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Yes, it can get worse.
Journalists from across News International repeatedly targeted the former prime minister Gordon Brown, attempting to access his voicemail and obtaining information from his bank account, his legal file as well as his family’s medical records.
There is also evidence that a private investigator used a serving police officer to trawl the police national computer for information about him.
The comparison to Watergate just got a little stronger.
Alyssa Rosenberg reports that the growing scandal is also causing recursions.
According to Bloomberg’s Lizzy O’Leary, the Murdochs have withdrawn their bid to take over the BSkyB network. That seems prudent. I doubt that as the phone hacking scandal spread, the bid would have been approved in any case. And the extent to which that practice was used raised critical questions about the wisdom of company leaders and internal decision-making standards. I don’t know what it’ll take for the Murdochs to clean house after this disaster of judgment, but it’ll be intriguing to see if reevaluations of the company’s news-gathering practices end up impacting the Murdoch family’s holdings on this side of the Atlantic.
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c u n d gulag on July 11, 2011 11:42 AM:
What can save the nation:
Murdoch has to close down FOX News.
And Rush summons up whatever little sympathy he's been able to store in his sub-atomic particle sized heart, and takes Aisles out for triple extra bacon cheese burgers, with supersized gravy and fries, and buckets of Coke and milkshakes, and they explode like Mr. Creosonte in Monty Pythons "Time Bandits."
USA! USA!! USA!!!
Mr. Serf Man on July 11, 2011 11:48 AM:
Murdoch is immune on this side of the Atlantic.
His political contributions have made it so.
All he needs to say:
"One bad word and you can kiss my campaign contribution goodby"
Thew best government money can buy
jjm on July 11, 2011 11:56 AM:
Still, this is wonderful news: to see at least the UK emerging from under the piles of dung that Murdoch has heaped over an otherwise sane, smart and decent country.
The piles here are now so high that it may no longer be possible to discern our own national decency; the very fact that we have allowed a person with such criminal, out of date and reactionary, fascistic ideals to attain almost monarchical power over us is terrifying in the extreme.
hornblower on July 11, 2011 11:57 AM:
The back and forth of the debt talks has a wake me when it's over quality. This, however, is a real story which gets bigger every minute. The Murdock influence in British politics has grown every cycle. Now the pols. are running for cover or speaking out against it. It will be hard for Murdock's pr. people to contain it. American cable needs another story after that silly trial. It's got voice mails and pictures of a dead little girl. Right up their alley.
estamm on July 11, 2011 11:58 AM:
Sorry to be nitpicky,c u n d gulag, but it is 'Ailes', not 'Aisles', it was 'Creotose', not 'Creosonte', the movie was 'Meaning of Life', not 'Time Bandits', and Monty Python did not do 'Time Bandits'. Rather it was Terry Gilliam *of* Monty Python, and John Cleese from MP appeared in the movie. Other than that, I agree with you.
TCinLA on July 11, 2011 11:59 AM:
Bad things happening to Rupert Murdoch. Sounds good to me!
All he needs to say: "One bad word and you can kiss my campaign contribution goodby"
That's not necessarily so. He's getting badly "tainted," and if anyone can prove there is anything even close to what was done in England going on here, he's a dead duck. (One can always hope)
foghorn on July 11, 2011 11:59 AM:
This is a gift. But the Democratic party will not even open it. If it was a horse they would appoint a committee to examine its mouth.
dalloway on July 11, 2011 12:03 PM:
Amazing to me that nobody's asking (in print, anyway) the BIG question: did Murdoch lean on or blackmail Tony Blair into backing Bush on Iraq? Inquiring minds want to know...
ahoy polloi on July 11, 2011 12:03 PM:
reports say that News Corp tried to hack 9/11 victims.
if this spreads to Murdoch companies in the US, we're gonna have to think of a new word. "schadenfreude" just won't cut it anymore.
a world without fox news.....my god, imagine the (potential) difference.
walt on July 11, 2011 12:09 PM:
I read someplace where Murdoch's offspring are not entirely happy with Dad's hard-right political style. And since Dad is in his 80s, under a lot of stress, and in continuing need of live-baby injections just to keep walking around, his empire is about to crack open and disgorge black pus.
