acquisition of BSkyB by News Corporation would benefit both companies, but it has become clear that it is too difficult to progress in this climate," Mr. Carey said. But in its statement, the company said it reserved the right to make another bid.
The announcement is particularly fraught for James Murdoch, who ran BSkyB from 2003 to 2007. He has been the principal champion of the BSkyB purchase within the News Corporation, pressing both his father and the company's board to go along with the deal. With BSkyB reporting to James, who runs the News Corporation's European and Asian operations, the businesses in his portfolio would account for half of all the News Corporation's revenue.
But the revelations of phone hacking in Britain have pulled James Murdoch in deeper by the day, with questions swirling in Parliament and the British press over his role in paying settlements to victims of the hacking.
Only a week ago, the News Corporation hoped to contain the damage by taking another dramatic and once unthinkable step: shutting down the 168-year-old News of the World, which Mr. Murdoch purchased in 1969 to form the foundation for his British media empire. But a series of disclosures badly damaged the newspaper, most notably its acknowledgment that it had illegally intercepted the voice mail of Milly Dowler, a 13-year-old girl abducted and murdered in 2002.
Since then, virtually every day has brought dizzying new disclosures and speculation, culminating in the News Corporation's announcement on Wednesday. Allegations of hacking and other journalistic dirty tricks have spread to other Murdoch papers in Britain, including The Sun and The Sunday Times.
Rupert Murdoch, who had flown to London to deal with the crisis, arrived at the company's offices around 11 a.m., looking grim. Mr. Carey was also seen entering the building.
The media mogul discussed this possibility when he met his "inner circle" Wednesday, the Daily Express reported Thursday.
Sources said Murdoch was "locked in a series of meetings" to specifically consider the option, following the closure of the 168-year-old News of the World.
They said Murdoch was concerned to protect the reputation of the parent News Corporation from further damage after the value of its shares went down.
While one said "Murdoch has the ruthlessness to amputate the arm that is threatening the rest of News Corporation," another said a sale was now a "live possibility".
Murdoch's American newspaper The Wall Street Journal also reported he was now examining selling News International.
"News Corp has informally explored whether there were any potential buyers for its UK newspaper unit," it said.
Selling News International could fetch about 300 million pounds (around $484 million).
Rupert Murdoch's public acts of contrition
Meeting with Milly Dowler's family and full-page apologies in newspapers mark a sharp reversal for News Corp founder
Full-page apologies in national newspapers, the departure of two of his most trusted lieutenants and a face-to-face meeting with the family of murdered teenager Milly Dowler herald a fresh tack in Rupert Murdoch's campaign to get a grip on the phone-hacking crisis.
The News Corp founder met the Dowler family on Friday at a London hotel in a bid to repair the damage of an extraordinary two weeks.
After the meeting, the family's solicitor said Murdoch had apologised profusely and told how he was "appalled" by allegations that not only was their daughter's phone hacked by the now defunct News of the World but voicemails were deleted to make way for new messages, giving the family false hope that she might still have been alive.
"He apologised many times. I don't think anybody could have held their head in their hands so many times. He said: 'Sorry, this should never have happened,'" said Mark Lewis, the Dowler family's lawyer.
Murdoch told the Sun: "It was a totally private meeting. As founder of the company I was appalled to find out what had happened and I apologised."
The meeting came hours after News International chief executiveRebekah Brooks resigned and before the surprise departure of Wall Street Journal boss Les Hinton, Murdoch's most trusted lieutenant.
The Observer columnist Peter Preston on Saturday told the BBC that Murdoch was quite making a public and quite calculated act of contrition before his appearance at the Commons culture, media and sport select committee.
Whatever his motivation it marks a considerable volte-face for the 80-year-old who only two days ago went on the offensive pronouncing he had handled the crisis "extremely well in every way possible".
In an interview with the Wall Street Journal on Friday he went on the attack, claiming the damage to the company was "nothing that will not be recovered" and that only "minor mistakes" had been made in the last fortnight.
Now it's a different story – contrition is the order of the day. The Mirror picks up on his meeting with the Dowlers in a front-page story headlined: "Shamed Murdoch FINALLY says sorry over Milly."
In adverts across national newspapers on Saturday, Murdoch makes an abject apology, saying: "We regret not acting faster to sort things out."
He apologises for the "hurt suffered by the individuals affected" and promises that further amends are on the cards.
"I realise that simply apologising is not enough. Our business was founded on the idea that a free and open press should be a positive force in a society. We need to live up to this.
"In the coming days we will take further concrete steps to resolve these issues and make amends for the damage they have caused. You will hear more from us."
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More on this story
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Rupert Murdoch's bloody Friday as Rebekah Brooks and Les Hinton quit
Scandal claims first US News Corp casualty, while former News of the World editor also resigns
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Les Hinton forced out as scandal threatens Rupert Murdoch's empire
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Vote James Murdoch out, Lord Myners tells BSkyB shareholders
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Les Hinton sacrificed, but the worst is yet to come for News Corp
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Tom Mockridge: profile of News International's new chief executive
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Phone hacking: both Murdochs agree to face MPs following jail threat
The chairman of the Culture, Media and Sport committee said it had issued summonses to the Murdochs but it was unclear if Rupert Murdoch could be compelled to testify because he is a US citizen.
In a letter to the committee, James Murdoch, the chief of his father's European and Asian operations, offered to appear in August.
Rupert Murdoch said he would appear before a separate inquiry initiated by Prime Minister David Cameron and led by a judge, and was willing to discuss alternative ways of providing evidence to parliament.
News International chief Rebekah Brooks, a British citizen, said that she would appear Tuesday, chairman John Whittingdale said. He said he especially wanted to question James Murdoch.
"He has stated that parliament has been misled by people in his employment," Whittingdale said. "We felt that to wait until August was unjustifiable."
Meanwhile, the criminal investigation into the Murdoch empire widenened as the former deputy editor of the News of the World was arrested by detectives probing phone hacking at the defunct tabloid.
Metropolitan Police said Neil Wallis, deputy editor under Andy Coulson from 2003 to 2007, was arrested on suspicion of conspiring to intercept communications.
Police have so far arrested seven people for questioning in their investigation of phone hacking and two others in a separate investigation of alleged bribery of police officers. No one has been charged.
Coulson, Cameron's communications director from 2007 until January this year, was arrested on July 8.
Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said Murdoch had big questions to answer about the accusations of eavesdropping and police bribery at his British papers, which have forced the media titan to drop his bid to take full control of British Sky Broadcasting.
"If they have any shred of sense of responsibility or accountability for their position of power, then they should come and explain themselves before a select committee," Clegg said in an interview with BBC radio.
Brooks was editor of News of the World in 2002 at the time of the most damaging allegation so far, that the paper hacked into the phone of teenage murder victim Milly Dowler in 2002 and may have impeded a police investigation into the 13-year-old's disappearance.
Brooks has said she was unaware of any phone hacking at the time.
Murdoch's hope of making BSkyB a wholly owned part of his News Corp. empire collapsed on Wednesday in the face of what Cameron called a "firestorm" that has engulfed media, police and politicians.
Cameron has appointed a judge for a wide-ranging inquiry into the News of the World scandal and wider issues of media regulation, the relationship between politicians and media and the possibility that illegal practices are more widely employed in the industry.
"It clearly goes beyond News International," Clegg said. "It is clearly something much more systemic," Clegg said. "I don't think we should allow ourselves to believe that it is just because of the Murdochs, or Rebekah Brooks, or it's all about one commercial transaction, however significant."
Shares in BSkyB opened higher in London on Thursday but retreated toward noon to trade down 0.6 percent at 701.5 pence ($11.30). The shares closed higher on Wednesday for the first time since they began falling sharply last week amid fresh phone hacking allegations.
Rupert Murdoch Apologizes to Phone Hacking Victims
Media tycoon Rupert Murdoch has published an apology in the British press to the victims of the News of the World phone-hacking and police bribery scandal.
A letter signed by Murdoch and published Saturday says he and his international media conglomerate News Corporation are sorry "for the serious wrongdoing that occurred" and the "hurt suffered" by those affected by some of his journalists' widespread phone-hacking and payments to police for information.
The apologies come after Les Hinton resigned from his post at the head of the U.S. media group Dow Jones Friday in the wake of the scandal.
Dow Jones is owned by Murdoch's News Corporation. But Hinton's resignation is tied to his previous role overseeing News Corporation's British newspapers, including News of the World, while journalists there illegally accessed cell phone conversations.
In a staff memo announcing his departure, Hinton apologized to those hurt by the News of the World journalists' actions, though he said he had been ignorant of what was going on at the time.
Hinton's resignation came just hours after Rebekah Brooks, a former News of the World editor who currently oversees News Corporation's British newspapers, also stepped down.
Murdoch shut down News of the World last week. The firestorm over the scandal also has forced Murdoch to abandon efforts to push through a multi-billion-dollar bid for British Sky Broadcasting, a satellite television company.
As News Corporation announced the public apology, the 80-year-old Murdoch visited at a London hotel with the parents of Milly Dowler, a 13-year-old British murder victim whose phone was hacked by News of the World. A lawyer for the family described Murdoch as "very humbled" and "very shaken" as he offered his apology.
Brooks has agreed to testify before the British parliament next week about the phone-hacking and police bribery scandal. Murdoch and his son, James, who heads News Corporation's international operations, will also testify before parliament next week, after initially refusing to do so.
In the U.S., the Federal Bureau of Investigation has begun a probe into whether News Corporation employees tried to hack into the phones of victims of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks and their families, or tried to bribe police for information.
U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder told reporters in Australia Friday the Justice Department has received a number of requests from lawmakers to look into the allegations involving News Corporation, and is "progressing in that regard" through the appropriate law enforcement agencies.
Murdoch's company has several lucrative news and entertainment outlets in the U.S., including the country's top business newspaper, The Wall Street Journal, and a major television news outlet, Fox News Channel.
Some information for this report was provided by Reuters.
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Rupert Murdoch's printed apology promises further steps "to make amends for the damage caused".Foreign Secretary William Hague has defended David Cameron, saying he was "not embarrassed" by the extent of the PM's dealings with News International.
Mr Cameron has met its top executives 26 times in the 15 months since he became prime minister, it emerged.
Mr Hague defended the PM's decision to entertain Andy Coulson after the latter quit as an aide over the News of the World phone-hacking scandal.
In press ads, Rupert Murdoch apologises for "serious wrongdoing" by the paper.
A list of engagements released by Downing Street shows that Rebekah Brooks, who quit as News International chief executive on Friday, had been entertained at the prime minister's official residence Chequers in June and August last year.
News International chairman James Murdoch also attended Chequers in November.
There were further social meetings between Mr Cameron, and James Murdoch and Mrs Brooks, last December.
Mr Coulson stayed at Chequers in March this year, two months after he quit as Downing Street director of communications following fresh allegations of phone hacking under his editorship at the News of the World.
"In inviting Andy Coulson back, the prime minister has invited someone back to thank him for his work - he's worked for him for several years - that is a normal, human thing to do," Mr Hague told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. "I think it shows a positive side to his character."
Mr Coulson was arrested last week as part of the police inquiry into phone hacking.
Regarding Mr Cameron's meetings with various News International executives, Mr Hague said: "I don't think that would be very different from previous prime ministers.
"Personally I'm not embarrassed by it in any way - but there is something wrong here in this country and it must be put right. It's been acknowledged by the prime minister and I think that's the right attitude to take."
'Lack of judgement'Labour's Lord Prescott accused Mr Cameron of being "very much wrapped into the Murdoch operations".
Shadow culture secretary Ivan Lewis said the disclosure of the list of engagements offered "yet more evidence of an extraordinary lack of judgement by David Cameron".
The apology letter appeared in several Murdoch papers and other titles"He hosted Andy Coulson at Chequers after, in the prime minister's own words, Mr Coulson's second chance hadn't worked out.
"David Cameron may think that this is a good day to bury bad news but he now has an increasing number of serious questions to answer."
Rupert Murdoch has taken out full-page advertisements in several newspapers on Saturday, using the space to say: "We are sorry for the serious wrongdoing that occurred."
The printed apology expresses regret for not acting faster "to sort things out".
"I realise that simply apologising is not enough. Our business was founded on the idea that a free and open press should be a positive force in society. We need to live up to this.
"In the coming days, as we take further concrete steps to resolve these issues and make amends for the damage they have caused, you will hear more from us," says the statement, signed "sincerely, Rupert Murdoch".
MPs' questionsRupert and James Murdoch and Mrs Brooks are due to appear in front of the Commons media select committee on Tuesday to answer MPs' questions on the hacking scandal.
Mrs Brooks was editor of News of the World between 2000 and 2003, during which time the phone belonging to murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler was tampered with.
As well as her resignation, senior News Corporation executive Les Hinton quit on Friday.
Mrs Brooks has been replaced by Tom Mockridge, who was in charge of News Corporation's Italian broadcasting arm.
In a resignation statement, Mrs Brooks said she felt a "deep responsibility for the people we have hurt".
Mr Cameron said through a spokesman that her resignation was "the right decision".
Mr Hinton, chief executive of the media group's Dow Jones, said in a statement that he was "ignorant of what apparently happened" but felt it was proper to resign.
The most senior executive to leave the conglomerate, Mr Hinton was previously head of News International from 1995 to 2007 and has worked with Rupert Murdoch for more than five decades.
On Friday, Rupert Murdoch apologised to Milly Dowler's family at a meeting in London.
The family's solicitor Mark Lewis said the newspaper boss looked very shaken up and upset during the talks, which were arranged at short notice.
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News International phone hacking scandal
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The News International phone hacking scandal is an ongoing controversy involving the News of the World, a now-defunct British tabloid newspaper published by News International, a subsidiary ofRupert Murdoch's News Corporation, and the allegations that individuals working for the newspaper engaged in phone hacking. It was broken by The Guardian in the midst of an attempted takeover ofBritish Sky Broadcasting by News Corporation, which eventually abandoned the acquisition due to public pressure.[citation needed]
Following revelations that victims of the News of the World phone hacking may have included the murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler, relatives of deceased British soldiers, and victims of the 7/7 London bombings, public reaction to the scandal was swift, extensive and generally one of outrage. This backlash led the News of the World to publish its final edition on 10 July 2011, after 168 years of publication.[citation needed]
On 6 July 2011, British prime minister David Cameron announced to parliament that a public government inquiry would convene to further investigate the affair. On 13 July, Cameron named Lord Justice Leveson as chairman of the inquiry, with a remit to look into the specific claims about phone hacking at the News of the World, the initial police inquiry, allegations of illicit payments to police by the press, and the culture and ethics of the British media.[1]
The scandal eventually garnered attention in the United States, where News Corporation operates a multitude of media outlets. On 14 July, the FBI launched its own investigation into News Corporation, focusing on claims that its newspapers had violated the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and accessed voicemails of victims of the 9/11 attacks; on 15 July, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder announced that the Department of Justice had also opened an investigation into the company.
[edit]Background
In 2006, News of the World's royal editor Clive Goodman and his associates, investigator Glenn Mulcaire and Davy Craig (Editor of the Weekly News), were arrested due to allegations of phone hacking made by the British monarchy in 2005. Goodman and Mulcaire were subsequently charged; they pleaded guilty and were imprisoned for four and six months, respectively. The editor of the News of the World at the time, Andy Coulson, resigned while insisting that he had no knowledge of any illegal activities.[citation needed]
In 2009 and 2010, further revelations emerged regarding the extent of the phone hacking and the number of News of the World employees who may have been aware of the practices. By March 2010, the paper had spent over £2 million settling court cases with victims of phone hacking. In July 2009,[2] The Guardian made a series[3] of allegations of wider phone hacking activities at the News of the World newspaper, that were aimed at other people like the TV host Chris Tarrant.
This led to several prominent figures who were covertly snooped upon bringing legal action against the News of the World's owner and the private investigator Glenn Mulcaire. Amongst those who began legal action were football agent Sky Andrew, the actors Sienna Miller andSteve Coogan, the television presenter Chris Tarrant and ex-Sky Sports presenter, Andy Gray.[4]
[edit]2006: Royal phone hacking scandal
The News of the World's royal editor Clive Goodman and two associates were arrested on 8 August 2006. Goodman and investigator Glenn Mulcaire were charged with hacking the phones of members of the royal household by accessing mobile phone voicemail messages, an offence under section 79 of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000.[5] The arrests were the result of a seven-month investigation byScotland Yard. The News of the World's London office was searched by the police during their investigations. Goodman was also suspended by the newspaper.[6]
The investigation began as a result of an article published on 13 November 2005 by Goodman. The article claimed that Prince William was in the process of borrowing a portable editing suite from ITV royal correspondent Tom Bradby. Following the publication, the Prince and Bradby met to try to figure out how the details of their arrangement had leaked out, as only two other people were aware of the situation. Prince William noted that another equally improbable leak had recently taken place regarding an appointment he had made with a knee surgeon.[7]After some discussion, the Prince and Bradby concluded someone was breaking into mobile phone answering machine messages.[8] The compromised voice mail accounts were found to belong to his aides, and not the Prince himself.[9]
Their concerns were passed along to the police, whose investigation began as a localised incident involving staff at Clarence House. The list of possible victims broadened to include ministers, a Member of Parliament, military chiefs, a leading media figure, top footballers and celebrities,[10] but the only NOTW journalist to be charged was Royal correspondent Goodman.
On 26 January 2007, Clive Goodman was jailed for four months,[11] having pleaded guilty to the phone message interception charges. His associate private investigator Glenn Mulcaire, whom the newspaper had paid for his work, was imprisoned for six months.[12] On the same day, it was announced that Andy Coulson had resigned as the editor of the News of the World, having given in his notice a fortnight earlier. He was immediately replaced by Colin Myler. Goodman and Mulcaire subsequently both won unfair dismissal claims.
