Wednesday 13 July 2011

Not Before Time!

I don't usually write much political stuff and to be honest this isn't really political with a capital P.  However for the past week it has seemed like someone had opened Pandora's Box with the news of the disgusting activities of the News of the World and News International which have dominated the news and every day seemed to get worse.

The public didn't really have much sympathy with celebrities like Hugh Grant & Sienna Miller whose phones had been hacked but when it came to Millie Dowler, the teenager who had been so brutally murdered it was a whole different ball game.  We'd already seen the agony her family went through as they gave evidence in the trial.  What kind of person hacks into a missing teenager's phone and deletes messages giving the parents & police hope that she was still alive and doing it herself?  Well it's the type of person who is employed by the gutter press apparently.  However it seems that is just the tip of the iceberg! It looks like they've left no stone unturned with politicians, royalty, widows of soldiers killed in Afghanistan, victims of terrorist attacks, murdered children's families, all are possible victims of phone hacking.  Anything is justified apparently to get a story for their newspapers.  

Well it looks like finally Rupert Murdoch is getting some come uppance in relation to his media empire.  His News Corporation has today announced that it is dropping its planned bid to take full ownership of satellite broadcaster BSkyB. The announcement came as the House of Commons prepared to vote for a motion supported by all major party leaders calling on Mr Murdoch to scrap the bid.  For once all the politicians were in agreement.  

Finally News International is being taken to task for its disgusting activities which have been going on for years.  

The whole thing leaves a nasty taste in your mouth as politicians don't come out of it squeaky clean either despite their loud protestations against the News of the World's activities.  David Cameron was pretty cosy with News International as he courted their support before the election.  He's distancing himself now though. In addition his ability to employ decent staff comes into question.  He employed Andy Coulson as his communications chief, yes the ex-editor of the News of the World at the time of the jailing of employees of News of the World for intercepting voicemails.  Gordon Brown, ex- PM has accused News International of targetting him and attempting to access his voicemail, bank accounts and his family's medical records. Disgusting but why hadn't he made this public earlier.  Looks like politicians have all kept quiet.

Police too are coming in for some stick. It's alleged that a police officer offered to sell News of the World details of the royal family and their staff.  Then there's the issue of the Met where the Assistant Commissioner John Yates assessed the first inquiry into the practice of phone hacking in 2009.  He decided that they couldn't take it any further.  Now he's blaming the News of the World for failing to co-operate with the police.  Mmmmmm!

You have to wonder whether the unethical and illegal activities of this organisation are limited to the UK.  Surely it would be unusual if they were limited to one part of this global corporation.  Now the police are going to look into the possibility that phones were hacked in the USA following the terrorist attack on the World Trade Centre.  Nothing would surprise me now.

So we're going to get a public inquiry into media regulation (what regulation?) and phone hacking.  Well I won't hold my breath!

Meanwhile the best news so far in this whole sorry story is that thankfully Rupert has withdrawn his bid to totally takeover BSkyB!  Have to say I've never subscribed to BSkyB because Murdoch owns 39% of it.  Now if he relinquishes that, I might just consider taking out a subscription!

15 comments:

  1. I'm delighted the News of The World has closed, it was a dreadful paper, run by corrupt people.

    And I hope the Sky takeover bid dies a death too.

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  2. They're every where aren't they. Like the old saying goes, don't believe what you see and only half of what you hear. Or perhaps it's the other way around. Some people do believe everything they read as being the gospel, and it just isn't so. As for the young girl that ws murdered, perhaps the person hacking into her phone knows more then they are letting on.

    Thanks for hyour Anniversary wishes. Hope you have a good evening.

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  3. I am not real fond of very many of the media folks. They all seem to cross over a line of what is the right thing to do and report about.

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  4. Winifred - thanks so much for visiting. I've been pretty absent lately from visiting blogs - only find myself stopping at just a few and then I'm off the computer.
    I've been keeping up reading about the scandal..pretty interesting.

    hope all is well with you.

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  5. I'm so over the media. They really have way more power than they should.

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  6. I'm embarrassed that he and his son are Americans. When I reflect on BP's misadventures over here, I wonder if Brits aren't embarrassed about that. No doubt they are.

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  7. quite shocking what they were able to get away with.

    Gill in Canada

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  8. It seems that all the news around the world is so distorted that we don't know what to believe. The press latches onto sensationalism and leaves out the facts of serious matters in this world. I cannot bear to listen to the news because I cannot believe any of it.

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  9. Oh don't get me started Winifred. My soapbox is rarely in the cupboard these days! Just heard on today's lunchtime news that Rebekah Brooks has been arrested - hurrah for that and I look forward to all the scum being dragged out of the gutter snd put into prison. A x

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  10. Hi! Winnifred

    Yes it was because of the Hovis advert that I wanted to visit Shaftesbury.

    If you have not been to The Cotswolds before you will love it. Hope you get to go to all the prettiest places. Have a great time and I am sure there will be pics.

    There has been so much about this stuff on the news and in the papers.

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  11. A week is along time in the media. How things have changed since you posted this!

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  12. HI Winifred- Interesting about you watching your grandson - and considering combining households. We watch the two little ones anyway a couple times a week and a week into all living together, I think it's going to work. we said we would just be available all the time as resident babysitters - that we would still have our own life...

    but what we noticed is without the stress of having a big house and big property like we had, we can actually be in the moment with them and enjoy them more.

    Certainly something to think about - expenses for us have been cut in half or below.... and then we will be sharing utilities.

    we found a five bedroom place...

    small yard - so little upkeep and more time to do what we enjoy.

    it's been one heck of a stressful year readying the house for sale and waiting in this bad economy for it to sell.

    tomorrow ...everything should be done and our monies funded.

    i'm so relieved.

    thanks for your comment and visiting...

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  13. Still not posting Winnifred. Hope all is well.

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  14. Hi there.)

    Oh, you ve got such a cute blog!! I love it!
    Nice post.))

    I need your help (maybe again) ...
    I spend new survey ..
    Have you watched the MTV awards prizes?
    if yes whether you agree with all the awards, or something you think was unfair?

    ReplyDelete

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