Roger Ailes looks like a heart-attack waiting to happen. Rush Limbaugh has, at most, another 10 years on this planet. Things are bad now, but the Evil Empire is about to meet its demographic comeuppance.
Live Free or Die on July 11, 2011 12:13 PM:
Since it is alleged that bribes were paid, it is not too far of a stretch to imagine that blackmail was involved in this scandal. I have no proof, but it seems like logical jump. It is also logical to conclude that they same thing was/is going on right now in the US. If so, it would explain why the Dems, with public opinion on their sides (jobs, leaving Medicare alone, using taxes on the rich to plug the deficit)would consider voting for a bill that Americans hate and wealthy Republicans love. It would explain why this deal is tilted 90/10 towards the Repubs when the GOP only hold 25% of the combined Legislative/executive branches.
zandru on July 11, 2011 12:13 PM:
"Cleaning House"
I think some criminal indictments of the folks at the top who set policy and reaped the rewards would do a lot for tidying up. If any investigative reporters still exist in the US (employed or freelance or currently destitute), or whistleblowers, or even detectives and other government investigators, taking down Murdoch's properties would be a great way to build a reputation.
Publicity. Book deals. Promotions. Your own column or program. Fame.
What are we waiting for?
"educatii lodged"?!? You're "educatii" enough already!
bdop4 on July 11, 2011 12:17 PM:
If they are doing this in the UK, what makes anyone think that they are not doing it to some degree over here?
If we had any journalists here, we might find out. Unfortunately, 99% of them are bought and paid for.
Goldilocks on July 11, 2011 12:19 PM:
From The Guardian, a few minutes ago:
Anonymous on July 11, 2011 12:21 PM:
estemm,
Maybe that error filled comment of mine will get a high-paying job in the MSM!!!
Thanks for pointing that out. Usually I google these kinds of references, for good reason - my memory is starting to suck
karen marie on July 11, 2011 12:25 PM:
foghorn - how do Democrats "appoint a committee" when they are a minority in the House?
vh on July 11, 2011 12:44 PM:
Every Australian knows that there is lots of dirty dealing in the past of Rupert Murdoch (and before him, his father and benefactor Keith, who was even more brazen in his attempts to interfere in Aussie politics). I have no doubt that here in the US, Fox News has a lot to hide, with its history of deliberate falsehoods (oh sorry, calling that GOPer sex fiend a Dem was just a typo, candidate payoffs, direct stirring of the political pot, and lots more. Let us hope that some enterprising British journalists start pulling the threads and don't stop at the water's edge.
SWENXOF on July 11, 2011 1:00 PM:
Michael Wolff...suggestion Rupert Murdoch might sell the whole of News International to stem the damage to his wider business
If Wolff's speculation is anywhere near the truth, Murdoch must have damning fingerprints all over a host of scandals and heretofore disgruntled but politically fearful players are about to come out of the woodwork.
if this spreads to Murdoch companies in the US, we're gonna have to think of a new word. "schadenfreude" just won't cut it anymore.
One can hope and pray. On the other hand, American's love them some Saudi/Australian news, and they'll be ever so disappointed to have to give it up.
ManOutOfTime on July 11, 2011 1:15 PM:
The scandal cost him the BSkyB deal after all? With an Australian accent, "Shedinfroyduh, Mate!"