The officer in charge of the investigation, Andy Hayman, subsequently left the Metropolitan Police to work for News International as a columnist.[13]
[edit]2009–2010: further revelations
[edit]Number of victims
Beginning on 8 July 2009,[2] The Guardian made a series of allegations that the phone hacking activities at the News of the World newspaper went far beyond the activities for which the NOTW's royal editor Clive Goodman was jailed in 2007, those activities being limited to members of the Royal household.[3] The paper alleged that the hacking included public figures such as politician John Prescott[14] and the Manchester United F.C. manager Sir Alex Ferguson, Tessa Jowell when she was Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport, Boris Johnson when he was the Opposition spokesman on higher education,[15] public relations guru Max Clifford and even Rebekah Wade, the editor of the News of the World's sister-paper The Sun, were among the alleged victims.[16] Prescott in particular was outraged at the fact that the police did not inform him of the phone tapping, but Assistant Commissioner John Yates stated that there was no actual evidence that Prescott's phone had been tapped.[17]
The NOTW denied these claims[18] and its parent company, News Corporation, invited The Guardian to share any evidence it had with theMetropolitan Police.[19] The Metropolitan Police had declined to reopen their inquiry in response to The Guardian's reports stating that "no additional evidence has come to light" and it "therefore consider[ed] that no further investigation is required".[20] In December 2009 a parliamentary question was tabled about the possible tapping of then-minister Tessa Jowell's phone, and footballer Sol Campbell instructed his solicitor to contact the police.[21]
In February 2010 The Guardian reported that three mobile phone companies had discovered that over a hundred of their customers had had their answerphone messages hacked. The companies identified the customers in 2007 after Scotland Yard disclosed numbers that had been accessed by Goodman and his private investigator, Glenn Mulcaire. A Freedom of Information request by The Guardian found that the police had recovered 91 PIN codes for accessing other people's voicemails in material seized from Mulcaire and Goodman.[15] In April 2010 it was revealed from Crown Prosecution Service documents that although police had named only 8 individuals in court, the Scotland Yard enquiry had actually uncovered over 4,000 names or partial names and nearly 3,000 full or partial telephone numbers from the materials seized from Mulcaire and Goodman.[13]
[edit]Wider knowledge of the affair
In addition, contrary to the News of the World claims in 2007, The Guardian in July 2009 stated that the activities were known to a range of persons at the paper including then editor, Andy Coulson. At the time The Guardian made these claims, Coulson had left NOTW and become director of Conservative Party communications and planning. Due to this, some claimed that the reporting was politically motivated.[22] The Conservative Party was quick to stand by Coulson.[23]
The Guardian revealed in July 2009 that NOTW had made payments in excess of £1 million to three people subject to phone-hacking, including Professional Footballers' Association chairman Gordon Taylor, with the out-of-court settlements subject to secrecy clauses.[24] In July 2009, Private Eye revealed that The Guardian had, in order to avoid "all out war" with the NOTW, chosen not to tell the Commons committee that the £700,000 payment to Gordon Taylor, one of the three people with whom the NOTW reached out-of-court settlements, was signed off in June 2008 by the directors of News Group Newspapers Ltd, the News International subsidiary owning the NOTW — thus showing awareness of the matter at the highest levels.[25] The reports led the Press Complaints Commission to re-open its inquiry into the matter (finding that it had not been "materially misled",[26] leading Guardian editor Alan Rusbridger to resign from the PCC),[24] and the House of Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee to reopen its inquiry.[24]
[edit]Select Committee report
In February 2010 the House of Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee, under the chairmanship of Conservative MP John Whittingdale, reported on the phone hacking affair as part of a wide-ranging report into privacy and libel issues.[27] The report condemned the testimony of the NOTW witnesses that had appeared before the Committee, referring to "collective amnesia" and "deliberate obfuscation", and noted News International chief executive Rebekah Brooks' refusal to appear at all. The Committee concluded, "We strongly condemn this behaviour which reinforces the widely held impression that the press generally regard themselves as unaccountable and that News International in particular has sought to conceal the truth about what really occurred."[28]
Other News International newspapers (The Sun and The Times) downplayed the report, devoting minimal[clarification needed] coverage to it and emphasising the News of the World's response.[29]
[edit]Max Clifford case
In March 2010 the News of the World settled a case brought against it by publicist Max Clifford for intercepting his voice mail. After lunch with former editor and News International executive Rebekah Brooks, the paper agreed to pay Clifford's legal fees and an undisclosed "personal payment" not described as damages, with the sum exceeding £1m. The £1m was paid in exchange for Clifford giving the News of the Worldexclusive stories over the next several years.[30]
The case had been expected to reveal the details of previous settlements the paper had made, including the £1 million spent in 2009 settling with three phone hacking victims, and the unfair dismissal claim won by Clive Goodman.[31] Clifford had won court rulings in February 2010 that meant that News of the World would have had to disclose previously secret information regarding which journalists were involved in hacking voicemail messages.
The judge ruled that Mulcaire had to disclose the names of all the journalists who targeted Clifford and also those who received transcripts of the messages.[32] With the settlement, this information would not be made public.
[edit]Further legal action
The original Metropolitan Police investigation attracted renewed attention in April 2010, when it emerged that Andy Hayman, an assistant commissioner and the officer responsible for overseeing the Scotland Yard inquiry, had left the police to work for News International as a columnist.[13]
The following month, reports of further legal action against the News of the World emerged. Those considering litigation against the paper included a football agent and ten MPs. The legal action reopened the possibility of details emerging that the settlement with Clifford had kept secret.[33]
[edit]2010–2011: renewed investigations
[edit]New York Times story
In September 2010, The New York Times published the results of an investigation it had begun in March, which revealed further details about the extent of the News of the World's phone hacking, and about Andy Coulson's alleged knowledge of it.[34] The investigation also revealed that a journalist at the News of the World had been attempting to hack in to the answer phone messages of a "television personality" in 2010. The journalist was suspended from reporting, and is facing legal action by the personality.[35]
The Times piece cited Sean Hoare, a former colleague, as saying that Coulson had "actively encouraged" phone hacking.[34] Coulson denied the claims, and indicated that he would allow himself to be questioned by the Metropolitan Police regarding the phone hacking affair.[36]
In the wake of the renewed allegations, the Home Affairs Select Committee opened a new inquiry into phone hacking.[37] The Metropolitan Police has also indicated its intention to re-examine the allegations regarding the News of the World, saying that it would consider new information that it had received.[36]
Two days after the Home Affairs Select Committee announced its inquiry, the House of Commons voted to refer allegations of phone-hacking against politicians to the Standards and Privileges Committee, with the power to compel witnesses to give evidence.[38][39]
A report aired on Channel 4's Dispatches in October included remarks made by an unnamed source, said to have been a former senior journalist at the News of the World who worked alongside Andy Coulson. The source alleged that Coulson had personally listened to messages obtained through phone-hacking.[40][41]
In December 2010, Coulson – while under oath as a witness in HM Advocate v Sheridan and Sheridan – denied any knowledge of phone hacking at the News of the World or that he knew the private investigator Glenn Mulcaire.[42] The following day, the Crown Prosecution Service said that it had determined that there was insufficient evidence to charge Coulson over allegations that he was aware of phone-hacking at the publication. The CPS said that witnesses interviewed by Metropolitan Police – including those who had previously made allegations through media outlets – had not been willing to provide admissible evidence.[43]
[edit]Allegations from litigation proceedings
In lieu of criminal proceedings, several public figures commenced litigation against the News of the World's owner and the private investigator Glenn Mulcaire. Those who began legal action included the football agent Sky Andrew, the actress Sienna Miller and actor Steve Coogan, and the television presenter Chris Tarrant and ex-employee of Sky Sports, Andy Gray.[4]
New allegations about the conduct of News of the World executives emerged in December 2010. Papers lodged in the High Court by lawyers acting for Sienna Miller claimed to have uncovered evidence of the involvement of Ian Edmondson, a senior editor at the publication, in work undertaken by the convicted private investigator Glenn Mulcaire.[44]
The following month, the News of the World disclosed that it had suspended Edmondson, saying that it would take "appropriate action" if the litigation or the paper's own internal investigation found evidence of wrongdoing by News of the World staff.[45]
The Crown Prosecution Service subsequently announced a review of the evidence collected during the Metropolitan Police's original investigation into phone hacking at the News of the World.[46] The director of public prosecutions, Keir Starmer QC, said that the decision was motivated in part by developments in the civil courts.[47]
[edit]Andy Coulson's second resignation
Andy Coulson, the former editor of the News of the World, resigned from his position as David Cameron's communications director on 21 January 2011, citing "continued coverage of events connected to my old job at the News of the World".[48] He had joined Cameron's communications team in 2007 after his resignation from the News of the World.
[edit]The Metropolitan Police's Operation Weeting begins
The Metropolitan Police announced on 26 January 2011 that it would begin a new investigation into the phone hacking affair, following the receipt of "significant new information" regarding the conduct of News of the World employees. The probe will take place alongside the previously-announced review of phone hacking evidence by the Crown Prosecution Service.[49]
On the same day, News International announced that it had fired one of the paper's senior executives, Ian Edmondson, based on evidence that it had subsequently given to the police.[49] The BBC's Robert Peston said that the publisher had discovered four emails allegedly showing that Edmondson had knowledge of phone hacking, contrary to his previous denials.[50]
The first arrests as part of the new investigation, codenamed Operation Weeting, took place on 5 April 2011. Edmondson and the News of the World's chief reporter Neville Thurlbeck were arrested on suspicion of unlawfully intercepting voicemail messages.[51][52] Both men had denied participating in illegal activities. A third journalist on the paper, James Weatherup, was arrested on 14 April 2011.[53]
The Guardian has queried why the Metropolitan Police chose to exclude a very large quantity of material relating to Jonathan Rees[who?] from the scope of its Operation Weeting inquiry.[54] The News of the World made extensive use of Rees's investigative services, including phone hacking, paying him up to £150,000 a year.[55] On the basis of evidence obtained during one of several police inquiries into the murder ofDaniel Morgan, Rees's partner in Southern Investigations Ltd., Rees was found guilty in December 2000 of conspiring to plant cocaine on an innocent woman to discredit her in a child custody dispute. He received a seven years prison sentence for attempting to pervert the course of justice.[56] After he was released from prison the News of the World, under the editorship of Andy Coulson, began commissioning Rees's services again.[55]
The Guardian journalist Nick Davies described commissions from the News of the World as the "golden source" of income for Rees's "empire of corruption" which involved a network of contacts with corrupt police officers and a pattern of illegal behaviour extending far beyond phone hacking.[57] Despite detailed evidence the Metropolitan Police failed to pursue effective in-depth investigations into Rees's corrupt relationship with the News of the World over more than a decade.[55]
On July 12 Metropolitan police officer Sue Akers told MPs and the Home Affairs committee chairman, Keith Vaz MP that police have contacted only 170 of the 3,870 people named in Glenn Mulcaire's files to date.[58] There were 11,000 pages of the evidence[58] with 5,000landline phone numbers and 4,000 mobile phone numbers[59] on them inside the so called Glenn Mulcaire files.[58]
[edit]April-July 2011: Admission of liability and new allegations
[edit]Apology and compensation
News International, the publisher of the News of the World, announced on 8 April 2011 that it would admit liability in some of the breach of privacy cases being brought in relation to phone hacking. The company offered an unreserved apology and compensation to eight claimants, but will continue to contest allegations made by other litigants.[60][61]
The eight claimants were identified in media reports as:[61]
- Sienna Miller, actress
- Kelly Hoppen, interior designer and Miller's stepmother
- Tessa Jowell, Labour MP and former cabinet Minister
- David Mills, lawyer and Jowell's former husband
- Andy Gray, former footballer and sports commentator
- Joan Hammell, aide to the former Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott
- Sky Andrew, sports talent agent
- Nicola Phillips, assistant to the publicist Max Clifford
At the time of News International's announcement, twenty-four individuals were in the process of taking legal action against the News of the World on breach of privacy grounds.[60]
Hoppen has lodged a further claim against the News of the World and one of its reporters, Dan Evans, for "accessing or attempting to access her voicemail messages between June 2009 and March 2010".[66] News International has not admitted liability in relation to the claim.[61][67]
On 10 April, both Tessa Jowell and her estranged husband, David Mills; former footballer and broadcaster Andy Gray; football agent Sky Andrew; publicist Nicola Phillips; Joan Hammell, a former special adviser to Lord Prescott; and designer Kelly Hoppen received the official apology and compensation, but neither the actor Leslie Ash nor Lord Prescott received either from the News of the World.[68][67]
George Galloway said the apology was a cynical attempt to protect Rebekah Brooks, while Danny Alexanderpredicted further arrests would be made. The shadow Welsh secretary, Peter Hain MP also called on the legal authorities to conduct a "full and proper public investigation" and then claimed the police investigation had been "tardy".[68]
The first individual to accept the News of the World's apology and compensation was the actor Sienna Miller, who received £100,000 plus legal costs.[69] The sports broadcaster Andy Gray followed suit in June, accepting a payout of £20,000 plus legal costs.[70] Prior to the settlements, both individuals' litigation claims had been identified as phone hacking "test cases" to be heard in January 2012.
In April, The Observer reported claims from a former minister that Rupert Murdoch tried to persuade PM Gordon Brown early in 2010 to help in resisting attempts by Labour MPs and peers to investigate the affair, and to go easy on News of the World in the run up to the UK's general election of May 2010.[71] News International described the report as "total rubbish"; a spoksperson for Brown declined to comment.
Comic actor Steve Coogan was also reported to be suspected victims of the phone hacking.[72][73][74][75]
[edit]The arrest of James Weatherup
The News of the World reporter and Assistant News Editor at News of the World, James Weatherup was taken into custody for questioning by the Metropolitan Police on 14 April, 2011.[76][77][78][79][80][81] He also dealt with some major fiscal issues, "managing huge budgets" and "Crisis Management" at the news paper [82][83][84] Mr Weatherup was a colleague of newspaper's chief reporter Neville Thurlbeck and the former assistant news department editor, Ian Edmondson, both of who were also arrested and a later date.[85] [86]
The BBC reported on 20 May 2011 that a senior News of the World executive was implicated, according to actor Jude Law's barrister in the High Court. This report also said that the number of people whose phones may have been hacked may be much larger than previously thought. The High Court was said to have been told that "notebooks belonging to a private investigator hired by News Group Newspaperscontained thousands of mobile phone numbers," and "Police also found 149 individual personal identification numbers and almost 400 unique voice mail numbers which can be used to access voice mail".[87]
[edit]The disappearance of Milly Dowler
On 4 July, 2011, The Guardian reported that Scotland Yard had found evidence suggesting that the private investigator Glenn Mulcaire collected personal information about the family of the missing schoolgirl Milly Dowlerfollowing her disappearance in March 2002.[88] According to the paper, journalists working for the News of the World had hired private investigators to hack into Dowler's voicemail inbox. It was alleged that the journalists had deleted messages from the phone, giving false hope to Dowler's friends and family (who thought that she might have deleted those messages and therefore might still be alive) and potentially destroying valuable evidence about her abduction and murder by serial killer Levi Bellfield, who was convicted in June 2011.[88]
As of July 2011, the girl's parents were preparing a claim for damages against the News of the World, their solicitor said.[89] News Group Newspapers, the paper's publisher, described the allegation as "a development of great concern".[88]
Reacting to the revelation, Prime Minister David Cameron said that the alleged hacking, if true, was "truly dreadful". He added that police ought to pursue a "vigorous" investigation to ascertain what had taken place.[90][91] Labour's leader Ed Miliband called on Rebekah Brooks, the News of the World's editor in 2002 and now the chief executive of News International, to "consider her conscience and consider her position".[91] Brooks denies knowledge of phone hacking during her editorship.[92][93]
The former deputy prime minister John Prescott is one of a number of people who argue that the takeover of Sky by the newspaper's parent company News Corporation ought to be blocked.[94] The current scandal is not a consideration in the upcoming decision, according to Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt.[95] Newspaper reports suggest that the takeover, if ratified, is likely to be delayed due to the ongoing situation.[96]
[edit]UK Soldiers' relatives
On 6 July 2011 The Daily Telegraph reported that phones belonging to relatives of dead British soldiers may have been intercepted by theNews of the World. It said that personal details and phone numbers belonging to relations of dead service personnel were found in the files of the private investigator Glenn Mulcaire.[97] In response to the allegations, The Royal British Legion announced that it would suspend all ties with the News of the World, dropping the newspaper as its campaigning partner.[98][99]
[edit]The Royal Family
Some email messages were found suggesting Jonathan Rees, a private investigator[100] made requests for sums of around £1,000 for contact details of senior members of the Royal Family and friends.[101]
[edit]John Prescott and Gordon Brown
John Prescott claimed he knew of "direct evidence" indicating it was involved in further illegal news gathering activities by The Sunday Times.[102]
Gordon Brown alleged his bank account was accessed by The Sunday Times in 2000 and that The Sun gained private medical records about his son, Fraser.[102] Rebekah Brooks called Brown to tell him that The Sun was going to reveal that his son had cystic fibrosis, and tried to persuade him not to spoil the newspaper's exclusive by announcing it himself first.[103] The Guardian ran a front page story accusing The Sunof improperly obtaining the medical records of Brown's son, but was later forced to issue an apology upon discovering that the information came from a member of the public. [104]
[edit]John Yates
The Metropolitan Police's Commissioner, John Yates revealed his phone was hacked between 2004 and 2005 on 12 January 2011.[105]
[edit]The cousin of Jean Charles de Menezes
The cousin of Jean Charles de Menezes may also have had his phone hacked by the News of the World.[106] [107][108][109]
A spokesperson from the Justice4Jean campaign group said: "The Menezes family are deeply pained to find their phones may have been hacked at a time at which they were at their most vulnerable and bereaved."[110][111]
[edit]July 2011: Fallout from scandal
[edit]Closure of the News of the World
A significant effect of the scandal was the closure of the 168-year-old newspaper.
[edit]Initial advertisers' boycott
Before 7 July, Virgin Holidays, the Co-operative Group, Vauxhall Motors, Ford Motor Company and General Motors had all pulled out their advertisements from the News of the World.[112][113] Other major advertisers, including mobile operators Vodafone Group PLC, O2 UK, Everything Everywhere (T-Mobile & Orange), Deutsche Telekom, France Telecom,EasyJet, Lloyds Banking Group, German utility company RWE (owner of Npower), electricals retailer Dixons, and Tesco, considered doing likewise.[112][113] Kesa Electricals, owner of theComet electricals chain, and Renault said they had no advertising plans scheduled in the foreseeable future and were also considering whether they should join any future boycott.[112]
[edit]'News of the World' closes
News Corporation announced on 7 July 2011 that, after 168 years in print,[114] the News of the World would print its final edition on 10 July 2011 following revelations of the ongoing phone hacking scandal, with the loss of 200 jobs.[115][116] News Corp said that all proceeds from the final edition would go to good causes. Downing Street said it had no role in the decision.[117] News Corp executive James Murdoch conceded the paper was "sullied by behaviour that was wrong", saying "if recent allegations are true, it was inhuman and has no place in our company."[118]
Other executives of the company said the phone hacking was more widespread than previously believed and that they are cooperating with investigations into the allegations.[119][120][121] Rebekah Brooks told staff at a meeting that she recognised following an internal investigation that "other shoes would drop", a phrase indicating that further revelations of wrong-doing would follow.[122]
There is speculation that News International will launch a Sunday edition of The Sun to replace the News of the World.[123]
[edit]BSkyB takeover bid withdrawn
Rupert Murdoch announced on 13 July that News Corporation was withdrawing its proposal to take full control of the subscription television broadcaster BSkyB, due to concerns relating to the ongoing furore.[124][125] The announcement was made a few hours before the House of Commons was due to debate a motion, supported by all major parties, calling on News Corporation to withdraw its proposal.[124] In a symbolic gesture the House later passed the motion unanimously by acclamation.[126][127]
[edit]Resignations
A number of senior employees and executives left News International and its parent company after the emergence of new allegations in July.
News International's legal manager Tom Crone left the company on 13 July.[128] As part of his role at the publisher, Crone had served as theNews of the World's chief lawyer and gave evidence before parliamentary committees stating that he had uncovered no evidence of phone hacking beyond the criminal offences committed by the royal editor Clive Goodman. He maintains that he did not see an internal report suggesting that phone hacking at the paper reached more widely than Goodman.[129]
Two key resignations were announced on 15 July.
Rebekah Brooks, the chief executive of News International, quit following widespread criticism of her role in the controversy.[130] In a statement, Brooks said that "my desire to remain on the bridge has made me a focal point of the debate", and stated that she would "concentrate on correcting the distortions and rebutting the allegations about my record".[131] Her exit was welcomed by political leaders.David Cameron's office said that her departure was "the right decision", while his Labour counterpart Ed Miliband agreed but suggested that she should have departed ten days earlier.[130]
Tom Mockridge, the long-time chief executive of the Italian satellite broadcaster Sky Italia, was announced as Brooks' replacement at the head of News International.[130]
Later on the same day, Les Hinton resigned as the chief executive of News Corporation's Dow Jones.[132][133] Hinton was the chief executive of News International between 1997 to 2005, when News of the World journalists are known to have hacked phones. He had previously told parliamentary committees that there was "never any evidence" of phone hacking beyond the case of Clive Goodman. In his resignation announcement, Hinton said that he was not told of "evidence that wrongdoing went further", but indicated that he nevertheless felt it "proper" to resign from his position.[133]
[edit]14-15 July Apology
Rupert Murdoch authored a letter of apology that began with large-print text "We are sorry." recognizing that "serious wrongdoing has occurred".
[edit]Further arrests
After the events of April 2011, there were new arrests mades.
