If you're scared of Murdoch, you don't deserve to call yourself a journalist

The 'New York Times' report [1/9/10]:

In November 2005, three senior aides to Britain’s royal family noticed odd things happening on their mobile phones. Messages they had never listened to were somehow appearing in their mailboxes as if heard and saved. Equally peculiar were stories that began appearing about Prince William in one of the country’s biggest tabloids, News of the World.

The stories were banal enough (Prince William pulled a tendon in his knee, one revealed). But the royal aides were puzzled as to how News of the World had gotten the information, which was known among only a small, discreet circle. They began to suspect that someone was eavesdropping on their private conversations.

By early January 2006, Scotland Yard had confirmed their suspicions. An unambiguous trail led to Clive Goodman, the News of the World reporter who covered the royal family, and to a private investigator, Glenn Mulcaire, who also worked for the paper. The two men had somehow obtained the PIN codes needed to access the voice mail of the royal aides. ...

Goodman and Mulcaire ended up in jail. But don't worry, they both sued for unfair dismissal and settled for hundreds of thousands of pounds. Murdoch's other crooks got off scot free even though subsequent civil litigation cost him a nice chunk of cash. Of course, these crooks don't care about that. It hasn't stopped them from their usual low-life dishonesty.

Read the whole 'NY Times' article, it's a cracker. And for those of you who care about things here in Australia, the ABC or possible motives behind Murdoch's local outlets disgracefully rubbish journalism:

"An avalanche of unforgiving coverage culminated on April 8, one month before the general election, in a Sun story headlined “Brown’s a Clown.” Brown’s strategists assumed that Murdoch’s motives were not purely ideological. They drew up a campaign document conjuring Murdoch’s wish list should David Cameron become prime minister. Among the top items they identified was the weakening of the government-financed BBC, one of Murdoch’s biggest competitors and long a target of criticism from News International executives. On May 11, David Cameron officially assumed the position and elevated Coulson to the head of communications. Within the week, Rupert Murdoch arrived at 10 Downing Street for a private meeting with the new prime minister. Cameron’s administration criticized the BBC in July for “extraordinary and outrageous waste” during difficult financial times and proposed cutting its budget."

What are you doing to Stop Murdoch? We suggest reading this great article and giving it to everyone you know.