Question for our British Cousins

[JackLuis]

What was the "News Of The World"?

News of the World axed by News International

So was it 'fishwrap" or did it have any honest journalistic qualities?

168 years old, was it always a scandal sheet?

I like the picture of Murdock in the companion article.
http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/About/General/2011/7/7/1310067411838/Les-Hinton-007.jpg

News of the World: the key legal players

Les Hinton (left), Andy Coulson, Rupert Murdoch and Rebekah Brooks (nee Wade). Photograph: Graeme Robertson/Getty Images

For that matter, how creditable is the Guardian?

 

[oggbashan]

The News of the World was always populist and was the most read and largest circulation Sunday paper.

Although addicted to celebrity and scandal, the sheer quantity of news items in any issue was greater than that on all the TV news channels added together. It brought many news items to the public's attention that would not otherwise have been known.

What is sad is that all the now-known shocking revelations and allegations about phone hacking and lack of ethics probably applied to a minority of the staff and journalists employed by the News of the World. Those few have destroyed the jobs of their colleagues.

While the News of the World (NOW) style was not to my personal taste, the writing and editing were perfectly attuned to their audience. The NOW readers reached more of the advertisers' key UK targets (ABC1) than any other daily or Sunday newspaper. It was the decision by many of the advertisers to pull their material from the NOW that probably influenced News International's decision to close the NOW.

The cynics, myself among them, expect another News International title to replace the NOW within in weeks. The Sun, now Monday to Saturday, may suddenly acquire a Sunday edition.

 

[polynices]

Without wishing to argue with Oggbashan's very measured and balanced reply, I'd say personally that the 'News of the World' really was 'fishwrap", as you put it. Its stock-in-trade was sensationalism - sex and crime often presented with a hypocritically censorious tone. As a result, the NoW had its cake and ate it too: it could condemn the very actions it ferreted out and described with the primary intention of titillating its readers, and thus accrued massive profits for itself.

- polynices

 

[mikesaysno]

they'll re-badge the paper, dodge any asset stripping that would likely follow from legal proceedings and then it will be business as usual ... I heard newscorp have already been trialling new domain names

 

[Handley_Page]

Look out for the
'Sun on Sunday'.

 

[JackLuis]

UK Prime Minister’s former aide arrested over phone hacking

http://www.rawstory.com/rs//wp-content/uploads/2011/07/andy-coulson-afp-300x1941.jpg

British police on Friday arrested Andy Coulson, the prime minister's former communications chief and ex-editor of the News of the World tabloid, over the phone hacking scandal, Scotland Yard said.

London's Metropolitan Police said a 43-year-old man was in custody at a South London police station "in connection with allegations of corruption and phone hacking."

Dropped like a hot rock. How 'former' was he?

Is James Murdoch next?

 

[JackLuis]

Rupert Murdoch’s son could be prosecuted by U.S.

By the US?

As the phone-hacking scandal involving Rupert Murdoch’s media empire widens, attention is increasingly being focused on his son, James Murdoch. The Guardian reported on Friday that the younger Murdoch, who has already admitted misleading Parliament, “could face criminal charges on both sides of the Atlantic.”

James Murdoch is the deputy CEO of News Corp, the US company which owns the British company News International that allegedly paid police officers in the United Kingdom for information. This could make him liable to prosecution in the US under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, which prohibits American companies from bribing foreign officials.

Well we all know how Americans feel about bribes, don't we?

 

[roomfor1more]

I will be honest, I have never read the News of the World because, I felt, it was tabloid journalism and it was not worth my time to read. Personally, I am glad it is coming to an end.

Regarding your question about the Guaridian the Guaridan is quite credible and philospically, I would say Guardian is a left-leaning newspaper. That is to say they are less left, liberal, than the Independent and provides a strak contrast to the Telegraph or The Times which is, I feel, conservative / right, leaning papers.

 

[JackLuis]

I will be honest, I have never read the News of the World because, I felt, it was tabloid journalism and it was not worth my time to read. Personally, I am glad it is coming to an end.

Regarding your question about the Guaridian the Guaridan is quite credible and philospically, I would say Guardian is a left-leaning newspaper. That is to say they are less left, liberal, than the Independent and provides a strak contrast to the Telegraph or The Times which is, I feel, conservative / right, leaning papers.

Thanks you and Ogg and polynices for the insights. It is very difficult to determine from a brief Innerwebz introduction how to interpret foreign news sources.

I agree with your assessment from my little reading of the Guardian and the Independent news items on line.

I find the most interesting papers are the least sensational, although I like the flash and fury of a good political scandal too.