[edit]Andy Coulson
The Guardian reported on 7 July 2011 that Coulson was to be arrested the following day, along with a senior journalist the paper refused to name.[135] Sky News reported on 8 July 2011 that Coulson had been formally arrested,[136] although the Metropolitan Police Service would only confirm that a "43 year old man" had been arrested for "conspiring to intercept communications." It was also noted that the MPS could hold Coulson for up to 96 hours without charge as allowed under the Greater Manchester Police v. Hookway court decision, but must be either charged or released after that time.[137]
[edit]Neil Wallis
The former News of the World executive editor, Neil Wallis, 60, was arrested in in west London on July 14. He joined the paper in 2003 as a deputy to Andy Coulson and in 2007 became an executive editor, before leaving in 2009. Later that year he began to advise Sir Paul Stephenson and John Yates, providing "strategic communications advice" until September 2010. During that time, Yates made the decision that the phone hacking needed no further investigation, despite The Guardian alleging that the previous investigation had been inadequate.[138] He was also paid to advise the Met commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson, and John Yates.[139]
[edit]Further investigations
The scandal has triggered multiple investigations from various governmental agencies looking at other News Corporation-owned media outlets in addition to News of the World.
[edit]United Kingdom
With the unfolding scandal at the News of the World came allegations that another News Corporation-owned tabloid, The Sun, itself engaged in phone hacking. In February 2011, the Metropolitan Police investigated the claims of Scottish trade union leader Andy Gilchrist, who suspected The Sun of hacking into his mobile in order to run negative stories about him; the stories were published shortly after Rebekah Brooks was installed as the paper's editor.[140]
On 6 July 2011, British prime minister David Cameron announced to parliament that a public government inquiry would convene to further investigate the affair. On 13 July, Cameron named Lord Justice Leveson as chairman of the inquiry, with a remit to look into the specific claims about phone hacking at the News of the World, the initial police inquiry, allegations of illicit payments to police by the press, and the culture and ethics of the British media.[141]
On 11 July, the day after the News of the World ceased publication, The Guardian reported that Scotland Yard was investigating both The Sun and The Sunday Times for illegally gaining access to the financial, phone, and legal records of former prime minister Gordon Brown. It was also reported that The Sun improperly obtained medical information on Brown's infant son, James Fraser, in order to publish stories about his battle with cystic fibrosis. Brown issued a statement saying that his family was "shocked by the level of criminality and the unethical means by which personal details have been obtained."[142]
[edit]United States
Outside of the UK, News Corporation owns a multitude of news outlets in the United States, including the New York Post, The Wall Street Journal, and the Fox News Channel. Even though none of News Corporation's U.S. outlets have yet been implicated in the scandal, several media critics have called for investigations into whether they too engaged in phone hacking activities. In addition to any possible illegal activities in the U.S., News Corporation and/or its executives might also face civil and criminal liability under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.
According to a former New York policeman who spoke to The Mirror, News of the World also attempted to retrieve private phone records of those who died in the September 11 terrorist attack.[143]
In light of the suspected hacking of the telephones of 9/11 victims, Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Jay Rockefeller suggested that a U.S. investigation of News Corporation should be launched.[144] On July 14th, the FBI announced it was launching an investigation into the alleged hacking by News Corp.[145]
[edit]Tom Watson and Lord Fowler
Labour MP for West Bromwich East, Tom Watson played a key role in bringing the truth about phone hacking by the News of the World into the open. He was concerned by alleged press misconduct as were his colleagues Khalid Mahmood, MP for Perry Barr, and Sion Simon, the now former MP for Erdington.[146]
Watson joined the Commons Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee, and was thus able to question the leading figures in News International about the ethics at both The Sun and the News of the World. He also grilled Andy Coulson, who was the director of communications for the Conservative party, about his role in the News of the World.[147][148][149][147]
The former Sutton Coldfield MP Lord Fowler demanded an independent inquiry into the phone hacking inquiry. He was also chairman of theBirmingham Post newspapers for five years and a member of Margaret Thatcher's cabinet.[150]
[edit]Ethical Concerns and Implications
The News of the World phone hacking scandal brought up questions about the ethics employed by companies under the ownership of Rupert Murdoch, as well as the effects this scandal will have on future journalism. Murdoch has been criticized for building an empire that lacks any ethical base,[151] one that substitutes responsible journalism for "gossip, sensationalism, and manufactured controversy."[152] Karl Grossman, professor of journalism at State University of New York College at Old Westbury, accused Murdoch of building the most "dishonest, unprincipled and corrupt" media empire in the history of the English-speaking world,[151] and of "making a travesty of what journalism is supposed to be about."[151] Detractors are quick to point out that an event like the phone hacking scandal could be seen coming from a mile away, especially when looking at the way Murdoch has changed the culture at some of his other major news companies.The Times of London, once one of the most distinguished papers in the English-speaking world, has been turned into an "instrument" to aide those in power that Murdoch favors.[151] The oldest continually published newspaper in the United States, the New York Post, was once New York City's "paper-of-the-people" before Murdoch acquired it.[151] His Fox News Channel, accused by many Americans of having a right-wing bias with imbalanced politicized "news," is thought to have become an "unbridled propaganda organ for the G.O.P.."[151] Many would argue that the phone hacking scandal was simply a product of the environment Murdoch has created throughout the many facets of his media empire. In fact, one of Murdoch's former top executives was quoted as saying: "This scandal and all its implications could not have happened anywhere else. Only in Murdoch's orbit. The hacking at News of the World was done on an industrial scale. More than anyone, Murdoch invented and established this culture in the newsroom, where you do whatever it takes to get the story, take no prisoners, destroy the competition, and the end will justify the means." [152] This same executive went on to say, "In the end, what you sow is what you reap. Now Murdoch is a victim of the culture that he created. It is a logical conclusion, and it is his people at the top who encouraged lawbreaking and hacking phones and condoned it."[152]
The News of the World hacking scandal represented a step away from the traditional ethics of journalism, raising serious questions aboutprivacy, freedom of speech, and confidentiality.[153] The old American journalistic maxim, "Get it first. But, first, get it right," speaks for accurate reporting, but does not take into account the ethical and legal concerns of journalism.[154] How you get information matters just as much as how accurate the information is. In the case of the News of the World scandal, the information was obtained in an unethical way.[154] Stephen B. Shepard, dean of the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism, said this about the phone hacking scandal: "It's wrong. It's not a gray area. What they did was illegal and, even if it weren't, it's just plain wrong. There's no defense for it. Even the government needs a warrant to get into a house or a computer. You can't break into something like this and get away with it."[154] Professional journalists have an obligation to use their freedoms and powers responsibly. The Society of Professional Journalists' Code of Ethics states that journalists should "Avoid undercover or other surreptitious methods of gathering information except when traditional open methods will not yield information vital to the public."[153] The journalists involved in the phone hacking scandal were in clear violation of this code of ethics. Undercover and surreptitious methods were used to gather information, and the information that was obtained was not vital to the public, and ended up being hurtful to many people.[155]
Many observers point to the increased role the Internet plays in society as part of the reason for these ethical problems in journalism.[156]Journalism never sleeps in today's "fast-paced 24/7 online news culture."[156] Because journalism has become so fast moving, there is often a race to get the scoop on a subject or be the first to report something, which often leads to inaccuracy and shallowness.[156] The Internet has caused a competitive, high-pressure environment to emerge in media and journalism, which has brought about many errors and ethical issues.[155] Canadian observers said the News of the World controversy shows us just how hard media organizations are competing to stay afloat, as well as the costs associated with this competition.[155] For all the good advances in Internet technology have done, in the case of journalism it appears to be the cause of the problem, not the solution.[155]
The News of the World scandal led many to speculate about the implications of this ethical issue on media policy and regulations. Prime Minister of the United Kingdom David Cameron implicated that an investigation on media ethics and standards will be carried out, raising questions about the impact of state media regulation on the free press.[157] Many worry that this wide-ranging ethics review will have lead to the introduction of regulations that cannot help but to undermine continuation of a truly free press.[152] While some have argued for more regulations on media and journalism, others see the "reining in of the press" as detrimental to society.[158] The argument is that regulations will hurt the common man much more than large, powerful corporations; because corporations have the money, power, and resources to get out of any tough situation they might encounter.[158] The News of the World scandal has led many to argue against new state regulations, instead pushing for improved enforcement of laws against phone hacking and new rules about privacy.[158]
The News of the World scandal has also made many wonder if the same types of ethical transgressions that occurred at News of the World could be happening at American news companies, specifically those that are a part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation empire.[159]However, these uncertainties have been largely dismissed because of the major differences in media culture between the United States and the United Kingdom.[159] American journalists are thought to take self-regulation more seriously than their British counterparts, and there is more of a separation between tabloids and hard news in the U.S.[159]
[edit]See also
- CTB v News Group Newspapers
- List of alleged victims of the News of the World phone hacking scandal
- Mosley v News Group Newspapers Limited
- Politico-media complex
- Sheridan v News International
[edit]Timeline
- 10 Apr: Apology and compensation to seven specific victims
- 14 Apr: Weatherup arrest
- 4 July: The Guardian reports on the hacking of missing schoolgirl Milly Dowler's voicemail.
- 6 July: Cameron announces UK inquiry
- 7 July: New of the World closure announced
- 8 July: Coulson arrest
- 11 July: The Guardian reports two other News Corp outlets may have illegally accessed records of former UK PM Gordon Brown
- 13 July: BSkyB takeover withdrawn.
- 14 July: Wallis arrest
- 14 July: FBI investigation into News Corporation announced
- 14-15 July: "We are Sorry" letter published
- 15 July: Rebekah Brooks, (CE of News Intl) and Les Hinton (CEO of Dow Jones) resign
- 19 July: Brooks, Rupert & James Murdoch scheduled to testify to UK Parliament
[edit]References
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- ^ The Guardian, 9 March 2010, Max Clifford drops News of the World phone hacking action in £1m deal
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- ^ The Observer, 25 April 2010, New claims of phone hacking put pressure on Andy Coulson
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- ^ a b c by Nick Davies and Vikram Dodd, guardian.co.uk website, 11 March 2011, accessed 9 July 2011
- ^ "DNA may solve killing that shamed Met", by Hugh Muir and Duncan Campbell, The Guardian, 20 November 2006, accessed 9 July 2011
- ^ "Jonathan Rees' empire of corruption", by Nick Davies, published by the Guardian, 12 March 2011, accessed 9 July 2011
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- ^http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/09/world/europe/09hacking.html
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- ^ http://www.smh.com.au/world/news-says-it-will-settle-phonehacking-suits-20110409-1d83h.html
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- ^ Toby Helm and James Robinson "Phone hacking: Rupert Murdoch 'urged Gordon Brown' to halt Labour attacks", The Observer, 9 April 2011
- ^http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/09/world/europe/09hacking.html
- ^http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/09/world/europe/09hacking.html?partner=rss&emc=rss
- ^ http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/apr/08/news-corp-phone-hacking
- ^ http://www.smh.com.au/world/news-says-it-will-settle-phonehacking-suits-20110409-1d83h.html
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- ^ Halliday, Josh (14 April 2011). "Phone hacking: who is James Weatherup?". The Guardian (London).
- ^ Somaiya, Ravi; Goodman, J. David (14 April 2011). "Third British Journalist Is Arrested in Phone-Hacking Case". The New York Times.
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- ^ "Phone hacking: Third News of the World journalist James Weatherup arrested | Mail Online". Dailymail.co.uk. Retrieved 2011-07-16.
- ^ "James Weatherup - United Kingdom | LinkedIn". Uk.linkedin.com. Retrieved 2011-07-16.
- ^ "Phone hacking: Third News of the World journalist James Weatherup arrested | Mail Online". Dailymail.co.uk. Retrieved 2011-07-16.
- ^ "Phone-Hacking Inquiry: News Of The World Journalist James Weatherup Arrested By Police | UK News | Sky News". News.sky.com. Retrieved 2011-07-16.
- ^ "Hacking row: News of the World executive 'implicated'". BBC News. 20 May 2011.
- ^ a b c Davies, Nick, and Hill, Amelia (4 July 2011). "Missing Milly Dowler's voicemail was hacked by News of the World". The Guardian. Retrieved 5 July 2011.
- ^ Robinson, James (4 July 2011). "Milly Dowler phone hacking: Family shocked by NoW revelations". The Guardian. Retrieved 5 July 2011.
- ^ Gabbatt, Adam; Davies, Nick; Hill, Amelia (5 July 2011). "Milly Dowler phone hacking: Cameron condemns News of the World". The Guardian. Retrieved 5 July 2011.
- ^ a b "Cameron joins Milly Dowler hacking outrage, condemning 'a truly dreadful act'". The Spy Report (Media Spy). 5 July 2011. Retrieved 5 July 2011.
- ^ "News International's Rebekah Brooks 'won't resign'". BBC News. 5 July 2011. Retrieved 5 July 2011.
- ^ Rebekah Brooks "Milly Dowler phone hacking: the full text of Rebekah Brooks's email", The Guardian, 5 July 2011
- ^ Mulholland, Hélène, and Robinson, James (4 July 2011). "Milly Dowler phone hacking: Politicians hit out over revelations". The Guardian. Retrieved 5 July 2011.
- ^ Oliver Poole "Prescott calls for block on BSkyB takeover",Evening Standard, 5 July 2011
- ^ "Government delays decision on Rupert Murdoch £10bn BSkyB takeover until September | Mail Online". Daily Mail. UK. 14 June 2011. Retrieved 7 July 2011.
- ^ Hughes, Mark; Gardham, Duncan; Bingham, John; Bloxham, Andy (7 July 2011). "Phone hacking: families of war dead 'targeted' by News of the World". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 7 July 2011.
- ^ "Citing 'revulsion', veterans charity cuts ties with News of the World". The Spy Report (Media Spy). 7 July 2011. Retrieved 7 July 2011.
- ^ "Royal British Legion suspends NoW ties over 'hacking'". BBC News. 7 July 2011. Retrieved 7 July 2011.
- ^ "Phone hacking: The dark arts of Jonathan Rees | Comment is free". The Guardian. 2011-03-11. Retrieved 2011-07-12.
- ^ "News of the World 'paid royal police officer'". Bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 2011-07-12.
- ^ a b "Sunday Times is being investigated over more illegal practices, claims Prescott". Thisislondon.co.uk. Retrieved 2011-07-12.
- ^ "Gordon Brown 'genuinely shocked' at News International hacking claim". News.stv.tv. 2011-07-05. Retrieved 2011-07-12.
- ^ "Rebekah Brooks resigns head News International refuses apologise". Daily Mail.
- ^ "John Yates reveals his own phone was hacked as he appears before MPs". Telegraph. Retrieved 2011-07-12.
- ^ http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/phone-hacking/8638563/Phone-hacking-Jean-Charles-de-Menezes-cousin-may-have-been-targeted.html
- ^ http://www.politics.co.uk/news/2011/07/14/de-menezes-family-dragged-into-phone-hacking-
- ^ http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/phone-hacking/8639265/Phone-hacking-Jean-Charles-de-Menezess-cousin-attacks-Rupert-Murdoch.html
- ^ http://www.smh.com.au/world/call-for-police-chief-to-resign-over-hacking-20110715-1hi0v.html#ixzz1SCYDIjpX
- ^ http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/phone-hacking/8638563/Phone-hacking-Jean-Charles-de-Menezes-cousin-may-have-been-targeted.html
- ^ http://www.politics.co.uk/news/2011/07/14/de-menezes-family-dragged-into-phone-hacking-
- ^ a b c "GM's Vauxhall Suspends Advertising In News Of The World". Online.wsj.com. 2011-07-06. Retrieved 2011-07-14.
- ^ a b By Laura Smith-Spark, CNN. "Firms reconsider ad deals over newspaper phone hacking scandal". Edition.cnn.com. Retrieved 2011-07-12.
- ^ "DJ Taylor: For 168 years News of the World was as English as roast beef - Commentators, Opinion". The Independent. Retrieved 2011-07-08.
- ^ "News of the World axed by News International". Guardian. 7 July 2011. Retrieved 7 July 2011.
- ^ "End of the 'World': Rupert Murdoch's News of the World To Close After Phone Hacking Scandal". Time Magazine. 7 July 2011. Retrieved 7 July 2011.
- ^ "News of the World to close on Sunday, says James Murdoch".Daily Telegraph. 7 July 2011. Retrieved 7 July 2011.
- ^ "News of the World to cease publication". RTE News. 7 July 2011. Retrieved 7 July 2011.
- ^ "News of the World to close amid hacking scandal". BBC. Retrieved 7 July 2011.
- ^ Mills, Elinor. "British tabloid to shutter in wake of phone hacking scandal cnet 7 July 2011". News.cnet.com. Retrieved 7 July 2011.
- ^ "Phone hacking scandal closes News of the World".Washington Post. 7 July 2011. Retrieved 7 July 2011.
- ^ "How Will News of the World Scandal Affect Murdoch's Power, Media Empire?". PBS. 2011-07-08. Retrieved 2011-07-12.
- ^ "The News of the World is sacrificed – how long before we have The Sun on Sunday?". The Daily Telegraph. 7 July 2011. Retrieved 7 July 2011.
- ^ a b "Facing overwhelming pressure, News Corp pulls out of bid for BSkyB". The Spy Report (Media Spy). 13 July 2011. Retrieved 16 July 2011.
- ^ Wintour, Patrick; Sabbagh, Dan; Watt, Nicholas (14 July 2011)."Rupert Murdoch gives up BSkyB takeover bid". The Guardian. Retrieved 16 July 2011.
- ^ "Parliamentary Debates (Hansard)". House of Commons. 13 July 2011. Retrieved 16 July 2011.
- ^ Sparrow, Andrew (13 July 2011). "Phone-hacking scandal + PMQs – Wednesday 13 July 2011". The Guardian. Retrieved 16 July 2011.
- ^ Sabbagh, Dan; Martinson, Jane (13 July 2011). "News of the World legal manager Tom Crone to leave News International".The Guardian. Retrieved 16 July 2011.
- ^ Martinson, Jane (11 July 2011). "Tom Crone: News International's go-to man on legal issues". The Guardian. Retrieved 16 July 2011.
- ^ a b c "Phone hacking: News International chief Brooks quits".BBC News. 15 July 2011. Retrieved 16 July 2011.
- ^ "Rebekah Brooks' resignation letter and James Murdoch's statement". The Spy Report (Media Spy). 15 July 2011. Retrieved 16 July 2011.
- ^ Martinson, Jane; Watt, Nicholas (16 July 2011). "Rupert Murdoch's bloody Friday as Rebekah Brooks and Les Hinton quit". The Guardian. Retrieved 16 July 2011.
- ^ a b "Les Hinton, Murdoch's right-hand man, quits over News International scandal". The Spy Report (Media Spy). 16 July 2011. Retrieved 16 July 2011.
- ^ Sweney, Mark (14-07-2011). "Phone hacking: NI plans full page apology in national press". The Guardian. Retrieved 15 July 2011.
- ^ "Andy Coulson to be arrested over phone hacking tomorrow".The Guardian (UK). 7 July 2011. Retrieved 7 July 2011.
- ^ "NOTW Closes: Ex-Editor To Be Quizzed By Cops". UK: Sky News. 8 July 2011. Retrieved 8 July 2011.
- ^ "News of the World phone hacking live 2011-07-08". The Telegraph (UK). 8 July 2011. Retrieved 8 July 2011.
- ^ Paul Owen (2011-07-14). "Phone hacking scandal – live coverage - 4.32pm". The Guardian. Retrieved 2011-07-14.
- ^ http://www.smh.com.au/world/call-for-police-chief-to-resign-over-hacking-20110715-1hi0v.html#ixzz1SCYDIjpX
- ^ Now Met Police probes 'The Sun' after union chief raises concerns, The Independent, 9 February 2011
- ^ "Phone hacking: David Cameron announces terms of phone-hacking inquiry". The Telegraph. 13 July 2011. Retrieved 13 July 2011.
- ^ Ex-British prime minister 'shocked' by new hacking claims, CNN.com, 11 July 2011
- ^ "Phone hacking: 9/11 victims 'may have had mobiles tapped by News of the World reporters'". mirror.co.uk. 2009-08-11. Retrieved 2011-07-12.
