The Phone Hacking Scandal

[Getofmeland]

So today saw the announcement that the News of the Screws will be closed due to the Phone Hacking Scandal that has taken place... Both previous editors claims they don't know what had been happening, which I can't believe for a second...

Hacking politicians and celebs, I can live with just about, its not great but I can see why they do it... the final straw for me was hacking victims of the 7/7 Bombings, Milly Dowlers phone, the phones of relatives of killed Soldiers...

The people who have done this need to be locked up and so do the ones in charge, it is sickening to hear this breach take place...

 

[TRF_Cymro]

Big fan of the News of the World but whats gone on is simply unacceptable. The people that the spotlight are on are the so called editors and the so called 'freelance journalists' that they claim are the people to hack.

Shocking state of affairs.

 

[Teh Mite]

Question Time has been a laugh - Labour effectively just picked a fight with Rupert Murdoch over the whole thing.

Never pick a fight with someone who buys ink by the barrel

 

[TRF_Cymro]

Aye, wonder how much the Beeb forked out for Hugh Grant sitting on the panel also.

 

[Seaton]

Sickening, I really struggle to understand how some people can do these things, yet appear and act as though they've done nothing unreasonable

They must be locked up, and then when some of the twits come along and cry "Oppression, freedom of the press, boo hoo", get on their tails, wait for them to do something illegal, arrest/ fine them to tarnish their reputation (Ideally the people who support these editors/ journalists wouldn't have a reputation to begin with, but anyways)

 

[shtove]

Amazed that the most read english paper in the world has been ditched.

I don't understand the outrage. As far as I know what they're talking about is someone ringing the numbers and pressing the # key to access the voicemail. And it was all done by one "private investigator" - *cough* - ex policeman. If the allegations of payment to the police are true, the real corruption lies with the state.

If Murdoch is willing to kill that newspaper (ie. its advertising revenue), I wonder about freedom of expression - that's the big issue.

Best solution: get rid of Murdoch AND the police AND the political parties. You know how:

Paul Anka: To stop those monsters 1-2-3,
Here's a fresh new way that's trouble-free,
It's got Paul Anka's guarantee...
Lisa: Guarantee void in Tennessee.
All: Just don't look! Just don't look!
Just don't look! Just don't look!
Just don't look! Just don't look!

 

[TRF_Cymro]

Problem for the paper is that the majority of its sponsorship from organizations were dropping like flies and I don't think they were able to cope with losing quite a bit of money like that.

 

[Getofmeland]

I don't understand the outrage.

So you would condone the fact the Media will do anything to get some kind of scandal for a story? People who have suffered by losing a loved one get their private lives dragged up and you are happy with that?

How would you feel if you knew your phone was hacked?

 

[toup]

This is actually a terrible outcome...

400 journalists, most of whom will have had no knowledge of any hacking, will lose jobs (at least those who can't be slotted into new roles... Possibly at the new 'Sunday Sun' which is clearly lined up to replace NOTW once the dust settles). These people and one of our oldest national press ***les have been sacrificed to protect several senior figures, particularly the editor at the time who is now effectively running News International, and delivered this verdict to the staff.

What will be interesting to see, is whether this has been enough to stop the rot spreading throughout the News Int empire... Several advertisers have already pulled money out of other ***les, and it has prompted a 6 month delay and deeper review into Murdoch's plans to fully purchase BskyB.

Clearly the hacking was completely unacceptable, but the wrong heads have rolled for it.

 

[Teh Mite]

The irony of this scenario is those on the nholier then thoughn side of the fence havenmt noticed the barrage of attacks on a sensationalist tabloid... With yet more sensationalist spin.

Sums the media up - left or right wing, Guardian or Mail, BBC or BSkyB, they're all at it. And those who love a good gossip will be suckered right in.

 

[Feicarsinn]

The irony of this scenario is those on the nholier then thoughn side of the fence havenmt noticed the barrage of attacks on a sensationalist tabloid... With yet more sensationalist spin.

Sums the media up - left or right wing, Guardian or Mail, BBC or BSkyB, they're all at it. And those who love a good gossip will be suckered right in.

Heh, Bullitt's ******.

 

[Teh Mite]

Must stop playing with the internet after the pub =-S

 

[Getofmeland]

Wouldn't it be fantastic if no one bought the News of the World today... but that's not going to happen

 

[Feicarsinn]

It's a bloody rag imo, as are all of the tabloids. Not worth the paper they're printed on and a waste of ink. That said, I'm finding it hard to find a decent weekend paper from over here or Britain at the moment. Occasionally would read the Observer and perhaps bits of the Sunday Business Post but that's about it.

Anyways, moral of the story: A paper that is willing to be associated with Piers Morgan at any point during it's existence is inevitablely heading toward it's own doom.

 

[FlukeArtist]

You raise a good point Feicarsinn; there are no good newspapers around now.

The NZ papers are all the same.
I refuse to buy them unless I really want sports news and can't get on the net.

I beleive journalism on a whole has taken a massive nose-dive over the past 10-15 years.

As an aside- Hugh Grant absoutely owned that reporter from NOTW (I think) who was arguing for the use of hacking.
"you know you're not a dumb guy... you should give journalism a try, I reckon you could do it"