 

[polynices]

How 'former' was he? - i.e. Andy Coulson

Coulson was deputy editor of the 'News of the World' in 2002, when the Millie Dowler hacking occurred. Rebekah Brooks, then Rebekah Wade, was the NoW's editor at the time. She went on to become editor of Murdoch's other rag, 'The Sun' (and, later, Chief Executive of News International) and Coulson took over as NoW editor in 2003. He resigned from that job - and from News International - in 2007, after the first installment of the phone hacking scandal, when his Royal Correspondent, Clive Goodman, and the private detective who'd done the hacking for him, Glen Mulcaire, were sent to prison. Coulson claimed - and still claims - to have known nothing about illegal activities at the NoW at that time but said he was resigning simply because he'd been in charge when they happened.

Later in 2007, David Cameron gave Coulson the job of Director of Communications (i.e. chief spin doctor) for the Conservative Party, and he stayed in that post - but now representing the government - after the Tories scrambled into power in 2010. He resigned early this year, claiming that renewed press attention over his previous role at NoW was making his job 'untenable'. Cameron, of course, is now feeling very uncomfortable since Coulson is under investigation again and he, Cameron, hired him for a very sensitive position.

As to James Murdoch - and even Rupert - who knows? The police would probably have to establish direct links between them and the now admitted phone hacking, police bribery and general corruption at NoW before they could prosecute - and nothing's been proved so far. But given the way things are going, you can't rule it out, can you?

Later: On the thought that James Murdoch could be prosecuted in the US, there's a detailed article in the Guardian. It's here:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/jul/08/james-murdoch-criminal-charges-phone-hacking

- polynices

 

[oggbashan]

The enquiries announced into the News of the World and the UK media generally are likely to keep revealing cans of worms for months to come.

As David Cameron admitted, the relationships between UK politicians and the UK media have been too cosy and uncritical for years. Although he is under personal attack for employing Mr Coulson, no UK political party can claim clean hands on the issue of media/politics relationships.

The NOW might have been the worst offender, but many other newspapers and TV channels have been guilty of practices that are abhorrent. The Telegraph's exposure of the misuse of MPs' allowances started with stolen information that the Telegraph bought. While the NOW may have paid police officers for information - watch for more 'shocking' revelations in the next few weeks - they weren't the only paper to do it, even if some might have been more discreet about how the police were paid in cash or favours.

My daughter, a journalist on a local paper, studied the ethics of the media as part of her degree. Even then she realised the difference between what she was being taught and rules/advice she was expected to follow and the practice in the national newspapers every day. Effectively she was told "This is the way you should practice ethically: do as I say, not how I and most reporters actually do.".

 

[Handley_Page]

It is my belief that Rebecca Wade (Brooks) should be called to account, even if only because she was in charge at the pertinent time.

 

[voluptuary_manque]

Having no respect for Murdoch and/or his empire, I'd love to see the entire thing come tumbling down. I have only one thing to say to the special investigators on both sides of the Pond: Sic 'em!

 

[polynices]

Today's Guardian has an editorial focussing mainly on the links between certain senior British policemen and News International. It also casts further light on the 'which-NI-executives-knew-what-and-when?' issue. The article's here:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/jul/10/news-international-cover-up-police

 

[polynices]

Rebecca Brooks, 9/11 and 'Pottergate'

The Daily Telegraph has a fascinating insight into the way Rebekah Brooks (then Wade) used to comport herself as editor of NoW. Apparently she insisted on one of her younger reporters dressing up as (and changing his name to!) Harry Potter, and demanded that he always wore his 'wizard's robes' to the NoW office, including on the morning after 9/11. The reporter, understandably, thought this was inappropriate given the gravity of that day's news. The Telegraph has transcripts of the phone conversations that ensued when the reporter had to take time off work as a result of the stress the affair caused:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1406429/Pottergate-we-publish-the-secret-tapes.html

(P.S: Apologies for mispelling Ms Brooks's name in the title.)

 

[JackLuis]

Today's Guardian has an editorial focussing mainly on the links between certain senior British policemen and News International. It also casts further light on the 'which-NI-executives-knew-what-and-when?' issue. The article's here:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/jul/10/news-international-cover-up-police

So the "Higher ups" decided that it was "really nothing to be concerned about", and shut down the investigation? Sounds like "covering up the coverup" to me.

 

[JackLuis]

British ex-PM Brown hacked by multiple Murdoch papers: report

Former prime minister Gordon Brown had his phone hacked and bank account breached by several British newspapers owned by Rupert Murdoch's media empire, reports said Monday.

Paperwork seized from News of the World phone hacker Glenn Mulcaire by Scotland Yard had references to both Brown and his wife Sarah, according to an investigation by The Guardian.

The investigation found an agent acting on behalf of Murdoch's Sunday Times posed as Brown to obtain his account records from Abbey National bank.