- ^ "Phone-hacking: US senator calls for News Corp probe". Bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 2011-07-14.
- ^ "FBI to probe Murdoch's company over Sept. 11 allegation". CNN. 2011-07-14. Retrieved 2011-07-15.
- ^ Walker, Jonathon (2011-07-08). "The Tom Watson Story: The man who took on Rupert Murdoch and won". Birmingham Post. Retrieved 8 July 2011.
- ^ a b "The Tom Watson Story: The man who took on Rupert Murdoch and won". Blogs.birminghampost.net. 2011-07-08. Retrieved 2011-07-12.
- ^ Walker, Jonathan. "West Bromwich MP Tom Watson and the battle to expose phone hacking". Birmingham Post. Retrieved 2011-07-12.
- ^ "Tom Watson on the "powerful forces" covering up phone hacking". Blogs.birminghampost.net. Retrieved 2011-07-12.
- ^ "Former Sutton Coldfield MP Lord Fowler demands independent phone hacking inquiry". Blogs.birminghampost.net. Retrieved 2011-07-12.
- ^ a b c d e f Grossman, Karl. "Murdoch Media Empire: A Journalistic Travesty." huffingtonpost.com 13 July 2011: n. pag. Web. 14 Jul 2011. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/karl-grossman/murdoch-media-empire-a-jo_b_896836.html>.
- ^ a b c d Bernstein, Carl. "Is Phone-Hacking Scandal Murdoch's Watergate?." newsweek.com 11 July 2011: n. pag. Web. 13 Jul 2011. <http://www.newsweek.com/2011/07/10/murdoch-s-watergate.html>.
- ^ a b Straubhaar, Joseph, Robert LaRose, and Lucinda Davenport. Media Now: Understanding Media, Culture, and Technology. 6th ed. Boston, MA: Wadsworth, 2010. 477-488. Print.
- ^ a b c Pressman, Gabe. "In Journalism, the End Doesn't Justify the Means." nbcnewyork.com 12 July 2011: n. pag. Web. 14 Jul 2011. <http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/In-Journalism-the-End-Doesnt-Justify-the-Means-125446643.html>.
- ^ a b c d Baziuk, Laura. "Internet major player in ethical issues arising from News of the World scandal." canada.com 8 July 2011: n. pag. Web. 16 Jul 2011. <http://www2.canada.com/story.html?id=5074391>.
- ^ a b c Rieder, Rem. "News of the World scandal: US journalism shrugs." bbc.co.uk 7 July 2011: n. pag. Web. 11 Jul 2011. <http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-14074049>.
- ^ Heawood, Jonathan. "A new manifesto for media ethics." guardian.co.uk 13 July 2011: n. pag. Web. 15 Jul 2011. <http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/jul/13/media-ethics-investigation-david-cameron>.
- ^ a b c Doctorow, Cory. "The phone-hacking scandal must not be used to rein in the press." guardian.co.uk 14 July 2011: n. pag. Web. 16 Jul 2011. <http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/jul/14/phone-hacking-internet-press>.
- ^ a b c McMahon, Barbara. "Rupert Murdoch's US papers face closer scrutiny." guardian.co.uk 15 July 2011: n. pag. Web. 16 Jul 2011. <http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/jul/15/rupert-murdoch-now-phone-hacking>.
[edit]External links
- Phone hacking collected news and commentary at The Guardian
- Phone Hacking Scandal collected news and commentary at BBC News
- British Phone-Hacking Scandal (News of the World) collected news and commentary at The New York Times
- News of the World Phone Hacking collected news and commentary at The Telegraph
- Full Q&A On The Phone Hacking Scandal, Sky News, 5 July 2011
- Hacking scandal: is this Britain's Watergate?, The Independent, 9 July 2011
- How UK celebrities got their phones hacked, 14 July 2011
- Hacked off official campaign website
| ||
Rupert Murdoch
| Rupert Murdoch | |
|---|---|
 Murdoch at the 2011 Tribeca Film FestivalVanity Fair party | |
| Born | Keith Rupert Murdoch 11 March 1931 Melbourne, Australia |
| Nationality | United States |
| Citizenship | United States (naturalized 1985) |
| Occupation | Chairman and CEO of News Corporation |
| Net worth |  US$7.6 billion (2011)[1] |
| Spouse | Patricia Booker (m. 1956–1967) Anna Maria Torv (m. 1967–1999) Wendi Deng (m. 1999–present) |
| Children | Prudence Murdoch (b. 1958) Elisabeth Murdoch (b. 1968) Lachlan Murdoch (b. 1971) James Murdoch (b. 1972) Grace Murdoch (b. 2001) Chloe Murdoch (b. 2005) |
| Parents | Keith Murdoch (1885–1952) Elisabeth Joy (née Greene) (b. 1909) |
| Relatives | Matthew Freud (son-in-law) Sarah Murdoch (daughter-in-law) |
| Awards | Companion of the Order of Australia (1984).[2] |
| Notes a Australian citizenship lost in 1985 with acquisition of U.S nationality. | |
Keith Rupert Murdoch, AC, KSG (English pronunciation: /ˈruːpərt ˈmɜrdɒk/; born 11 March 1931) is an Australian American media mogul and the Chairman and CEO of News Corporation.
Beginning with one newspaper in Adelaide, Murdoch acquired and started other publications in his native Australia before expanding News Corp into the United Kingdom, United States and Asian media markets. Although it was in Australia in the late 1950s that he first dabbled in television, he later sold these assets, and News Corp's Australian current media interests (still mainly in print) are restricted by cross-media ownership rules. Murdoch's first permanent foray into TV was in the USA, where he created Fox Broadcasting Company in 1986. In the 2000s, he became a leading investor in satellite television, the film industry and the Internet, and purchased a respected business newspaper, The Wall Street Journal.
Rupert Murdoch was listed three times in the Time 100 as among the most influential people in the world. He is ranked 13th most powerful person in the world in the 2010 Forbes' The World's Most Powerful People list.[3] With a net worth of US$6.3 billion, he is ranked 117th wealthiest person in the world.[4]
Contents[hide] |
Early life
Keith Rupert Murdoch was born in Melbourne, the only son of Sir Keith Murdoch and Elisabeth Joy (née Greene). At the time, his father was a regional newspaper magnate based in Melbourne, and as a result, the family was wealthy. Murdoch was groomed by his father from an early age, and attended the elite Geelong Grammar School. He later read Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Worcester College, Oxford University in the United Kingdom, where he supported the Labour Party.[5]
Start in business
When Murdoch was 22, his father died, prompting his return from Oxford to take charge of the family business; becoming managing director of News Limited in 1953.[5] He began to direct his attention to acquisition and expansion. He bought the Sunday Times in Perth, Western Australia.
Over the next few years, Murdoch established himself in Australia as a dynamic business operator, expanding his holdings by acquiring suburban and provincial newspapers in New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria and the Northern Territory, including the Sydney afternoon tabloid, The Daily Mirror, as well as a small Sydney-based recording company, Festival Records.
His first foray outside Australia involved the purchase of a controlling interest in the New Zealand daily The Dominion. In January 1964, while touring New Zealand with friends in a rented Morris Minor after sailing across the Tasman, Murdoch read of a takeover bid for the Wellington paper by the British-based Canadian newspaper magnate, Lord Thomson of Fleet. On the spur of the moment, he launched a counter-bid. A four-way battle for control ensued in which the 32-year-old Murdoch was ultimately successful.
Later in 1964, Murdoch launched The Australian, Australia's first national daily newspaper, which was based first in Canberra and later in Sydney. The Australian, a broadsheet, was intended to give Murdoch new respectability as a 'quality' newspaper publisher, as well as greater political influence.
In 1972, Murdoch acquired the Sydney morning tabloid The Daily Telegraph from Australian media mogul Sir Frank Packer, who later admitted regretting selling it to him. In that year's election, Murdoch threw his growing power behind the Australian Labor Party under the leadership of Gough Whitlam and duly saw it elected.
Building News Corporation
Acquisitions in Britain
In 1968 Murdoch entered the UK newspaper market with his acquistion of the News of the World, soon followed in 1969 of the then broadsheet daily newspaper The Sun from IPC. Murdoch turned it into a tabloid format, and reduced costs by using the same printing press for both newspapers; by 2006 it was selling three million copies per day.[6]
In 1981, Murdoch acquired The Times and The Sunday Times from Canadian newspaper publisherLord Thomson of Fleet. Ownership of The Times came to him through his careful cultivation of Lord Thomson, who had grown tired of losing money on it as a result of much industrial action which stopped publication.[7]
During the 1980s and early 1990s, Murdoch's publications were generally supportive of Britain's Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.[8] At the end of the Thatcher/Major era, Murdoch switched his support to the Labour Party and its leader, Tony Blair. The closeness of his relationship with Blair and their secret meetings to discuss national policies was to become a political issue in Britain.[9]Though this later started to change, with The Sun publicly renouncing the ruling Labour government and lending its support to David Cameron's Conservative Party, which soon after came to form a coalition government. Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown's official spokesman said in November 2009 that Brown and Murdoch "were in regular communication" and that "there is nothing unusual in the prime minister talking to Rupert Murdoch".[10]
In 1986, Murdoch introduced electronic production processes to his newspapers in Australia, Britain and the United States. The greater degree of automation led to significant reductions in the number of employees involved in the printing process. In England, the move roused the anger of the print unions, resulting in a long and often violent dispute that played out in Wapping, one of London's docklands areas, where Murdoch had installed the very latest electronic newspaper publishing facility in an old warehouse.[11] The bitter dispute at Fortress Wapping started with the dismissal of 6,000 employees who had gone on strike and resulted in street battles, demonstrations and a great deal of bad publicity for Murdoch. Many on the political left in Britain suspected Margaret Thatcher's Conservative government of collusion with Murdoch in the Wapping affair, as a way of damaging the British trade union movement, by providing large numbers of police to attack and arrest pickets using violence and provocation.[12]
Murdoch's British-based satellite network, Sky Television, incurred massive losses in its early years of operation. As with many of his other business interests, Sky was heavily subsidised by the profits generated by his other holdings, but eventually he was able to convince rival satellite operator British Satellite Broadcasting to accept a merger on his terms in 1990. The merged company, BSkyB, has dominated the British pay-TV market ever since.[13]
In response to print media's decline and the increasing influence of online journalism during the 2000s,[14] Murdoch proclaimed his support of the micropayments model for obtaining revenue from on-line news,[15] although this has been criticised by some.[16]
News Corporation has subsidiaries in the Bahamas, the Cayman Islands, the Channel Islands and the Virgin Islands. From 1986, News Corporation's annual tax bill averaged around seven percent of its profits.[17]
United States
Murdoch made his first acquisition in the United States in 1973, when he purchased the San Antonio Express-News. Soon afterwards, he founded Star, a supermarket tabloid, and in 1976, he purchased the New York Post. On 4 September 1985, Murdoch became a naturalised citizen to satisfy the legal requirement that only US citizens were permitted to own American television stations. Also in 1985, Murdoch purchased the 20th Century Fox movie studio. In 1986, Murdoch purchased six television stations owned by Metromedia. These stations would form the nucleus of the Fox Broadcasting Company, which was founded on 9 October 1986. In 1987, in Australia he bought The Herald and Weekly Times Ltd, the company that his father had once managed. By 1991, his Australian-based News Corp. had worked up huge debts (much from Sky TV in the UK)[citation needed], forcing Murdoch to sell many of the American magazine interests he had acquired in the mid-1980s.
In 1995, Murdoch's Fox Network became the object of scrutiny from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), when it was alleged that News Ltd.'s Australian base made Murdoch's ownership of Fox illegal. However, the FCC ruled in Murdoch's favor, stating that his ownership of Fox was in the best interests of the public. That same year, Murdoch announced a deal with MCI Communications to develop a major news website and magazine, The Weekly Standard. Also that year, News Corp. launched the Foxtel pay television network in Australia in partnership with Telstra.
In 1996, Murdoch decided to enter the cable news market with the Fox News Channel, a 24-hour cable news television station. Ratings studies released in the fourth quarter of 2004 showed that the network was responsible for nine of the top ten programs in the "Cable News" category at that time[citation needed]. Rupert Murdoch and Ted Turner (founder and former owner of CNN) are long-standing rivals.[citation needed]
In late 2003, Murdoch acquired a 34 percent stake in Hughes Electronics, the operator of the largest American satellite TV system, DirecTV, from General Motors for $6 billion (USD).
In 2004, Murdoch announced that he was moving News Corp.'s headquarters from Adelaide, Australia to the United States. Choosing a US domicile was designed to ensure that American fund managers could purchase shares in the company, since many were deciding not to buy shares in non-US companies. Some analysts believed that News Corp.'s Australian domicile was leading to the company being undervalued compared with its peers.
On 20 July 2005, News Corp. bought Intermix Media Inc., which held MySpace.com and other popular social networking-themed websites, for $580 million USD.[18] In June 2011, it sold off Myspace for US$35 million.[19]On 11 September 2005, News Corp. announced that it would buyIGN Entertainment for $650 million (USD).[20]
In May 2007, Murdoch made a $5 billion offer to purchase Dow Jones, owner of the Wall Street Journal. At the time, the Bancroft family, which controlled 64% of the shares, firmly declined the offer, opposing Murdoch's much-used strategy of slashing employee numbers and "gutting" existing systems. Later, the Bancroft family confirmed a willingness to consider a sale – besides Murdoch, the Associated Pressreported that supermarket magnate Ron Burkle and Internet entrepreneur Brad Greenspan were among the interested parties.[21] On 1 August 2007, the BBC's "News and World Report"[22] and NPR's Marketplace[23] radio programs reported that Murdoch had acquired Dow Jones; this news was received with mixed reactions.
Australia
In 1999, Murdoch significantly expanded his music holdings in Australia by acquiring the controlling share in a leading Australian independent label, Michael Gudinski's Mushroom Records; he merged that with Festival Records, and the result was Festival Mushroom Records (FMR). Both Festival and FMR were managed by Murdoch's son James Murdoch for several years.
Expansion in Asia
In 1993, Murdoch acquired Star TV, a Hong Kong company founded by Richard Li for $1 billion (Souchou, 2000:28), and subsequently set up offices for it throughout Asia. It is one of the biggest satellite TV networks in Asia. However, the deal did not work out as Murdoch had planned, because the Chinese government placed restrictions on it that prevented it from reaching most of China. It was around this time that Murdoch met his third wife Wendi Deng.
Recent activities
C7 lawsuit
In September 2005 Australian media proprietor Kerry Stokes, owner of the Seven Network, instituted legal action against News Corporation and the PBL organisation, headed by Kerry Packer alleging anti-competitive business practices. The suit stemmed from the 2002 collapse of Stokes' planned cable television channel C7 Sport, which would have been a direct competitor to the other major Australian cable provider, Foxtel, in which News and PBL have major stakes.
Seven complained that News Corporation had abused its market power which derived from its half-ownership of the National Rugby League, half-ownership of C7's direct competitor, Fox Sports, and 25 per cent ownership of the Foxtel pay TV service. Seven wanted Justice Ronald Sackville to order News and Publishing and Broadcasting Ltd to divest their combined 50% stake in Foxtel or to sell their wholly owned Fox Sports. They argued that this would be justified because of the way in which Foxtel gave preferential treatment to Fox Sports and declined to take any rival sports channel provider on "reasonable commercial terms".
In evidence given to the court on 26 September 2005, Stokes alleged that PBL executive James Packer came to his home in December 2000 and warned him that PBL and News Limited were "getting together" to prevent the AFL rights being granted to C7.
However, Justice Sackville dismissed Seven's case on all grounds, saying that there was "more than a hint of hypocrisy" in many of Seven's claims.[24]
Other legal challenges
On July 25, 2006, Murdoch has bought out the Turkish TV channel, TGRT, which had been previously confiscated by the Turkish Board of Banking Regulations, TMSF. News Corporation and Ahmet Ertegün sign agreement to acquire television station TGRTMediaOnline on July 24, 2006, reported that Murdoch purchased TGRT in a partnership with the Turkish recording mogul Ahmet Ertegün.[citation needed]
Murdoch has recently won a media dispute with Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. A judge ruled the Italian Prime Minister's media armMediaset had prevented News Corp.'s Italian unit, Sky Italia, from buying advertisements on its television networks.[25]
Political activities
Australia
Murdoch found a political ally in John McEwen, leader of the Australian Country Party (now known as the National Party of Australia), who was governing in coalition with the larger Menzies-Holt Liberal Party. From the very first issue of The Australian Murdoch began taking McEwen's side in every issue that divided the long-serving coalition partners. (The Australian, 15 July 1964, first edition, front page: "Strain in Cabinet, Liberal-CP row flares.") It was an issue that threatened to split the coalition government and open the way for the stronger Australian Labor Party to dominate Australian politics. It was the beginning of a long campaign that served McEwen well.[26]
After McEwen and Menzies retired, Murdoch transferred his support to the newly elected Leader of the Australian Labor Party, Gough Whitlam, who was elected in 1972 on a social platform that included universal free health care, free education for all Australians to tertiary level, recognition of the People's Republic of China, and public ownership of Australia's oil, gas and mineral resources.
Rupert Murdoch's flirtation with Whitlam turned out to be brief. He had already started his short-lived National Star[26] newspaper in America, and was seeking to strengthen his political contacts there.[27]
Asked about the Australian federal election, 2007 at News Corporation's annual general meeting in New York on 19 October 2007, its chairman Rupert Murdoch said, "I am not commenting on anything to do with Australian politics. I'm sorry. I always get into trouble when I do that." Pressed as to whether he believed Prime Minister John Howard should be re-elected, he said: "I have nothing further to say. I'm sorry. Read our editorials in the papers. It'll be the journalists who decide that – the editors."[28]
United States
In 1985 Murdoch became a United States citizen to satisfy legislation that only United States citizens could own American television stations. This also resulted in Murdoch losing his Australian citizenship.[29][30]
McNight (2010) identifies four characteristics of his media operations: free market ideology; unified positions on matters of public policy; global editorial meetings; and opposition to a perceived liberal bias in other public media.[31]
On 8 May 2006, the Financial Times reported that Murdoch would be hosting a fund-raiser for Senator Hillary Clinton's (D-New York) Senate re-election campaign.[32]
In a 2008 interview with Walt Mossberg, Murdoch was asked whether he had "anything to do with the New York Post's endorsement ofBarack Obama in the democratic primaries." Without hesitating, Murdoch replied, "Yeah. He is a rock star. It's fantastic. I love what he is saying about education. I don't think he will win Florida... but he will win in Ohio and the election. I am anxious to meet him. I want to see if he will walk the walk."[33][34]
In 2010 News Corporation gave $1M to the Republican Governors Association and $1M to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.[35][36][37]
Murdoch also served on the board of directors of the libertarian Cato Institute.[38]
United Kingdom
In Britain in the 1980s Murdoch formed a close alliance with Margaret Thatcher, and The Sun credited itself with helping John Major to win an unexpected election victory in the 1992 general election.[39] However, in the general elections of 1997, 2001 and 2005, Murdoch's papers were either neutral or supported Labour under Tony Blair. This has led some critics to argue that Murdoch simply supports the incumbent parties (or those who seem most likely to win an upcoming election) in the hope of influencing government decisions that may affect his businesses. The Labour Party under Blair had moved from the Left to a more central position on many economic issues prior to 1997. Murdoch identifies himself as a libertarian, this use of the term, however, being one many would not recognize.[40][41]
In a speech delivered in New York, Rupert Murdoch said that the British Prime Minister Tony Blair described the BBC coverage of theHurricane Katrina disaster as being full of hatred of America.[42]
In 1998, Rupert Murdoch failed in his attempt to buy the football club Manchester United F.C. with an offer of £625 million. It was the largest amount ever offered for a sports club. It was blocked by the United Kingdom's Competition Commission, which stated that the acquisition would have "hurt competition in the broadcast industry and the quality of British football".