Goldilocks on July 11, 2011 1:18 PM:
Air conditioning companies must be falling over themselves to make a fan big enough for this sh*t:
News Corp investors attack Murdoch
foghorn on July 11, 2011 1:31 PM:
karen marie,
Right you are. Perhaps I should have framed it better. But I was thinking in terms of a Senate type study committee or a Presidential Commission. The point being, of course, that the Democratic party will not engage on this matter. As these days they seem to operate on the principle of never start a fight that you might win.
earthworx on July 11, 2011 1:44 PM:
...hmm, makes you wonder if maybe Eliot Spitzer's and Anthony Weiner's phones were bugged. Or is there any collusion between Murdock's News business and people like Andrew Breitbart.
thisisafiredooralwaysleaveopen on July 11, 2011 1:48 PM:
In the shareholder filing in Delaware, we learn a lot more about this scandal--but here's an angle that has been missing in the analysis and I'd love to see someone explore it more:
"A powerful group of News Corp's shareholders have accused Rupert Murdoch of "egregious" behaviour and treating his media empire like a "family candy jar".
The shareholder group, which includes banks and pension funds, accused Murdoch of "rampant nepotism" and using News Corp resources for "his own personal and political objectives".
The institutional shareholders, led by the Amalgamated Bank, said it was "inconceivable" that Murdoch would not have been aware of rampant phone hacking at the News of the World."
Who is Amalgamated Bank? It's the country's only union-owned bank. I guess labor is really ratcheting up their attack on Fox News, et. al, which is a huge and positive sign. There's been some movement to use pension fund investments to move individual issues forward (like divestment causes, etc), but I don't think I've ever noticed something this straightforward from the financial side of labor (which does exist). Anyway, there ya go.
Letitia on July 11, 2011 1:54 PM:
Ding Ding Ding! Live free or die and earthworx, word! Seems at least to me that many of our elected officials seem afraid of something, and not their constituents. Funny that.
Squeaky McCrinkle on July 11, 2011 3:35 PM:
And I used to think that the concept of Christmas in July was just silly. But it's real!
FRP on July 11, 2011 4:15 PM:
Great day in July
Right wing fascist nonsense has littered the country wide
And through the rack and ruin of the living and the dead
You can hear the blather far and wide from the public bolted to Fox
Great Day in July
Great Day in July
And the soul of Australian Monarchs feel fear across the ruined lands
As the book of law and order is taken by the hands of disgusted Britons
Of the sons and daughters of the mothers and the fathers who were carried to this land
Only to have their morals questioned by a pirate with a roll
Great Day in July
Great Day in July
A reprise and update to the
GREAT
Gordon Lightfoot
Squeaky McCrinkle on July 11, 2011 4:25 PM:
From a journalist who worked as a copy boy for News Limited in Sydney in the 1980s:
It was an unwritten rule that photographs of Murdoch be subject to retouching.
Specifically, a rather deep vertical crease at the centre of Murdoch's forehead had to be spray painted away.
There was never any tangible direction from Murdoch that anyone could ever point to that ordered such artistic reimagings of News Ltd's chief executive.
All I knew was that it was known, and known pretty widely, that only photographs sans crease should run.
It's how they roll.
Murdoch, Baby Murdoch, Brooks, Goodman, Hinton, Coulson . . . like-minded people.
As Rocky once said to Bullwinkle, "It's a menagerie". And as Bullwinkle replied, "No Rock, it's for real!"
exlibra on July 11, 2011 4:44 PM:
This is the first mention of the US connection that I've seen in a major paper:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/11/business/media/a-tabloid-shame-exposed-by-honest-rivals.html?_r=1&scp=2&sq=DAvid%20Carr&st=cse
It's very timid and tentative and it's at the very end of a (longish) article, but it's a beginning (one hopes). American media seem to need a very long crank-up time before they even pick up on something, never mind make a concerted effort to expose it, full bore.
I'm very happy to see the BSkyB deal fall through. Wonder what the Murdochs (because James-boy is a chip off the old block, if of somewhat paler hue) will do with the (almost) 40% of it that they already own; hope they'll have to sell it at pennies to the dollar.
"onvernes [Note". Duly noted; onward anti-Murdoch forces!