There is almost a massive furore going on in the UK this week about what was going on at the "News of the World", and how the owners felt that they had to close it down.
They were not just tapping 'phones and hacking into important personal information - they have been doing this seemingly forever - but apparently the reason for the concern was the nature of the people whose data was being hacked. Murder victims, relatives of soldiers who died in Iraq and Afghanistan etc.
This was only the "News of the World". This was happening at one media outlet. This could not have been happening at its sister paper "The Sun" (published Monday to Saturday, while the "News of the World" only appeared on a Sunday). Could it?
Who is kidding whom? Anyone who believes that this search for profit-making news, while using tactics that are the lowest of the low, is simply the product of a few rogue journalists at one outlet, must be incredibly naive! It runs through the corporate culture of the whole organisation. Be nasty, expose, show people in their worst light, make the b*stards cringe. And we will make plenty of dosh!!!!
Nobody is to spared. Well almost nobody. This never happens to any members of the Murdoch family or the likes of Rebekah Brooks, but anyone else can be put through the proverbial mincer and in the glorious name of free speech and freedom of the press, it must not be stopped. And if it takes some extremely devious techniques to obtain the details, who cares?
Expecting standards to be raised, when they have plummeted the depths like this, is expecting some kind of miracle. Murdoch has grown richer and richer as a result of these techniques, why should he absolve himself now?
He didn't know this was going on? He didn't know that this exactly was going on? I won't risk putting myself on line for a charge of slander and say that he knew for certain (or encouraged it), but frankly it challenges all credibility to believe otherwise. If the dirt is in the sewers, the rats have to be sent to swim in there and look for the dirt. Responsibility as a result does not lie with the rats, it lands with the people who sent them there. Eventually the journalists may make something of a profit and maintain their lifestyle, but who benefits the most?
You got it! In one go!
This is corporate culture, not individual sin, and we would be naive to think otherwise! Nor should we be surprised that this was going on.
Good quality blogging as usual :-) just had a read through the last few months, puts my efforts to shame!! not as if I don't have the time lol
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