On 28 June 2006 the BBC reported that Murdoch and News Corporation were flirting with the idea of backing Conservative leader David Cameron at the next General Election.[43] However, in a later interview in July 2006, when he was asked what he thought of the Conservative leader, Murdoch replied "Not much".[44] In a 2009 blog, it was suggested that in the aftermath of the News of the World phone hacking scandal which is still ongoing in 2011 and might yet have Transatlantic implications [45] , Murdoch and News Corporation might have decided to back Cameron. [46] Despite this there had already been a convergence of interests between the two men over the muting of Britain's communications regulator Ofcom.[47]
In 2006, Britain's Independent newspaper reported that Murdoch would offer Tony Blair a senior role in his global media company News Corp. when the prime minister stood down from office.[48]
He is accused by former Solidarity MSP Tommy Sheridan of having a personal vendetta against him and of conspiring with MI5 to produce a video of him confessing to having affairs – allegations over which Sheridan had previously sued News International and won.[49] On being arrested for perjury following the case, Sheridan claimed that the charges were "orchestrated and influenced by the powerful reach of the Murdoch empire".[50]
Private meetings with politicians
Murdoch has a history of hosting private meetings with influential politicians. Both parties describe such meetings as politically insignificant; social events, informal dinners or friendly drinks. It has however been argued that such meetings are significant because of Murdoch's exceptional influence as an international media magnate, as well as his consistent interest in and involvement with political issues.[51]
David Cameron
In August 2008 British Conservative leader and future Prime Minister David Cameron accepted free flights to hold private talks and attend private parties with Murdoch on his yacht, the Rosehearty.[52] Cameron has declared in the Commons register of interests he accepted a private plane provided by Murdoch's son-in-law, public relations guru Matthew Freud; Cameron has not revealed his talks with Murdoch. The gift of travel in Freud's Gulfstream IV private jet was valued at around £30,000. Other guests attending the "social events" included the then EU trade commissioner Lord Mandelson, the Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska and co-chairman of NBC Universal Ben Silverman. The Conservatives have not disclosed what was discussed.[53]
In July 2011 it emerged that Murdoch had given Cameron a personal guarantee that there would be no risk attached to hiring the ex-editor of the News of the World Andy Coulson as the Conservative Party's communication director in 2007.[54] This was in spite of Coulson having resigned as editor over phone hacking by a reporter. Cameron chose to take Murdoch's advice, despite warnings from Nick Clegg, Lord Ashdown and The Guardian.[55] Coulson resigned his post in 2011 and was later arrested and questioned on allegations of further criminal activity at The News of the World.
Kevin Rudd
On 21 April 2007, future Australian prime minister Kevin Rudd dined with Rupert Murdoch in New York, following a one-hour private meeting at Murdoch's News Corporation Building.[56]
News Limited's resources involvement and coverage, in Australia, on the 2009 OzCar affair controversy caused antagonism by Rudd. Rudd responded to a press conference question from The Australian journalist Matthew Franklin, questioning "what sort of journalistic checks were put in place" for publishing a story claiming he was corrupt without "having cited any original document in terms of this email." Although such newspapers Daily Telegraph, the Courier-Mail and the Adelaide Advertiser are owned by News Limited, it has been viewed[who?] that Murdoch's personal involvement is unlikely and "the anti-Rudd push, if it is coordinated at all, is almost certainly locally driven."[57]
Murdoch once said that Rudd is "...oversensitive and too sensitive for his own good..." regarding Rudd's response to criticism made of him by News Corporation's Australian newspapers.[58] Murdoch also described Rudd as "...more ambitious to lead the world than to lead Australia..." and criticised Rudd's expansionary fiscal policies as unnecessary: "We were not about to collapse...I thought we were trying to copy the rest of the world a little unnecessarily."[59]
Stephen Harper
Canadian Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper had lunch with Murdoch and Fox News president Roger Ailes in March 2009, but the New York City meeting was not public knowledge until the summer of 2010 when a Canadian Press reporter learned of it from filings with theU.S. Justice Department. News of the meeting sparked speculation of a politically motivated drive to bring "Fox News North" to Canada.[60]
Barack Obama
In October 2008 Murdoch biographer Michael Wolff wrote a Vanity Fair story recounting a meeting between Barack Obama, Murdoch, and Ailes at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York early that summer. Obama had initially resisted Murdoch's proposals for a meeting, despite senior News Corp. executives having recruited the Kennedys to act as go-betweens. According to Wolff, at the meeting Obama raised the issue of Fox News's portrayal of him "as suspicious, foreign, fearsome – just short of a terrorist", while Ailes said it might not have been this way if Obama had "more willingly come on the air instead of so often giving Fox the back of his hand." A "tentative truce" was nonetheless agreed upon. Wolff also noted that Murdoch has met every US President since, and including, Harry Truman.[61]
Personal life
Marriages
Murdoch has been married three times. In 1956 he married Patricia Booker, a former shop assistant and flight attendant from Melbourne with whom he had his first child, a daughter, Prudence, born in 1958. Rupert and Patricia Murdoch divorced in 1967.
In 1967 Murdoch married Anna Torv, a Scottish-born cadet journalist working for his Sydney newspaper The Daily Telegraph (not to be mistaken for the actress Anna Torv of Fringe who is the elder Torv's niece). During his marriage to Torv, a Roman Catholic, Murdoch was awarded theKSG, a papal honour.
Torv and Murdoch had three children: Elisabeth Murdoch (born in Sydney, Australia on 22 August 1968), Lachlan Murdoch (born in London, UK on 8 September 1971), and James Murdoch, (born inWimbledon, UK on 13 December 1972). Murdoch's companies published two novels by his then wife: Family Business (1988) and Coming to Terms (1991), both widely regarded[62] as vanitypublications. Anna and Rupert divorced in June 1999.
Anna Murdoch received a settlement of US$ 1.2 billion in assets.[63] Seventeen days after the divorce, on 25 June 1999, Murdoch, then aged 68, married Chinese-born Deng Wendi (Wendi Deng in Western style). She was 30, a recent Yale School of Management graduate, and a newly appointed vice-president of STAR TV.
Rupert Murdoch has two children with Deng: Grace Helen (born in New York 19 November 2001) and Chloe (born in New York 17 July 2003).
Children
 | This section does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (July 2011) |
Murdoch's eldest son Lachlan, formerly the deputy chief operating officer at the News Corporation and the publisher of the New York Post, was Murdoch's heir apparent before resigning from his executive posts at the global media company at the end of July 2005. Lachlan's departure left James Murdoch chief executive of the satellite television service British Sky Broadcasting since November 2003, as the only Murdoch son still directly involved with the company's operations, though Lachlan has agreed to remain on the News Corporation's board.
After graduating from Vassar College and marrying classmate Elkin Kwesi Pianim (the son of Ghanaian financial and political mogul Kwame Pianim) in 1993, Murdoch's daughter Elisabeth, along with her husband, purchased a pair of NBC-affiliate television stations in California,KSBW and KSBY, with a $35 million loan provided by her father. By quickly re-organising and re-selling them at a $12 million profit in 1995, Elisabeth emerged as an unexpected rival to her brothers for the eventual leadership of the publishing dynasty's empire. But after divorcing her first husband in 1998 and quarrelling publicly with her assigned mentor Sam Chisholm at BSkyB, she struck out on her own as a television and film producer in London. She has since enjoyed independent success, in conjunction with her second husband, Matthew Freud, the great-grandson of Sigmund Freud (the founder of psychoanalysis) whom she married in 2001.
It is not known how long Murdoch will remain as News Corp.'s CEO. For a while the American cable television entrepreneur John Malone was the second-largest voting shareholder in News Corporation after Murdoch himself, potentially undermining the family's control. In 2007, the company announced that it would sell certain assets and give cash to Malone's company in exchange for its stock. In 2007 Murdoch issued his older children with equal voting stock.
Portrayal on television, in film, books and music
Rupert Murdoch and rival newspaper and publishing magnate Robert Maxwell are thinly fictionalised as "Keith Townsend" and "Richard Armstrong" in The Fourth Estate by British novelist and former MP Jeffrey Archer.[64]
Rupert Murdoch has been portrayed by Barry Humphries in the 1991 mini-series Selling Hitler, Hugh Laurie in a parody of It's a Wonderful Life in the television show A Bit of Fry & Laurie, Ben Mendelsohn in the film Black and White, Paul Elder in The Late Shift and by himself onThe Simpsons first in "Sunday, Cruddy Sunday" and most recently in "Judge Me Tender".
It has been speculated that the character of Elliot Carver, the global media magnate and main villain in the 1997 James Bond movie Tomorrow Never Dies, is based on Rupert Murdoch. The writer of the film, Bruce Feirstein, has stated that Carver was actually inspired by British press magnate Robert Maxwell, who was one of Murdoch's rivals.[65]
In 1999, the Ted Turner owned TBS aired an original sitcom, The Chimp Channel. This featured an all-simian cast and the role of an Australian TV veteran named Harry Waller. The character is described as "a self-made gazillionaire with business interests in all sorts of fields. He owns newspapers, hotel chains, sports franchises and genetic technologies, as well as everyone's favorite cable TV channel, The Chimp Channel." Waller is thought to be a parody of Murdoch, a long-time rival of Turner's.[66]
In 2004, the movie Outfoxed included many interviews accusing Fox News of pressuring reporters to report only one side of news stories, in order to influence viewers' political opinions.[67] The movie did a quick inventory of Rupert Murdoch's media holdings, indicating that his media reached approximately 3/4 of the world's population.[68]
Remuneration and wealth
According to the 2010 list of Forbes richest Americans, Murdoch is the 38th richest person in the US and the 117th-richest person in the world, with a net worth of $6.2 billion.[69]
See also
Notes
- ^ Rupert Murdoch profile page Forbes.com. Retrieved September 2010.
- ^ "AC AD84. For service to the media, particularly the newspaper publishing industry.""Australian Honours". Australian Government. Retrieved 27 February 2010.
- ^ The World's Most Powerful People, Forbes.
- ^ The World's Billionaires, Forbes.
- ^ a b Walker, Andrew (31 July 2002). "Rupert Murdoch: Bigger than Kane". British Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 27 December 2009.
- ^ Page (2003) pp. 131–35, et seq.
- ^ Harold Evans, Good Times, Bad Times, 1983
- ^ Page (2003) p. 3, pp. 253–419
- ^ Hinsliff, Gaby (23 July 2006). "The PM, the mogul and the secret agenda". The Guardian (London). Retrieved 10 April 2010.
- ^ Mulholland, Hélène (12 November 2009). "Gordon Brown spoke to Rupert Murdoch after misspelling row". The Guardian(London)
- ^ Page (2003), pp. 368–393
- ^ Rt. Hon. Tony Benn cited in Hansard, 8 May 1986. 'The mounted police advanced out of the plant exactly as the tactical options manual says that they should. They ran into the crowd. They were covered by riot police who did several things. First they ran indiscriminately into the crowd and battered people who had had nothing whatsoever to do with any stones that might have been thrown. . . They surrounded the bus that was acting as an ambulance. One man had a heart attack and I appealed over the loudspeaker for the police to withdraw to allow an ambulance to come. None was allowed for 30 minutes. When the man was put on a trestle a police horse jostled it and the man nearly fell off as he was carried out to the ambulance. The police surrounded the park where the meeting took place. They surrounded the area so that people could not escape.'
- ^ OFTEL Submission to the ITC on competition issues arising from the award of digital terrestrial television multiplex licences:"The OFT has already found BSkyB to be dominant in the wholesale market for premium programming content (particularly certain sports and movie rights). BSkyB also currently controls the satellite network for direct to the home (DTH) pay television in the UK. Given its control of premium programming content, it also controls a vital input into the cable companies transmission and programme activities."http://www.ofcom.org.uk/static/archive/oftel/ind_info/broadcasting/dtt.htm
- ^ Jonny Blog (19 May 2009). "Blogspot". J-blogswebzine.blogspot.com. Retrieved 25 April 2010.
- ^ Clark, Andrew (7 May 2009). "News Corp will charge for newspaper websites, says Rupert Murdoch". The Guardian(London). Retrieved 10 April 2010.
- ^ Shirky, Clay (13 March 2009). "Newspapers and Thinking the Unthinkable". Shirky.com. Retrieved 25 April 2010.
- ^ Chenoweth (2001) pp. 300–303, 87–90, 177
- ^ "News Corp in $580m internet buy". BBC News. 19 July 2005. Retrieved 29 August 2010.
- ^ Fixmer, Andy, "News Corp. Calls Quits on Myspace With Specific Media Sale", Business Week, June 29, 2011
- ^ "News Corp. Acquires IGN for $650 Million". BusinessWeek. 11 September 2005. Retrieved 25 April 2010.
- ^ Associated Press "Burkle, Web Exec Might Team on Dow"[dead link]
- ^ Litterick, David (1 August 2007). "Daily Telegraph report of acquisition". The Daily Telegraph (London). Retrieved 25 April 2010.
- ^ Day to Day. "Marketplace Report: Murdoch's Big Buy". Npr.org. Retrieved 25 April 2010.
- ^ "Seven loses C7 case". ABC News. Australia. 27 July 2007. Retrieved 25 April 2010.
- ^ here [1][dead link]
- ^ a b Don Garden, Theodor Fink: A Talent for Ubiquity (Melbourne University Press 1998)
- ^ Shawcross, pp. 30–39
- ^ Michael Roland, Murdoch tight-lipped on election, ABC News Online, published 20 October 2007
- ^ Given, Jock (December 2002). "Foreign Ownership of Media and Telecommunications: an Australian story". Media & Arts Law Review 7 (4): 253
- ^ "The World's Billionaires No.73 Rupert Murdoch". Forbes. 7 October 2007. Retrieved 8 October 2009
- ^ David McKnight, "Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation: A Media Institution with A Mission," Historical Journal of Film, Radio & Television, Sept 2010, Vol. 30 Issue 3, pp 303–316,
- ^ "/ US & Canada – Murdoch to host fundraiser for Hillary Clinton". Financial Times. 8 May 2006. Retrieved 25 April 2010.
- ^ Read Andrew Sullivan in TheAtlantic magazine (29 May 2008)."The Daily Dish , By Andrew Sullivan". Andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com. Retrieved 25 April 2010.
- ^ "Hilary Rosen: Rupert Murdoch Says Obama Will Win".Huffington Post. USA. Retrieved 25 April 2010.
- ^ Rutenberg, Jim (1 October 2010). "News Corp. Donates $1 million to U.S. Chamber of Commerce". New York Times. Retrieved 10 October 2010.
- ^ "Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. donates $1M to U.S. Chamber of Commerce". cleveland.com. 2 October 2010. Retrieved 10 October 2010.
- ^ "Murdoch says Kasich friendship influenced $1 million donation". Yahoo News. 7 October 2010. Retrieved 11 October 2010.
- ^ Murdoch Joins Board of Directors[dead link]
- ^ Douglas, Torin (14 September 2004). "Forty years of The Sun".BBC News. Retrieved 10 April 2010.
- ^ "Murdoch's politics". Sourcewatch.org. Retrieved 25 April 2010.
- ^ Shawcross, William (3 November 1999). "Rupert Murdoch".TIME. Retrieved 29 August 2010.
- ^ "Blair 'attacked BBC over Katrina'". BBC News. 18 September 2005. Retrieved 29 August 2010.
- ^ "Murdoch flirts with Conservatives". BBC News. 28 June 2006. Retrieved 25 April 2010.
- ^ Wapshott, Nicholas (23 July 2006). "The world according to Rupert". The Independent (London). Retrieved 25 April 2010.
- ^ http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-14111966
- ^ "Rupert Murdoch to back David Cameron at next general election – exclusive". The Daily Telegraph (London). 10 July 2009. Retrieved 10 April 2010.
- ^ "Paying tribute to Murdoch: Cameron promises the end of Ofcom "as we know it" , Media Money". Blogs.pressgazette.co.uk. 6 July 2009. Retrieved 25 April 2010.
- ^ Grice, Andrew (29 July 2006). "Murdoch set to back Blair – for a place in his boardroom". The Independent (London). Retrieved 25 April 2010.
- ^ "Sheridan claims to be 'victim of MI5 plot'". The Scotsman. UK. Retrieved 25 April 2010.[dead link]
- ^ Sengupta, Kim (17 December 2007). "Tommy Sheridan charged with perjury". The Independent (London). Retrieved 25 April 2010.
- ^ Murphy, Paul (2 February 2006). "How Murdoch plans to win friends and influence people – Former Labour spin doctor shows how to gain the ear of policymakers". The Guardian (London). Retrieved 27 November 2008.
- ^ Grice, Andrew (24 October 2008). "Cameron, Murdoch and a Greek island freebie". The Independent (London). Retrieved 25 October 2008.
- ^ Hencke, David (25 October 2008). "Tories try to play down Aegean dinner". The Guardian (London). Retrieved 25 October 2008.
- ^ "The Battle of Wapping, Mk II – Press, Media". The Independent (UK). Retrieved 12 July 2011.
- ^ Toby Helm and Daniel Boffey. "Phone hacking: I warned No 10 over Coulson appointment, says Ashdown". Guardian. UK. Retrieved 12 July 2011.
- ^ "When Rudd met Murdoch subject menu was secret". The Sydney Morning Herald. 22 April 2007. Retrieved 26 October 2008.
- ^ "Comment: Rudd and the Murdoch Press". The Monthly: pp. 8–11. September 2009. Retrieved 26 October 2009.
- ^ 7 November 2009 12:00 am (7 November 2009). "Rudd too sensitive for own good: Murdoch". The Australian. Retrieved 25 April 2010.
- ^ "Murdoch criticises Rudd , Finance". BigPond News. 7 November 2009. Retrieved 25 April 2010.[dead link]
- ^ Canuck prime minister in Sun TV News furor: Harper, Murdoch lunch rattles Fox News North opponents[dead link] Hollywood Reporter 6 September 2010
- ^ Tuesdays with Rupert Vanity Fair October 2008
- ^ ""Murdoch's companies published two novels by his then wife: Family Business (1988) and Coming to Terms (1991); both are widely regarded as vanity publications."". Wn.com. Retrieved 12 July 2011.
- ^ "',The Boy Who Wouldn't Be King',". Nymag.com. 19 September 2005. Retrieved 25 April 2010.
- ^ "The Fourth Estate". The Official Site for Jefferey Archer. Retrieved 29 August 2010.[dead link]
- ^ Feirstein, Bruce (29 January 2008). "Bruce Feirstein: The Tao of Bond-Film Naming.". Vanity Fair.
- ^ Lucas, Michael P. [2] Los Angeles Times (1 June 1999). Retrieved on 8 April 2010.
- ^ Memmott, Mark (12 July 2004). ""Another film joins the political debate today when Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch's War on Journalism is unveiled in New York.'Outfoxed' accuses Fox of slanting the news. Outfoxed, which is being promoted by the liberal advocacy group MoveOn, charges that Fox News executives order their cable TV anchors, reporters and producers to slant the news to be pro-Republican and pro-Bush administration."". USA Today. Retrieved 12 July 2011.
- ^ http://community.eu.playstation.com/t5/Chew-the-fat-on-the-sofa/What-s-some-good-documentaries-you-ve-seen/td-p/11207405 "Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch's War On Journalism – A look at the reach of the fox [sic] news network (around 3/4 of the earth's population), and how certain views are over-looked or enhanced, depending on how they want to affect opinions."
- ^ Rupert Murdoch profile page Forbes. Retrieved September 2010.
References
- Chenoweth, Neil (2001). Rupert Murdoch, the untold story of the world's greatest media wizard. New York: Random House.
- Conrad, Mark (25 April 1999). "Murdoch Stymied in Purchase of 'United'". Retrieved 23 June 2007[dead link]
- Dover, Bruce. Rupert's Adventures in China: How Murdoch Lost A Fortune And Found A Wife (Mainstream Publishing).
