Calling Time on News of the World: Rupert Murdoch Talks, Rebekah Brooks Weeps.
Hacked to death.
After 167 years, time was called on Britain’s biggest-selling Sunday newspaper (unbelievable but true), the News of the World, by its owner, one Rupert Murdoch. The final edition goes out on Sunday without any advertising. Revenue from sales will go to good causes. (!)
The scandal just keeps right on giving! Fallout, fallout everywhere but surely an inquiry, yes, another one, will be along soon to provide time-honoured shelter from the storm?
Knowledge is power but who will be first to spill the beans and take hostages? Rebekah Brooks – I missed the memo on the change of name upon her marriage to Charlie Brooks so she will always be Rebekah Wade to me – remains in charge as chief executive of News International but I am slow and this could change any moment.
Imagine, since beginning her career at NoW in 1989 as a secretary (do they still make these anymore?) how much information is in that hot little red head of hers about everyone in the entire dis-United Kingdom. She might even know something about those elusive Weapons of Mass Destruction so beloved of Tony Blair. She might even know the exact nature of Ruth Turner’s touching devotion to her boss of the Faith Foundation she works for. What burning questions would you like answers to? Please, don’t hold back!
The internet is awash with developments as they rise and fall like heavy waves upon the shore. They are now lapping at the door of Number 10. David Cameron, British Prime Minister, is not only a personal friend of Rebekah Wade/Brooks, they are neighbours. In the country. Chipping Norton. Week-end get togethers etc. Not forgetting Andy Coulson, former editor of News of the World, former communications director for David Cameron.
Voting, the right of every free man and woman in any democracy. We cast our votes accordingly, our pencils marking x in the box. What of those who write cheques instead? Political patronage, it costs and we all pay.
I leave you with this most read table from the Telegraph, curious as to how long the jilted husband who built the electric chair will stay in position!
MOST VIEWED
- David Cameron is in the sewer because of his News International
- News of the World phone hacking: live
- Jilted husband built electric chair in garage in attempt to kill wife
- Phone hacking: families of war dead ‘targeted’ by News of the World
- Arsenal’s Samir Nasri set to demand a move to Manchester United when he meets Arsene Wenger
A concise assessment of the whole sorry affair, Patti. I’m impressed you got this up so quickly. Things are moving so fast, I wonder if I should hold out before I give my own take on it, because let’s face it, as much as the Murdochs have tried to draw a line under this nasty business, this is not the end of it yet. I think there’s more to come.
Pie, Rupert Murdoch is employing the tactic of damage limitation in the interest of sustaining big bucks and familial destiny. All we have, as citizens of the world, is our freedom and liberty. And the internet. This is not the end, there is more to come. Add your voice. I want to hear your take on this, don’t hold back!
Great insights and summary, Patti.
I grew up loving newspapers and have really tried to hold on to my love. But as owners like Mr. Rupert have taken over the reins they have raced to lower their journalistic “standards”. This latest episode is a glaring example.
..and will AW please just give Nasri the boot and get on with it! Go Gunners!
Alan, hold on to the love. It is all changing so quickly (for some reason I thought I had already replied to your comment) and there is so much more from this debacle to hit the fan. Rebekah Wade has at last resigned and now Les Hinton has resigned from WSJ. What next for Foch’s News?
Enjoy your week end!
I have a real problem holding my tongue on a political debate. I just had to say in regards to your mention of voting (seeings how it is a Presidential Election year in America) that if I had to bet on it, I’d bet the elections are rigged to the hilt. There are a good number of Americans (and the count grows daily) wanting Ron Paul in the White House as many are aware. It was funny that his counted votes in Nevada were about 13,000 votes short of his pledged votes. I obtained those figures from a ‘Paulbot’ that lives in Nevada; who was there when the final tallies came in. Normally, I’d have researched the facts more, but in all of the blogs I’ve read in regards to politics, I don’t find those figures outrageous, so I will take the man’s word for it. In yesterday’s primaries in Maine, Romney has already been announced the winner, even though only 80% of the votes are in, and Dr. Paul is lagging by less than 200 votes. Seriously? You’d think they would at least wait and count all of the votes before running the headlines. You’d better believe if the vote count between Romney and Paul were reversed, the headlines would read “Elections Too Close To Call”, if they ran a story at all ahead of the results. Good old Murdoch should do something for charity. The SOB has manipulated humanity for so long, he’d better be making amends soon, lest he put the devil out of a job when he arrives at his final destination. I hope people are smart enough to talk to each other, and look to other sources (outside of mainstream media) information for the ‘real’ facts. Good article.
Orples, it’s good to talk! Apparently Rupert Murdoch is set to publish a new edition Sunday tabloid here in the UK. The hacking scandal rumbles on, more arrests have been made but then Whitney died, her funeral made headline news here in the UK on Sat night after which they led with troubles brewing in Iran and shootings in Syria. All very much beside the point for Ron Paul and the voting count, but, how much beside the point? They might do a recount. It happened in Iowa where Mitt won and then he didn’t. From what I understand Ron Paul is now counting on the delegate number to make his count amount to a more substantial presence.
Ron Paul is a very smart man and he has an excellent team behind him. He also has millions of faithful followers (myself included) that are keeping an eye on the GOP and their dirty little tricks. The fiasco in Maine only serves to shine a light on how corrupt the election process is here, in America. I suspect that is true worldwide. I hope for the sake of the entire world, Ron Paul manages to overcome the obstacles thrown in his path by the GOP and wins the Republican ticket. If that happened, I think he can beat Obama. I don’t even know how Obama is allowed on the ticket to begin with. He has yet to prove his citizenship, which is one of three prerequisites to running for POTUS. It’s ashamed we’ve allowed corruption to flourish as we have here, in America. We’ll have to change our motto from “Home of the Free, Land of the Brave” to “Home of the Lemmings” if we don’t wake up PDQ.