Another conman working for Sunday Times allegedly tricked Brown's London lawyers, Allen & Overy, into handing over details about their client.

Looks like the British press has lost their way?

 

[JackLuis]

"It's a Family Drama Too."

Keith Olbermann discusses the scandal with a long term Rupert watcher.

You may have to select it though.

"Rupert is the source of all water" , in the Family, Company, and dirty tricks.

We'll see if the US picks a fight with the Fox?

Another link:

Has Murdoch-Gate Reached Watergate Proportions?

For you young folk, Howard Dean was one of Richard Nixon's lawyers. He knows about scandal, and egotistical assholes.

 

[polynices]

Looks like the British press has lost their way?

I'm not sure that certain sections of our press ever had a 'way' to lose. The technology is new (phone hacking, etc.) but the cynical mind-set goes back a long way.

The Watergate comparison is very interesting - I watched the clip. To be honest, I still have a nasty feeling that, unlike Nixon, Rupert's going to wriggle out of all this. I hope I'm wrong.

It's good to see interest in the story building across the Atlantic, though. The ripples are spreading. Let's hope they turn into a tsunami.

PS: There's a rumour circulating at the moment (but it's no more than a rumour) that Murdoch may cut his losses and sell off his remaining newspaper titles in the UK - i.e. The Sun, The Times and The Sunday Times. The argument goes that BSkyB - the TV arm of his British empire - is far more valuable than the papers - two of which are loss-making, if prestigious. Whether that's true or not, he still seems intent on going ahead with his bid to buy BSkyB at all costs. (He currently owns 39% of it but he wants it all - and the enormous profits that go with it, plus near total dominance in the British TV market.) That, on the commercial level, is what this scandal's all about.

 

[Pure]

to og,

The News of the World was always populist and was the most read and largest circulation Sunday paper.

Although addicted to celebrity and scandal, the sheer quantity of news items in any issue was greater than that on all the TV news channels added together. It brought many news items to the public's attention that would not otherwise have been known.

What is sad is that all the now-known shocking revelations and allegations about phone hacking and lack of ethics probably applied to a minority of the staff and journalists employed by the News of the World. Those few have destroyed the jobs of their colleagues.

While the News of the World (NOW) style was not to my personal taste, the writing and editing were perfectly attuned to their audience.

disappointed in you, og. you're far too gentle. i'm assuming NOW is more or less the written analogue of Fox News, here, or some other tabloid like the New York Post. a rag.

the 'few rotten apples' theory is not going to fly in view of many efforts of News International [parent corporation]to invade privacy, buy off cops, etc. SOME of the rotten apples have top posts.

of course it's 'perfectly attuned to [its] audience'; so was the Nazi's newspaper, Völkischer Beobachter,

 

[oggbashan]

disappointed in you, og. you're far too gentle. i'm assuming NOW is more or less the written analogue of Fox News, here, or some other tabloid like the New York Post. a rag.

the 'few rotten apples' theory is not going to fly in view of many efforts of News International [parent corporation]to invade privacy, buy off cops, etc. SOME of the rotten apples have top posts.

of course it's 'perfectly attuned to [its] audience'; so was the Nazi's newspaper, Völkischer Beobachter,

The 'few rotten apples' will probably be revealed in the next weeks and months. It doesn't change my view that most of those working for the News of the World were not involved although the editorial policy was always to use dubious methods to get news. What was/is different about the NOW was that it went beyond distasteful and unethical methods to sustained illegality.

Much of the UK's national media is addicted to news-gathering methods that the public would find unpalatable. The NOW went further than most.

'Perfectly attuned'? is my British sarcasm. Our 'red-tops' can sink lower than the NOW and often do.

Edited for PS. Of course, Fox News AND the New York Post have the same ultimate ownership as the News of the World...

 

[Goldie Munro]

Get ready USA for the same BS - although maybe not as mind blowing as the UK scenario. Murdoch is poison. He set the tone and the other papers followed - no choice and if anyone disagreed - CHOP! That goes for the police and politicians too. Seems like he held the UK to ransom for years. Lucky escape for you isn't it?

How popular/influential is Fox News btw?

 

[voluptuary_manque]

Dunno. For me, completely un-influential. I never watch it. Never have. But it must have a following. Otherwise the advertisers wouldn't pay for it.

 

[Goldie Munro]

Dunno. For me, completely un-influential. I never watch it. Never have. But it must have a following. Otherwise the advertisers wouldn't pay for it.

Advertisers left NOTW in droves - part of the reason it was closed down within days. Shareholders already running scared from NI and NewsCorp

 

[Goldie Munro]

Seen this?

http://gawker.com/5820243/jon-stewart-tackles-the-news-of-the-world-scandal