- Ellison, Sarah. War at the Wall Street Journal: Inside the Struggle To Control an American Business Empire, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2010. ISBN 9780547152431 (Also published as: War at The Wall Street Journal: How Rupert Murdoch Bought an American Icon, Melbourne, Text Publishing, 2010.)
- Evans, Harold. Good Times, Bad Times, London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 1983
- Harcourt, Alison (2006). European Union Institutions and the Regulation of Media Markets. London, New York: Manchester University Press. ISBN [[Special:BookSources/0719066441
- McKnight, David. "Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation: A Media Institution with A Mission," Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television, Sept 2010, Vol. 30 Issue 3, pp 303–316
- Page, Bruce (2003). The Murdoch Archipelago. Simon and Schuster UK.
- Shawcross, William (1997). Murdoch: the making of a media empire. New York: Simon and Schuster.
- Souchou, Yao (2000). "House of Glass – Culture, Modernity, and the State in Southeast Asia". Bangkok: White Lotus.|0719066441
- McKnight, David. "Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation: A Media Institution with A Mission," Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television, Sept 2010, Vol. 30 Issue 3, pp 303–316
- Page, Bruce (2003). The Murdoch Archipelago. Simon and Schuster UK.
- Shawcross, William (1997). Murdoch: the making of a media empire. New York: Simon and Schuster.
- Souchou, Yao (2000). "House of Glass – Culture, Modernity, and the State in Southeast Asia". Bangkok: White Lotus.]].
External links
| Find more about Rupert Murdoch on Wikipedia's sister projects: | |
 | Images and media from Commons |
 | News stories from Wikinews |
 | Quotations from Wikiquote |
- Appearances on C-SPAN
- Rupert Murdoch on Charlie Rose
- Rupert Murdoch at the Internet Movie Database
- Rupert Murdoch collected news and commentary at Al Jazeera English
- Rupert Murdoch collected news and commentary at Bloomberg News
- Rupert Murdoch collected news and commentary at The Economist
- Rupert Murdoch collected news and commentary at The Guardian
- Rupert Murdoch collected news and commentary at The New York Times
- Rupert Murdoch collected news and commentary at The Wall Street Journal
- Works by or about Rupert Murdoch in libraries (WorldCat catalog)
- Rupert Murdoch at the Notable Names Database
- Profile at Forbes
- Murdoch, Rupert (1931–) resources from Trove at the National Library of Australia
- Murdoch Family tree
- Bill Moyers on Rupert Murdoch, 29 June 2007
- Arsenault, A & Castells, M. (2008) Rupert Murdoch and the Global Business of Media Politics. International Sociology. 23(4)
- Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. Gives Big To GOP – audio report by NPR
- Review of Bruce Page's "The Murdoch Archipelago", by Godfrey Hodgson
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Rebekah Brooks
 | This article is about a person involved in a current event. Information may change rapidly as the event progresses. |
| Rebekah Brooks | |
|---|---|
| Born | Rebekah Mary Wade[1][2] 27 May 1968 Warrington, Lancashire, England |
| Occupation | Journalist, newspaper editor |
| Spouse(s) | Ross Kemp (m. 2002–09, divorced) Charlie Brooks (m. 2009–present) |
| Notablecredit(s) | The Sun, News of the World |
Rebekah Mary Brooks (née Wade, born 27 May 1968) is a British journalist and newspapereditor. She was chief executive of News International (from 2009 to 2011), having previously served as the youngest editor of a British national newspaper as editor of the News of the World[3] (from 2000 to 2003) and the first female editor of The Sun[4] (from 2003 to 2009). She married actor Ross Kemp in 2002 (without taking his surname); in 2009 they divorced,[5] and she married former racehorse trainer and author Charlie Brooks.
She is a prominent figure in the News International phone hacking scandal, having been the editor of the News of the World when illegal phone hacking was allegedly carried out by the newspaper. On 15 July 2011, Brooks resigned as chief executive of News International, following widespread criticism of her role in the controversy.[6]
Contents[hide] |
Early life
Brooks was born Rebekah Mary Wade in Warrington, Lancashire.[7] She grew up in Daresbury,[8] and decided she wanted to be a journalist from the age of fourteen.[9] She attended Appleton Hall County Grammar School in Warrington.[10]
In Brooks' entry in Who's Who she stated that she studied at the Sorbonne in Paris, but did not claim to have a degree, and did not later answer questions about this; in a 2003 Spectator article, Stephen Glover suggested that, since she was working at the age of 20 for theNews of the World, "we can safely assume that she did not study at the Sorbonne in any meaningful way".[11]
Career
After school she worked for the French magazine L'architecture d'aujourd'hui in Paris, before returning to Britain to work for Eddy Shah's Messenger Group.[9] She joined the Sunday newspaper News of the World in 1989 as a secretary, before working as a feature writer for its 'Sunday' magazine were she worked on "The A to Z of Soaps" with TV soap expert Chris Stacey, and eventually becoming the paper's deputy editor.[9] "In 1994, she prepared for the News of the World's interview with James Hewitt, a paramour of Princess Diana, by reserving a hotel suite and hiring a team to "kit it out with secret tape devices in various flowerpots and cupboards", Piers Morgan, her former boss and now aCNN talk show host (and ABC talent-show judge), wrote in his memoir The Insider", the New York Times relayed in July 2011.[12] In 1998 she transferred to the News of the World's daily counterpart, The Sun, where she was appointed its deputy editor. In this period, she reportedly attempted to persuade David Yelland to end the Page Three Girls feature.[13] She then returned to the News of the World in 2000 as editor; at the time, she was the youngest editor of a national British newspaper.[3]
While at the News of the World, she oversaw its controversial campaign of "naming and shaming" convicted child sex offenders, after the murder of Sarah Payne.[14] The paper's decision led to angry mobs terrorising those they suspected of being child sex offenders,[15] which included several cases of mistaken identity and one instance where a paediatrician had her house vandalised, apparently by people who misunderstood her occupational title to be the same as paedophile.[16][17] The campaign was labelled "grossly irresponsible" journalism by the then Chief Constable of Gloucestershire, Tony Butler,[9] but Brooks defended the paper's actions in a rare interview on the BBC'sBreakfast with Frost, stating that it was "only right that the public have controlled access" to information on sex offenders.[18] The paper's already strong sales held up well under her leadership, while those of rival Sunday newspapers The People and the Sunday Mirror fell more sharply.[19]
In January 2003 she returned to The Sun, replacing her former boss David Yelland, to become its first female editor.[19] On Brooks' first day as editor the Page Three girl was Rebekah Parmar-Teasdale - the caption to the picture was "Rebekah from Wapping".[10] Soon after becoming editor, Brooks ran the headline "Bonkers Bruno Locked Up" concerning the mental health problems of former heavyweight boxing champion Frank Bruno. The next day The Sun ran a 600-word reply from the head of the mental health charity Sane, and since then has adopted a style guide on covering mental health stories prepared by the same charity. Brooks and her husband spent a day with the head of Sane and made donations to the charity.[20][21]
During a March 2003 appearance before the House of Commons Select Committee on Culture, Media and Sport as part of an inquiry into privacy issues, Brooks stated that her newspaper had paid police officers for information.[22] Alison Clark, the director of corporate affairs atNews International, later stated: "It is not company practice to pay police for information".[22]
Brooks has been chair of the organisation Women in Journalism,[9] and has served as a judge for the "Guardian Student Media Awards" in November 2003[23] and the tenth annual Police Bravery Awards in July 2005, the latter of which was sponsored by The Sun.[24]
In June 2009 it was announced that she would leave The Sun in September 2009 to become chief executive of the newspaper's parent company, News International.[4] Dominic Mohan was named her successor as editor of The Sun.[25]
Phone hacking affair
A police enquiry revealed that the News of the World had a routine practice of intercepting mobile phone messages of celebrities, politicians and other public figures. The newspaper's reporter, Clive Goodman, and Glenn Mulcaire, a hired investigator, were convicted and jailed for intercepting the phone messages of members of the royal family in 2006.
In 2003 Brooks told a House of Commons committee that journalists "had paid police for information in the past". Though at the time she appeared to be talking about payments made by her own newspaper[26]
Brooks said on 10 July 2009, "The Guardian coverage [of the phone hacking affair], we believe, has substantially and likely deliberately misled the British public".[27]
In September 2010 The Guardian revealed that, as part of the cross-party media committee investigating News of the World's phone-hacking(a report entitled Press Standards, Privacy and Libel), Rebekah Brooks repeatedly chose not to attend to give evidence;[28] resulting in four members of the committee "considering asking the serjeant at arms to issue a warrant forcing Brooks to attend"; however they subsequently dropped this proposal because it was alleged their private lives would be investigated if they did so.[28][29] John Whittingdale, chair of the committee stated there was a conversation "about the possible repercussions of issuing a warrant for Brooks but said that did not have any bearing on his decision and he did not believe News International would target committee members."[29]
In 2011 The Guardian[30] and a solicitor alleged that in 2002 when Brooks was editor the paper had also hacked the voicemail of missing schoolgirl Milly Dowler (later found to be murdered), to access messages left by her parents. It was also alleged that messages had been deleted when the mailbox was getting full, to allow new messages to be left and illicitly listened to; this caused the missing girl's family to think that she was still alive and monitoring her messages. New York Times London reporter Sarah Lyall wrote that, if the allegations were true, "it would mean either that Ms. Brooks had no idea how the paper she edited was obtaining information about the Dowler family for its articles, or that she knew about the hacking and allowed it".[30] In an email to her staff Brooks said it was "inconceivable" that she had known what was happening over Milly Dowler's voicemail.[31]
Resignation
In July 2011, Labour Party leader Ed Miliband said Brooks should "consider her position" after the Milly Dowler allegations.[32] Prime MinisterDavid Cameron said that if Brooks had offered her resignation to him, he would have accepted it. Milly Dowler's parents also called for Brooks' resignation.
When Brooks told News of the World staff that the newspaper was being closed down, some reportedly said that all of their jobs had been sacrificed in order to save hers.[33] Andreas Whittam Smith suggested that Brooks' decision not to resign was symptomatic of "the self-serving, conceited thesis that 'only I, who was at the helm during the disaster, can steer us to safety'".[34]
Having previously had an offer of resignation rejected, Brooks resigned from News International on 15 July 2011, a day after News Corporation's second largest shareholder, Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal Alsaud, had asked for her resignation. She said: "As chief executive of the company, I feel a deep sense of responsibility for the people we have hurt and I want to reiterate how sorry I am for what we now know to have taken place. I have believed that the right and responsible action has been to lead us through the heat of the crisis. However my desire to remain on the bridge has made me a focal point of the debate. This is now detracting attention from all our honest endeavours to fix the problems of the past. Therefore I have given Rupert and James Murdoch my resignation. While it has been a subject of discussion, this time my resignation has been accepted."[35]
Political connections
Brooks was a friend of Tony and Cherie Blair.[36] Her 2009 wedding was attended both by then Prime Minister Gordon Brown, and current Prime Minister David Cameron. Cameron has often socialized with Brooks; they have homes near each other in Oxfordshire, have gone horse riding together, and have had dinner at each other's homes.[37] There has been adverse media comment about her influence on leading politicians.[38]
Personal life
Brooks became engaged to actor Ross Kemp (best known as Grant Mitchell in EastEnders) in 1996, and married him in June 2002 in Las Vegas; she did not take Kemp's surname.[39] In July 2011, MP Chris Bryant claimed that Brooks had previously "sneered" at his sexuality(i.e. homosexuality)[40] and that Kemp had responded "Shut up, you homophobic cow".[40] On 3 November 2005, it was reported that Brooks had been arrested following an alleged assault on her husband. She was later released without charge and the police took no further action.[39] The Sun had been running a campaign against domestic violence at the time.[41][10] From this point on, Brooks was referred to inPrivate Eye as "the slapper" (a pejorative British word for a woman of loose morals, and a pun on the act of slapping). The couple had spent the previous evening in the company of the former Cabinet Minister David Blunkett, who had resigned for the second time on that day.[42]
Private Eye and The Independent[43] reported that the couple had separated; this was not widely reported in the remainder of the British press. The 7 March 2008 issue of Private Eye refers to her "paramour", former racehorse trainer and author Charlie Brooks. The Guardianreported on 5 June 2009 that she would marry Brooks.[44] The Independent reported that Brooks and her fiancé had married in a lakeside ceremony in June 2009;[45] she took his surname.
Brooks is a friend of Sheryl Gascoigne, the ex-wife of footballer Paul Gascoigne.[13] She also attended the Prince of Wales' 50th birthday party.[9]
Brooks lives in Chipping Norton.[46]
See also
References
- ^ http://www.companiesintheuk.co.uk/Company/Find?q=person%20REBEKAH%20MARY%20BROOKS
- ^ Births, Marriages & Deaths Index of England & Wales, 1916-2005.; at ancestry.com
- ^ a b "The Media Guardian 100: 53. Rebekah Wade". London: The Guardian. 2002-07-08. Retrieved 2007-10-12.
- ^ a b "UPDATE 2-UK Sun editor Wade to be News International CEO". Reuters. 2009-06-23.
- ^ "Ross Kemp granted quickie divorce". Digital Spy. 2009-03-06. Retrieved 2011-07-06.
- ^ Rebekah Brooks Quits As NI Chief Executive Sky News, 15 July 2011.
- ^ "England & Wales Births" Retrieved 2011-07-15.
- ^ Sefton, Eliot. "Rebekah Brooks: from secretary to controversy". The First Post. Retrieved 2011-07-06.
- ^ a b c d e f "Rebekah Wade: Profile". BBC News. 2003-01-13. Retrieved 2007-10-12.
- ^ a b c Irvine, Ian (2005-11-05). "Rebekah Wade: The feisty first lady of Wapping". The Independent (London). Retrieved 2007-10-12.
- ^ Glover, Stephen (2003-02-01). "Is it my imagination, or is the Sun getting smuttier?". The Independent. Retrieved 2007-10-12.
- ^ Lyall, Sarah (7 July 2011). "A Tenacious Rise to the Top in the Brutal Men's World of Tabloids". The New York Times. Retrieved 2011-07-08.
- ^ a b "Rebekah scores over the lads". BBC News. 2000-05-24. Retrieved 2007-10-12.
- ^ "Paper defends paedophile campaign". BBC News. 2001-12-16. Retrieved 2007-10-12.
- ^ "Police condemn vigilante violence". BBC News. 2000-08-04. Retrieved 2007-10-12.
- ^ "Vigilante attack on innocent man". BBC News. 2000-07-25. Retrieved 2007-10-12.
- ^ "Paediatrician attacks 'ignorant' vandals". BBC News. 2000-08-30. Retrieved 2007-10-12.
- ^ "BBC Breakfast with Frost Interview: Rebekah Wade: Editor, News of the World". BBC News. 2001-12-16. Retrieved 2007-10-12.
- ^ a b Greenslade, Roy (2003-01-14). "Empress of the Sun". London: The Guardian. Retrieved 2007-10-12.
- ^ Gibson, Owen; Byrne, Ciar (2003-09-24). "Sun makes donation to charity after Bruno gaffe". London: The Guardian. Retrieved 2007-10-12.
- ^ Mitchell, Kevin (2004-06-06). "Totally Frank". The Observer(London). Retrieved 2007-10-12.
- ^ a b Wells, Matt (2003-03-12). "Sun editor admits paying police officers for stories". London: The Guardian. Retrieved 2007-10-12.
- ^ Kiss, Jemima (2003-11-13). "Blunt: a cut above the rest". journalism.co.uk. Retrieved 2007-10-12.
- ^ Police Federation of England and Wales (2005-07-14)."Gloucestershire Officer Victorious In 10th Bravery Awards". Press release. Retrieved 2007-10-12.
- ^ Brook, Stephen (2009-08-26). "Dominic Mohan named Sun editor". London: The Guardian. Retrieved 2009-08-26.
- ^ [1], in 2011 she denied that she had had any knowledge of specific cases of payments to police.[2]
- ^ Plunkett, John, and Mark Sweney, "Phone hacking: in News Corp's own words", The Guardian, 8 April 2011 17.09 BST. Originally from James Robinson, "Rebekah Wade: Red-top stunner plays a blinder", The Guardian, 12 July 2009. Retrieved 2011-07-08.
- ^ a b Newman, Cathy (2010-09-10). "Exclusive: MPs backed off over phone hacking probe". London: Channel 4 News/ITN.
- ^ a b Watt, Nicholas (2010-09-10). "MPs backed down from calling Rebekah Brooks to Commons". London: The Guardian. Retrieved 2010-09-28.
- ^ a b Sarah Lyall "Anger Rises Over Hack to Missing Girl's Voice Mail", New York Times, 5 July 2011
- ^ Brooks, Rebekah (2011-07-05). "Milly Dowler phone hacking: the full text of Rebekah Brooks's email". London: The Guardian. Retrieved 2011-07-05.
- ^ Adam Gabbatt, et al "Miliband says Brooks must consider her position over phone hacking", The Guardian, 5 July 2011
- ^ Ward, Victoria (2011-07-08). "News of the World closed down: newspaper staff direct fury at Rebekah Brooks". The Telegraph. Retrieved 2011-07-15.
- ^ http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/andreas-whittam-smith/andreas-whittam-smith-if-we-dont-act-now-worse-will-follow-2307923.html
- ^ Rebekah Brooks resigns New Statesman, 15 July 2011
- ^ Riddell, Mary (2005-11-06). "What does the Sun say now?". London: The Guardian. Retrieved 2007-10-12.
- ^ "Rebekah, Dave and the Chipping Norton Set: where power in Britain lies". Independent (The). Retrieved 2011-07-15.
- ^ The News of the World, Rebekah Brooks, David Cameron, and 'the Chipping Norton set': the powerful clique's gilded life, by Glen Owen, Mail Online (Daily Mail web site), July 10, 2011.
- ^ a b "Editor free after Kemp 'assault'". BBC News. 2005-11-03. Retrieved 2007-10-12.
- ^ a b "Gay MP Chris Bryant claims NI boss Rebekah Brooks sneered at his sexuality". Pink News. Retrieved 15 July 2011.
- ^ Laville, Sandra; Dodd, Vikram; Wells, Matt (4 November 2005)."The editor, the actor, the (ex) cabinet minister and a night behind bars". The Guardian.
- ^ Sheppard, Fergus (2005-11-04). "Script too surreal even for EastEnders". The Scotsman. Retrieved 2007-10-12.
- ^ Street-Porter, Janet (2007-04-29). "Editor-At-Large: A cover-up: Hold the front page for Ross and Rebekah". London: The Independent. Retrieved 2007-10-12.
- ^ Greenslade, Roy (2009-06-05). "Roy Greenslade: Tatler magazine reveals Rebekah Wade's wonderful world". The Guardian. Retrieved 2011-07-06.
- ^ "The red-top redhead who became the first lady of Fleet Street - Press, Media". The Independent. 2009-06-24. Retrieved 2011-07-06.
- ^ Glover, Stephen. "Stephen Glover: What are the chances for the country's first quality freesheet?". The Independent. Retrieved 5 November 2010.
External links
- Rebekah Brooks collected news and commentary at The Guardian
| Media offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Phil Hall | Deputy Editor of the News of the World 1995–1998 | Succeeded by Paul Connew |
| Preceded by Neil Wallis | Deputy Editor of The Sun 1998–2000 | Succeeded by Fergus Shanahan |
| Preceded by Phil Hall | Editor of the News of the World 2000–2003 | Succeeded by Andy Coulson |
| ||
| ||
Rupert Murdoch 'sorry' in newspaper adverts
Rupert Murdoch's apology promises further steps "to make amends for the damage caused".National newspapers are running a full-page advert with a signed apology from Rupert Murdoch over "serious wrongdoing" by the News of the World.
The advert states: "We are sorry for the serious wrongdoing that occurred."
Rebekah Brooks, a former editor of the paper, and senior News Corporation executive Les Hinton both resigned on Friday over the phone-hacking scandal.
The printed apology expresses regret for not acting faster "to sort things out".
"I realise that simply apologising is not enough. Our business was founded on the idea that a free and open press should be a positive force in society. We need to live up to this.
"In the coming days, as we take further concrete steps to resolve these issues and make amends for the damage they have caused, you will hear more from us", says the statement, signed "sincerely, Rupert Murdoch".
In other developments:
- Downing Street revealed that former News of the World editor Andy Coulson stayed at Mr Cameron's official residence Chequers in March, after he resigned from his job as Director of Communications in Downing Street. Mr Coulson was arrested last week as part of the police inquiry into phone-hacking.
- A list of Mr Cameron's guests at his country retreat showed that he was visited there twice by Mrs Brooks, in June and August last year, as well as once in November by News International chairman James Murdoch and his wife Kathryn.
- Former deputy prime minister Lord Prescott says Rupert Murdoch is "desperately" trying to save his company, and "ditching everybody else in the process". He said his apology changed nothing and only came about because he is going to be asked questions about his record by MPs next week.
- The actor Jude Law is suing The Sun newspaper for alleged phone hacking. He's launched legal proceedings over four articles published in 2005 and 2006. A spokesperson for News International called the news "a deeply cynical and deliberately mischievous attempt to draw The Sun into the phone-hacking issue."
The apology letter appeared in several Murdoch papers and other titlesMrs Brooks is expected to appear alongside Rupert and James Murdoch in front of the Commons media select committee on Tuesday to answer MPs questions on the hacking scandal.
She was editor of News of the World between 2000 and 2003, during which time the phone belonging to murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler was tampered with.
In a statement resigning as chief executive of News International, she said she felt a "deep responsibility for the people we have hurt".
She said she wanted to "reiterate how sorry I am for what we now know to have taken place".
Her statement went on: "I have believed that the right and responsible action has been to lead us through the heat of the crisis. However my desire to remain on the bridge has made me a focal point of the debate.
"This is now detracting attention from all our honest endeavours to fix the problems of the past."
Mrs Brooks, 43, who had been with News International for 22 years, bowed to the international pressure piling up on the company.
Prime Minister David Cameron said through a spokesman that her resignation was "the right decision".
She has been replaced by Tom Mockridge, who was in charge of News Corporation's Italian broadcasting arm.
Les Hinton, chief executive of the media group's Dow Jones, was head of News International from 1995 to 2007 and has worked with Rupert Murdoch for more than five decades.
Mr Hinton, the most senior executive to leave the conglomerate, said in a statement that he was "ignorant of what apparently happened" but felt it was proper to resign.
Also on Friday, Rupert Murdoch apologised to Milly Dowler's family at a meeting in London.
The family's solicitor Mark Lewis said the newspaper boss looked very shaken up and upset during the talks, which were arranged at short notice.
He said the Dowlers were surprised his son James Murdoch did not attend and called on the News International chairman to "take some responsibility" in the affair.
Phone-hacking scandal
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News Corporation
 | |
| Type | Public company |
|---|---|
| Traded as | ASX: NWS ASX: NWSLVNASDAQ: NWSNASDAQ: NWSA |
| Industry | Media conglomerate |
| Founded | Adelaide, Australia (1979)[1][2] |
| Founder(s) | Rupert Murdoch |
| Headquarters | 1211 Avenue of the Americas New York City 10036 United States |
| Area served | Worldwide |
| Key people | Rupert Murdoch (Chairman & CEO) Chase Carey (President & COO) |
| Products | Films, Television, Cable Programming, Satellite Television, Magazines, Newspapers, Books,Sporting Events, Websites |
| Revenue | US$ 32.778 billion (2010)[3] |
| Operating income | US$ 3.703 billion (2010)[3] |
| Net income | US$ 2.539 billion (2010)[3] |
| Total assets | US$ 54.384 billion (2010)[3] |
| Total equity | US$ 25.113 billion (2010)[3] |
| Employees | 51,000 (2010)[4] |
| Subsidiaries | List of acquisitions |
| Website | newscorp.com |
News Corporation (NASDAQ: NWS, NASDAQ: NWSA, ASX: NWS,ASX: NWSLV), often abbreviated to News Corp., is the world's second-largest media conglomerate (behind The Walt Disney Company) as of 2010 in terms of revenue, and the world's third largest in entertainment as of 2009,[5][6][7][8] although the BBC remains the world's largest broadcaster.[9][10][11] The company's Chairman & Chief Executive Officer isRupert Murdoch.
News Corporation is a publicly traded company listed on the NASDAQ, with secondary listings on the Australian Securities Exchange. Formerly incorporated in South Australia, the company was re-incorporated under Delaware General Corporation Law after a majority of shareholders approved the move on 12 November 2004. At present, News Corporation is headquartered at 1211 Avenue of the Americas (Sixth Ave.), in New York City, in the newer 1960s–1970s corridor of the Rockefeller Center complex.
Contents[hide] |
[edit]History
News Corp was created in 1979 by Rupert Murdoch as a holding company for News Limited. News Limited was created by Murdoch from the assets he inherited in 1952 following the death of his father, Sir Keith Murdoch, and subsequent expansion. The main asset left to him was ownership of the Adelaide afternoon tabloid, The News. News Limited operates today as News Corporation's Australian brand, operating out ofSurry Hills, in Sydney.
[edit]Moving into the United States
News Ltd. made its first acquisition in the United States in 1973, when it purchased the San Antonio Express-News. Soon afterwards it founded the National Star, a supermarket tabloid, and in 1976 it purchased the New York Post.
In 1981 News Corp bought half of the movie studio 20th Century Fox, buying the other half in 1984. In 1985 News Corp announced it was buying the Metromedia group of stations, setting the stage for the launch of a fourth U.S. commercial broadcasting television network. On 4 September 1985, Murdoch became a naturalized citizen to satisfy the legal requirement that only United States citizens could own American television stations. In 1986, the Metromedia deal closed, and the Fox Broadcasting Company was launched. This network, known on-screen as "Fox", can now be picked up in over 96% of U.S. households.
[edit]Expansion and consolidation
In 1986 and 1987, News Corp (through subsidiary News International) moved to adjust the production process of its British newspapers, over which the printing unions had long maintained a highly restrictive grip.[12] A number of senior Australian media moguls were brought into Murdoch's powerhouse, including John Dux, who was managing director of the South China Morning Post. This led to a confrontation with the printing unions NGA and SOGAT. The move of News International's London operation to Wapping in the East End resulted in nightly battles outside the new plant. Delivery vans and depots were frequently and violently attacked.[12] Ultimately the unions capitulated.
By 1992, News Corp had amassed huge debts, which forced it to sell many of the American magazine interests it had acquired in the mid-1980s to K-III Communications, as well spinning off long held Australian magazines interests as Pacific Magazines. Much of this debt came from its stake in the Sky Television satellite network in the UK, which incurred massive losses in its early years of operation, which (like many of its business interests) was heavily subsidised with profits from its other holdings until it was able to force rival satellite operator BSBto accept a merger on its terms in 1990. (The merged company, BSkyB has dominated the British pay-TV market since.)
In 1993 News Corp acquired a 63.6% stake of the Hong Kong-based STAR TV satellite network for over $500 million, followed by the purchase of the remaining 36.4% in July 1995.[13][14] Murdoch declared that:[15]
"(Telecommunications) have proved an unambiguous threat to totalitarian regimes everywhere ... satellite broadcasting makes it possible for information-hungry residents of many closed societies to bypass state-controlled television channels."
In 1995, the Fox network became the object of scrutiny from the FCC when it was alleged that its Australian base made Murdoch's ownership of Fox illegal. The FCC, however, ruled in Murdoch's favor, stating that his ownership of Fox was in the public's best interests. It was also noted that the stations themselves were owned by a separate company whose chief shareholder was U.S. citizen Murdoch, although nearly all of the stations' equity was controlled by News Corp. In the same year News Corp announced a deal with MCI Communications to develop a major news website as well as funding a conservative news magazine, The Weekly Standard. In the same year, News Corp launched theFoxtel pay television network in Australia in a partnership with Telstra and Publishing and Broadcasting Limited.
In 1996, Fox established the Fox News Channel, a 24-hour cable news station to compete against Ted Turner's rival channel CNN.
In 1999, News Corp significantly expanded its music holdings in Australia by acquiring the controlling share in a leading Australian based label, Michael Gudinski's Mushroom Records; merging it with already held Festival Records to create Festival Mushroom Records (FMR). Both Festival and FMR were managed by Rupert Murdoch's son James Murdoch for several years.
Also in 1999, The Economist reported that News Corps paid comparatively lower taxes and Newscorp Investments specifically had made £11.4 billion ($20.1 billion) in profits over the previous 11 years but had not paid net corporation tax. It also reported that after an examination of the available accounts, Newscorp could normally have been expected to pay corporate tax of approximately $350 million. The article explained that in practice the corporation's complex structure, international scope and use of offshore tax havens allowed News Corporation to pay minimal taxes.[16][17]
[edit]Development since 2000
In late 2003, News Corp acquired a 34% stake in DirecTV Group (formerly Hughes Electronics), operator of the largest American satellite TV system, from General Motors for US $6 billion. DirecTV Group was sold to Liberty Media in 2008 in exchange for its holding in News International.
In 2007 News Corporation reached an agreement to purchase Dow Jones, publishers of The Wall Street Journal, for an estimated $5.6 billion. On 15 October 2007 the corporation spun off a business news channel from Fox News—Fox Business Network.[18] The channel's lawyers were "reviewing all of the fine details of the contract" between Dow Jones and CNBC, said Alexis Glick, Fox Business Network's vice president of business news and the channel's morning anchor. But, she added, "we will actively use" the other Dow Jones properties.[19]"...this new channel is a bit tedious. Somehow, business is more interesting when treated in a business-like way", commented Rob Carrick in 16 October's Toronto Globe and Mail.[20] On 8 February 2007, Murdoch promised guests at the McGraw-Hill Media Summit that, "a Fox channel would be more business-friendly than CNBC. That channel leap[s] on every scandal, or what they think is a scandal", he said.[21]
In 2009, News Corp established NewsCore, a global wire service set up to provide news stories to all of News Corp's journalistic outlets.[22]
In 2010 due to the Fijian government's requirement that the country's media outlet must be 90% owned by Fiji nationals, News Corporation sold 90% of their stake in their Fijian newspapers (Fiji Times, Nai Lalakai, and Shanti Dut) to Motibhai Group of Companies.[23]
On July 13, 2011, Rupert Murdoch announced that the company would not bid for control of BskyB due to concerns relating to the News of the World phone hacking affair. [24]
[edit]
- In August 2005 the Murdoch family owned only about 29% of the company. However, nearly all of these shares were voting shares, and Rupert Murdoch retained effective control of the company. Nonetheless, John Malone of Liberty Media had built up a large stake, with about half of the shares being voting shares. Therefore, in November 2006, News Corporation announced its intention to transfer its 38.5 per cent managing interest in DirecTV Group to John Malone's Liberty Media; in return it bought back Liberty's 16.3% shares in News Corp., giving Murdoch tighter control of the latter firm.[25] Murdoch sold 17.5 million class A shares in December 2007.[26]
- Prince Alwaleed bin Talal al-Saud of Saudi Arabia, through his Kingdom Holding Company, owns 7% of News Corp.'s shares, making Kingdom Holdings the second largest shareholder.[27][28][29]
- Years after when Elektra Records was absorbed in 2004, News Corporation owned half of the re-issues from the record label company.
[edit]Annual conference
News Corporation organises an annual management conference, discussing media issues related to geopolitics. Attendees include News Corporation executives, senior journalists, Politicians and Celebrities. Previous events were in Cancun, Mexico, and the Hayman Island off the coast of Australia. The events are private and secretive, there are no records available for the agenda or talks given at the conferences, and no uninvited journalists are permitted access.[30]
The 2006 event in Pebble Beach, California was led by Rupert Murdoch. According to a copy of the agenda leaked to the Los Angeles Timesand other media accounts,[31] issues discussed related from Europe to broadcasting and new media, terrorism to the national policy.[32] The event included speeches from Rupert Murdoch, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Bono, Al Gore, Senator John McCain and Bill Clinton while Israel's President, Shimon Peres, appeared on a panel named "Islam and the West". Other notable attendees included Newt Gingrich and Nicole Kidman.
[edit]Political donations
[edit]Republican Governors Association
In anticipation of the 2010 elections, News Corp. donated $1 million to the Republican Governors Association in June 2010. The move was criticized by Democrats who said this was evidence of News Corp's media outlets conservative leanings. The Democratic Governors Association criticized the donation, and demanded more transparency in the reporting by News Corp companies. DGA head Nathan Daschle wrote to the chairman of News Corp company Fox News, Roger Ailes: "In the interest of some fairness and balance, I request that you add a formal disclaimer to your coverage any time any of your programs covers governors or gubernatorial races between now and election day."[33]
[edit]United States Chamber of Commerce
In the summer of 2010, News Corp. donated $1 million to the United States Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber aggressively supported the Republican effort to retake Congress in 2010.[34] This donation and an earlier $1 million contribution that News Corp. made to the Republican Governor's Association led media critics to question whether the company had crossed an ethical line for a media company.[34]
[edit]2011 News International hacking allegations
In July of 2011, News Corp closed down News of the World due to allegations of phone hackings. The allegations include trying to access former Prime Minister Gordon Brown's voice mail, and obtain information from his bank accounts, family's medical records, and private legal files. Allegations of hacking have also been brought up in relation to former Prime Minister Tony Blair, and the Royal Family.[36] Other allegations put out by The Guardiannewspaper include the exploitation, with intent to gain access to or use private information, of a list of 4,332 names or partial names, 2,987 mobile phone numbers, 30 audio tapes of varying length and 91 PIN codes, of a kind required to access the voicemail of the minority of targets who change the factory settings on their mobile phones.[37] The names are said to include those of British victims of the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks, family members of victims of the "7/7" bombings on London's transit system, family members of British troops killed overseas, Milly Dowler, a 13-year-old missing British girl who was later found dead, actor Hugh Grant and a lawyer representing the family of Princess Diana's lover at the inquest into her death.[37]
On July 13, 2011 News Corp withdrew its bid to purchase the final 61% stake in BskyB after pressure from both the Labour and Conservative Parties in Parliament.[38] Recent allegations about the violation of ethical standards by the News Corporation subsidiary, News of the World, have been speculatively applied to News Corporation holdings in the United States. Senator John Rockefeller (D-WV), stated on July 12, 2011 that there should be a government investigation into News Corporation to ascertain whether or not American citizens had their "rights violated." [39]His statement was echoed on Wednesday by Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ) who specifically requested an investigation into 9/11 victims, as well as Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) who encouraged an investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission.[40] On July 13, 2011, Representative Peter King (R-NY) wrote a letter to the FBI requesting an investigation into News Corporations ethical practices, and on July 14, the FBI opened a probe into the hacking of 9/11 victims.[41] Les Hinton, chief executive of the media group's Dow Jones, resigned on July 15 saying, "I have seen hundreds of news reports of both actual and alleged misconduct during the time I was executive chairman of News International and responsible for the company. The pain caused to innocent people is unimaginable.That I was ignorant of what apparently happened is irrelevant and in the circumstances I feel it is proper for me to resign from News Corp, and apologise to those hurt by the actions of the News of the World." [42]
[edit]Corporate governance
The company's Board of Directors consists of 17 individuals:
- Rupert Murdoch (Chairman of the Board & Chief Executive Officer)
- José María Aznar
- Natalie Bancroft (Director)
- Peter Barnes
- Chase Carey (Deputy Chairman, President & Chief Operating Officer)
- Kenneth E. Cowley
- David F. DeVoe (Chief Financial Officer)
- Viet Dinh
- William Barrett-Foor
- Rod Eddington
- Andrew S. B. Knight (Chairman, J. Rothschild Capital Management Limited)
- James Murdoch (Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, Europe & Asia)
- Lachlan Murdoch
- Elisabeth Murdoch
- Thomas J. Perkins
- Arthur M. Siskind (Senior Adviser to the Chairman)
- John L. Thornton
- Stanley S. Shuman (Director Emeritus)
[edit]Office of the chairman
- Rupert Murdoch (Chairman and CEO)
- Chase Carey (President, Chief Operating Officer & Deputy Chairman)
- David DeVoe (Chief Financial Officer)
- James Murdoch (Deputy Chief Operating Officer; Chairman and CEO, International)
- Roger Ailes (Chairman, Fox Television Stations Group)
- Daniel Suárez García (Chairman and CEO, Latin America)
[edit]Holdings
[edit]Books
- HarperCollins book publishing company
- HarperCollins India (40%)[clarification needed] joint venture with India Today Group
- Zondervan Christian book publisher
- Inspirio – religious gift production.
[edit]Newspapers
- Australia published by News Limited.
- The Australian (Nationwide)
- Community Media Group (16 QLD & NSW suburban/regional titles)
- Cumberland-Courier Newspapers (23 suburban/commuter titles)
- The Courier-Mail (Queensland)
- The Sunday Mail (Queensland)
- The Cairns Post (Cairns, Queensland)
- The Gold Coast Bulletin (Gold Coast, Queensland)
- The Townsville Bulletin (Townsville, Queensland)
- The Daily Telegraph (New South Wales)
- The Sunday Telegraph (New South Wales)
- Herald Sun (Victoria)
- Sunday Herald Sun (Victoria)
- The Weekly Times (Victoria)
- Leader Newspapers (33 suburban Melbourne, VIC titles)
- MX (Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane CBD)
- The Geelong Advertiser (Geelong, Victoria)
- The Advertiser (South Australia)
- The Sunday Mail (South Australia)
- Messenger Newspapers (11 suburban Adelaide, SA titles)
- The Sunday Times (Western Australia)
- The Mercury (Tasmania)
- Quest Newspapers (19 suburban Brisbane, QLD titles)
- The Sunday Tasmanian (Tasmania)
- Northern Territory News (Northern Territory)
- The Sunday Territorian (Northern Territory)
- The Tablelands Advertiser (Atherton Tablelands and the Far North, Queensland)
- Fiji
- Fiji Times (National) (10%)
- Nai Lalakai (10%)
- Shanti Dut (10%)
- Papua New Guinea
- Papua New Guinea Post-Courier (National) (62.5%)
- UK and Ireland newspapers, published by subsidiaries of News International Ltd.
- News Group Newspapers Ltd.
- The Sun (published in Scotland as The Scottish Sun and in Ireland as The Irish Sun)
- News of the World (ended publication 10 July 2011)
- Times Newspapers Ltd.
- News Group Newspapers Ltd.
- US newspapers and magazines
- The New York Post
- Community Newspaper Group
- The Brooklyn Paper
- Bronx Times-Reporter
- Brooklyn Courier-Life
- Queens Times Ledger
- Community Newspaper Group
- Dow Jones & Company
- Consumer Media Group
- The Wall Street Journal
- Wall Street Journal Europe
- Wall Street Journal Asia
- Barron's – weekly financial markets magazine.
- Marketwatch – Financial news and information website.
- Far Eastern Economic Review
- Enterprise Media Group
- Dow Jones Newswires – global, real-time news and information provider.
- Factiva – provides business news and information together with content delivery tools and services.
- Dow Jones Indexes – stock market indexes and indicators, including the Dow Jones Industrial Average.
- Dow Jones Financial Information Services – produces databases, electronic media, newsletters, conferences, directories, and other information services on specialised markets and industry sectors.
- Betten Financial News – leading Dutch language financial and economic news service.
- Local Media Group
- Ottaway Community Newspapers – 8 daily and 15 weekly regional newspapers.
- STOXX (33%)- joint venture with Deutsche Boerse and SWG Group for the development and distribution of Dow Jones STOXX indices.
- Vedomosti (33%) – Russia's leading financial newspaper (joint venture with Financial Times and Independent Media).
- SmartMoney
- Consumer Media Group
- The Timesledger Newspapers of Queens, New York:
- Bayside Times, Whitestone Times, Flushing Times, Fresh Meadows Times, Little Neck Ledger, Jackson Heights Times, Richmond Hill Times, Jamaica Times, Laurelton Times, Queens Village Times, Astoria Times, Forest Hills Ledger, Ridgewood Ledger, Howard Beach Times
- The Courier-Life Newspapers in Brooklyn
- The Brooklyn Paper
- Caribbean Life
- Times-Herald Record (Middletown, New York)
- The New York Post
[edit]Magazines
- News America Marketing (Smartsource) (weekly Sunday newspaper coupon insert/website)
- Australian
- Alpha Magazine
- Australian Country Style
- Australian Golf Digest
- Australian Good Taste
- Big League
- BCME
- Delicious
- Donna Hay
- Fast Fours
- GQ (Australia)
- Gardening Australia
- InsideOut (Aust)
- Lifestyle Pools
- Live to Ride
- Notebook
- Overlander 4WD
- Modern Boating
- Modern Fishing
- Parents
- Pure Health
- Super Food Ideas
- Truck Australia
- Truckin' Life
- twowheels
- twowheels scooter
- Vogue (Australia)
- Vogue Entertaining & Travel
- Vogue Living
- InsideOut (UK Based Magazine)
[edit]Music and radio
[edit]Russia
- Nashe (50%)
- Best FM (50%)
[edit]Sport
- 50% of the National Rugby League (Australia and New Zealand)
- Majority ownership of the Brisbane Broncos (68.9%) and full ownership of the Melbourne Storm rugby league team.
- Colorado Rockies (15%)
[edit]Studios
- Fox Filmed Entertainment: 20th Century Fox's parent company
- 20th Century Fox: a film production/distribution company
- Fox Searchlight Pictures – specialized films.
- Fox 2000 Pictures – general audience feature films.
- 20th Century Fox Television – primetime television programming.
- 20th Television – television distribution (syndication).
- Fox 21 – low scripted/budgeted television production company.
- Fox Television Studios (productions)- market specific programming e.g. COPS and network television company.
- Fox Television Studios International
- Fox World Productions
- Fox World Australia
- Fox TV Studios France
- Fox TV Studios India
- Natural History New Zealand – natural world documentaries, non-fiction programming.
- Fox Faith – Promotion and distribution of Christian and related "family friendly" movies on DVD and some theatrical release.
- Fox Studios Australia, Sydney, New South Wales
- Blue Sky Studios – production of CGI films e.g. Ice Age.
- Fox Entertainment Group
- New Regency Productions (20%) – general audience feature films.
- Regency Enterprises (20%) – parent company of New Regency Productions (50%).
- BSkyB Studios London, England
- FOX Star Studios New Delhi, India
[edit]TV
News Corp agreed to sell eight of its television stations to Oak Hill Capital Partners for approximately $1.1 billion as of 22 December 2007. The stations are US Fox affiliates.[43] These stations, along with those already acquired by Oak Hill that were formerly owned by The New York Times Company, formed the nucleus of Oak Hill's Local TV LLC division.
[edit]Broadcast
- Fox Broadcasting Company (Fox), a US broadcast television network
- My Network TV, a US broadcast television network
- Fox Television Stations Group, a group of owned and operated Fox television stations
- Saeta TV Channel 10, channel of Uruguay
- ITV plc (7.5%), a British broadcast television network and the UK's largest advertising revenue based broadcaster
- News Corp Europe
- bTV, a broadcast television network in Bulgaria. They sold this to CME in February 2010.
- B1 TV (12,5%), a broadcast television network in Romania, in partnership with Ismar International NVkkkk
- Fox Televizija, a broadcast television network in Serbia (49%). They sold this to Antenna Group in January 2010
- Fox Turkey, a Turkish terrestrial channel (56,5%) (formerly TGRT)
- Imedi Media Holding (100%), a Georgian radio and TV broadcaster.
- Imedi Television
- Radio Imedi
- Israel 10 (9%), a terrestrial channel in Israel.
- LNT (100%), a terrestrial channel in Latvia
- TV5 Riga (100%), a terrestrial channel in Latvia
- Cielo (100%), a free channel in Italy
- ANTV (20%), a private television station in Indonesia, under the administration and label of STAR TV
- Prime Television New Zealand – commercial TV station, interest held through stake in SKY Network Television
[edit]Satellite television
- British Sky Broadcasting, United Kingdom & Ireland (39.1% holding). In practice, a controlling interest.
- SKY Network TV, New Zealand (44%)
- SKY Italy, Italian satellite TV service
- SKY México, Latin American satellite TV service
- SKY Brasil, Brazilian satellite TV servive
- SKY Germany (49.90%), Germany's largest pay TV provider
- SKY Tata (20%), an Indian DTH HDTV service (in partnership with Tata Group)
- Foxtel (25%), Australia, a joint venture with Telstra (50%) and Consolidated Media Holdings (25%)
- FOX Italy, Italian Broadcast and Production Company (with 2 HDTV)
- STAR TV, an Asian satellite TV service having 300 million viewers in 53 countries (it acquired STAR Vijay and Asianet, (two prominent south Indian networks)
- Phoenix Television (17.6%), satellite TV network with landing rights in Hong Kong, and select provinces on Mainland China.
[edit]Cable
Cable TV channels owned (in whole or part) and operated by News Corporation include:
- Fox Business Network, a business news channel.
- Fox Classics, a channel airing classic TV shows & movies
- Fox Movie Channel, an all-movie channel that airs commercial-free movies from 20th Century Fox's film library
- Fox News Channel, a 24-hour news & opinion channel
- Fox Sports Net, a chain of US regional cable news television networks broadcasting local sporting events linked together by national sports news programming. Local channels include "Fox Sports Southwest", "Fox Sports Detroit", etc. (some affiliates are owned byCablevision).
- SportSouth, a regional sports network in the United States, with its headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia, and affiliate of Fox Sports Net.
- Sun Sports a regional sports network in the United States, with its headquarters in Miami, Florida, and affiliate of Fox Sports Net.
- Fox College Sports, a college sports network consisting of three regionally aligned channels, mostly with archived Fox Sports Net programs but also some live and original content.
- Fox Sports International
- Fox Soccer Channel, a United States digital cable and satellite network specializing mainly in soccer.
- Fox Soccer Plus, a sister network to FSC, but including coverage of other sports, most notably rugby union. Launched in 2010 after News Corporation picked up many of the broadcast rights abandoned by Setanta Sports when it stopped broadcasting in the U.S.
- Fox Sports Middle East – English language sports network airing in Middle East countries including Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, UAE & Yemen.
- Fox Pan American Sports (37.9%) – joint venture with Hicks, Muse, and Tate & Furst.
- Fox Sports en Español (50%), a Spanish-language North American cable sports network; its sports lineup is tailored to appeal to a Latin American audience.
- Fox Sports en Latinoamérica, a Mexico-based Latin American satellite and cable sports network.
- FX Networks, a cable network broadcasting reruns of programming previously shown on other channels, but recently creating its own programming, including the Emmy Award-winning programs The Shield and Damages.
- Speed Channel
- FUEL TV
- Big Ten Network, cable and satellite channel dedicated to The Big Ten Conference, launched Aug 2007 (49%)
- National Geographic Channel (joint venture with National Geographic Magazine) 67%
- National Geographic Channel International 75%
- National Geographic Wild (joint venture with National Geographic Magazine)
- Fox International Channels, domestic cable channels offering different formats of Fox programming in over thirty countries worldwide.
- Fox
- Fox Life
- Fox Life HD
- Fox Crime
- FX
- Fox Horror
- Fox Movies
- Fox Sports
- Speed Channel
- National Geographic Channel
- National Geographic Channel HD
- National Geographic Wild
- National Geographic Adventure
- National Geographic Music
- National Geographic Junior
- Cult
- Next:HD
- Voyage
- Real Estate TV
- BabyTV
- Fox Toma 1 – Spanish language television production.
- Fox Telecolombia – Spanish language television production. (51%)
- Utarget.Fox – European and Latin American online ad company, plus now handles TV ad sales.
- Middle & South America
- Fox Latin American Channels – channels available in over 17 countries in Latin America
- National Geographic Channel
- National Geographic Channel HD
- National Geographic Wild
- Nat Geo Music
- Universal Channel
- Universal HD
- Fox Channel
- Fox HD
- FX
- Fox Life
- Syfy
- Fox Sports
- Speed Channel
- Baby TV
- Utilisima
- Fox One-Stop Media – advertising sales for company owned and third party channels in Latin America
- LAPTV (60%) (Latin American Pay Television) operates 8 cable movie channels throughout South America excluding Brazil.
- Telecine(12.5%) operates 5 cable movie channels in Brazil.
- Fox Latin American Channels – channels available in over 17 countries in Latin America
- Australia
- Premier Media Group (50%)
- Premium Movie Partnership (20%) – movie channels, a joint venture between 20th Century Fox, Sony, NBC Universal, Viacom andLiberty Media
PLATFORMS
- India
- Hathway Cable & Datacom (22.2%), India's 2nd largest cable network through 7 cities including Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, Mumbai & Pune
- Taiwan
- Total TV (20%), Pay TV platform with JV partner KOO's Group majority owner (80%). News Corp also has a 20% interest in the KOO's Group directly
[edit]Internet
- Fox Interactive Media
- Foxsports.com – website with sports news, scores, statistics, video and fantasy sports
- Hulu (27%) – online video streaming site in partnership with NBC Universal and The Walt Disney Company.
- Flektor – provides Web-based tools for photo and video editing and mashups.
- IGN Entertainment – Internet entertainment portal (Includes the sites IGN, GameSpy, TeamXbox, 1up.com, and Askmen.com)
- Giga.de
- Slingshot Labs – web development incubator (Includes the sites DailyFill).
- Strategic Data Corp – interactive advertising company which develops technology to deliver targeted internet advertising.
- Scout.com
- WhatIfSports.com – sports simulation and prediction website. Also provides fantasy-style sports games to play.
- Indya.com – 'India's no. 1 Entertainment Portal'
- ROO Group Inc (5% increasing to 10% with performance targets)
- News Digital Media
- News.com.au – Australian-oriented news website
- CareerOne.com.au (50%) – recruitment advertisement website in partnership with Monster Worldwide.
- Carsguide.com.au
- in2mobi.com.au
- TrueLocal.com.au
- Moshtix.com.au – a ticket retailer
- Learning Seat
- Wego News owns minority stake in Wego.com
- Netus (75%) – investment co. in online properties.
- REA Group (60.7%)
- Realestate.com.au
- Casa.it (69.4%), Sky Italia also holds a 30.6% share
- atHome group, operator of leading realestate websites in Luxembourg, France, Belgium and Germany.
- Altowin (51%),provider of office management tools for realestate agents in Belgium.
- Propertyfinder.com (50%), News International holds the remaining 50%
- Sherlock Publications, owner of hotproperty.co.uk portal and magazine titles 'Hot Property', 'Renting' and 'Overseas'
- ukpropertyshop.co.uk, most comprehensive UK estate agent directory.
- PropertyLook, property websites in Australia and New Zealand.
- HomeSite.com.au, home renovation and improvement website.
- Square Foot Limited, Hong Kong's largest English Language property magazine and website
- Primedia – Holding co. of Inside DB, a Hong Kong lifestyle magazine.
- TadpoleNet Media (10%) Hosts of ArmySailor.com
- New Zealand
- Fatso – leading online DVD subscription service (ownership through stake in Sky Network Television).
- Fox Networks – one of the largest international ad networks.
- Expedient InfoMedia blog network.
[edit]Other assets
- NDS – Conditional access technology and personal digital video recorders (PVRs) (49%)
- Jungo
- Timothy Coville
- ITE, publisher of PlayStation and Mobile games, and interactive television
- Broadsystem Ltd (UK) – Telephony provider for media companies, bought in 1991
- Broadsystem Australia (Australia)
- Broadsystem Ventures (UK) – provider of cheap-rate telephone calls, particularly for customers of Sky Television. Bought outright in 1999.
- Jamba! – Mobile Entertainment/Mobile Handsets Personalisation/Games.
- News Outdoor Group – Largest outdoor advertising company in Eastern Europe with over 70,000 ads including billboards and bus shelters, operating in Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, India, Israel, Poland, Romania, Russia (96 cities), Turkey & Ukraine.
- Maximedia Israel (67%)
- Mosgorreklama (50%) – Russia sign and marketing material manufacturer
- Kamera Acikhava Reklamclik (?) – leading outdoor advertising company in Turkey
- Australian Associated Press (45%) – real time news service.
- Stats Inc (50%) – worlds leading provider of sporting information and statistical analysis (a JV with Associated Press)
- Fox Sports Grill (50%) – Upscale sports bar and restaurant with 7 locations – Scottsdale, Arizona; Irvine, California; Seattle, Washington (U.S. state)|Washington; Plano, Texas; Houston, Texas; San Diego, California; and Atlanta, Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia.
- Fox Sports Skybox (70%) – Sports fan's Bar & Grill at Staples Center and 6 airport restaurants.
- News America Marketing (US) – (100%) – nation's leading marketing services company, products include a portfolio of in-store, home-delivered and online media under the SmartSource brand.
- Rotana (9%) – Largest Arab entertainment company owned by Saudi Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal
- The Daily – iPad only newspaper delivered daily.
- Making Fun – social game developer for making games for social networking sites, smartphones, tablets and other devices.[44]
[edit]See also
[edit]References
- ^ "News Corp investors agree US move". BBC News. 26 October 2004. Retrieved 27 March 2010.
- ^ Fabrikant, Geraldine (7 April 2004). "Market Place; News Corp. Plans to Follow Its Chief to the United States". The New York Times. Retrieved 27 March 2010.
- ^ a b c d e "Financial Statements for News Corporation - Google Finance". Google.com. Retrieved 2011-07-11.
- ^ "Company Profile for News Corporation (NWSA)". Retrieved 30 September 2008.
- ^ "Fortune". CNN. Retrieved 20 May 2010.
- ^ "PowerPoint Presentation" (PDF). Retrieved 2011-07-11.
- ^ Siklos, Richard (9 February 2009). "Why Disney wants DreamWorks". CNN. Retrieved 20 May 2010.
- ^ "News Corporation – Annual Report 2007". Newscorp.com. 2007-06-30. Retrieved 2011-07-11.
- ^ "BBC: World's largest broadcaster & Most trusted media brand". Media Newsline. Retrieved 23 September 2010.
- ^ "Digital license". Prospect. Retrieved 23 September 2010.
- ^ "About the BBC – What is the BBC". BBC Online. Retrieved 23 September 2010.
- ^ a b Revolution on Fleet Street, TIME magazine, 21 August 1996.
- ^ Palmer, Rhonda (27 July 1993). "Murdoch catches rising Star".Variety.
- ^ Shenon, Philip (23 August 1993). "THE MEDIA BUSINESS; Star TV Extends Murdoch's Reach". The New York Times.
- ^ George Monbiot. "The most potent weapon wielded by the empires of Murdoch and China | Comment is free". The Guardian. Retrieved 2011-07-11.
- ^ Rupert Murdoch Laid Bare[dead link]
- ^ "Tax free: Rupert Murdoch's zero status". BBC News. 25 March 1999. Retrieved 25 April 2010.
- ^ Fox Business makes TV debut, Hollywood Reporter, 16 October 2007. Accessed: 10-17-2007. Archived May 6, 2008 at theWayback Machine.
- ^ Fox Business Network blazes new trail, USA Today, 14 October 2007. Accessed: 17 October 2007.
- ^ Fox Business: Fluff meets financial, Toronto Globe and Mail, 16 October 2007. Accessed: 17 October 2007.
- ^ Rupert Murdoch Speaks His Mind, Business Week, Feb 2007.
- ^ Rupert Murdoch's News Corp launches global service to link all its outlets, Guardian.co.uk, 7 September 2009. Accessed: 15 September 2010.
- ^ Staff writers of The Australian (15 September 2010). "News Limited sells Fiji Times to Fijian company Motibhai". The Australian. Retrieved 29 January 2011.
- ^ "News of the World phone hacking scandal: timeline". Telegraph. 2005-07-07. Retrieved 2011-07-14.
- ^ News Corp and Liberty Media, USA Today, 22 December 2006.
- ^ News Corp Murdoch trust sells shares, The Age, 16 November 2007.
- ^ Murdoch's son sees pay doubled ahead of exit, Daily Telegraph, 26 August 2005.
- ^ Charlie Rose interview with Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal, video.google.com
- ^ Li, Kenneth (22 January 2010). "Alwaleed backs James Murdoch". Financial Times (Pearson PLC). Retrieved 23 January 2010.
- ^ "Murdoch's Pebble Beach shindig". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 1 December 2007.
- ^ Brook, Stephen (31 July 2006). "Bono and Blair to join Murdoch on the beach". The Guardian (UK). Retrieved 1 December 2007.
- ^ Hinsliff, Gaby (23 July 2006). "The PM, the mogul and the secret agenda". The Guardian (UK). Retrieved 1 December 2007.
- ^ Greenslade, Roy (2010-08-20). "Fox News quiet on News Corp's $1m donation to Republicans". Guardian. Retrieved 2011-07-14.
- ^ a b "News Corp. gave $1 million to pro-GOP group - Ben Smith". Politico.Com. Retrieved 2011-07-14.
- ^ Nick Davies and Amelia Hill "Missing Milly Dowler's voicemail was hacked by News of the World", The Guardian, 4 July 2011
- ^ Nick Davies and David Leigh. "News International papers targeted Gordon Brown". The Guardian. Retrieved 2011-07-14.
- ^ a b "Our phone hacking victims list". Guardian. Retrieved 2011-07-14.
- ^ "UPDATE 1-BSkyB investors eye cash after deal collapse". Reuters. Retrieved 2011-07-14.
- ^ Stelter, Brian. "News Corp. Newspapers May Face U.S. Inquiry". The New York Times. Retrieved 14 July 2011.
- ^ Stelter, Brian. "News Corp. Newspapers May Face U.S. Inquiry". The New York Times. Retrieved 14 July 2011.
- ^ Rashbaum, William. "F.B.I. Opens Inquiry Into Hacking of 9/11 Victims". The New York Times. Retrieved 14 July 2011.
- ^ BBC, BBC. "News Corp's Les Hinton resigns amid phone-hack scandal". BBC. Retrieved 14 July 2011.
- ^ Kercheval, Nancy and Danielle Rossingh (22 December 2007)."News Corp. to Sell U.S. TV Stations for $1.1 billion (Update5)". Bloomberg. Retrieved 22 December 2007.
- ^ "Making Fun debuts as the video-game arm of Rupert Murdoch's empire". VentureBeat. 2011-02-25. Retrieved 2011-07-11.
[edit]External links
- Official website
- News Corporation companies grouped at OpenCorporates
- Ketupa – News Corporation profile with history and holdings
- News Corp. Holdings and Timeline – Columbia Journalism Review (This site has not been updated since 2004)
- News Corporation collected news and commentary at The Guardian
- News Corporation collected news and commentary at The New York Times
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Order by:
Comment number3.
Jake3 MINUTES AGO
Cameron has released his meetings with news international.... like he said he would, and it shows us nothing more than we already know. I personally would like to see all the party leaders over the last 10 years to see how many times they met with news international representatives, before we get all this hypocritical Cameron bashing by Labour, i'm damn sure Clair will have a smiliar record to DC.
Comment number2.
PCElm4 MINUTES AGO
Who paid/pays for the hospitatlity at Chequers particularly for Coulson, who the PM says is a friend?
Comment number1.
Philip7 MINUTES AGO
On a side note to all of this, what about the technology that makes all of this phone hacking possible? Are not the mobile phone companies culpable to a degree for not safeguarding our answer phone services?