Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Media Watching Rupert sweat
Posted by Max Brantley on Tue, Jul 19, 2011 at 6:24 AM
Get your popcorn. Or doughnuts.
Rupert Murdoch will be on live before the British Parliament today. Starts at 8:30 a.m. our time. The MPs give prime ministers hell, so I don't know know why the Fox News baron should get any easier treatment, particularly given the corrupt practices of many of his employees.
New York Times will live blog here. You'll find an embedded video of live proceeding there, too.
Yes, Joe Nocera admits, it's undeniably delicious to see tabloid frenzy directed at the owner of a tabloids and his top people. He writes:
Although I generally admire entrepreneurs who build giant companies, Rupert Murdoch, despite giving us Homer Simpson, generally has not been a force for good over the course of his long career. His Bill O’Reilly-ed, Glenn Beck-ed Fox News has done a great deal to coarsen the political discourse. His tabloids have lowered the standards of journalism on three continents — and routinely broken the law on at least one of them. He had dumbed down his prestige papers, like The Times of London. He has run roughshod over cross-ownership rules meant to prevent one man or company from having too much power — and then used his lobbying might to get those rules diluted. He has put kowtowing to China ahead of freedom of the press, even killing a book set to be published by his HarperCollins unit that the Chinese authorities objected to. He has consistently used his media properties to reward allies and punish enemies. It’s a long list.Throughout his career, Murdoch has never just been satisfied with besting the competition, as most decent businessmen are. He’s not truly happy unless he has his foot on a competitor’s neck and is pressing it downward.
How's that foot feel, Rupe?
Speaking of Rupert Murdoch, Fox News
-
Fox News — dangerous to your learning
May 24, 2012I'll just throw this out and step back so that mud throwing may begin. Survey says, in summary: Fox News watchers are less informed. /more/
-
Correcting the record: TV rarely does
April 23, 2012New York Times media columnist writes today about the rarity on-air corrections on TV news. /more/
-
Murdoch hacking scandal spreads to U.S.
April 12, 2012The phone hacking scandal enveloping Fox News godfather Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. has now spread to the United States with a lawsuit filed on behalf of U.S. residents who say they were hacked. /more/
-
Jon Stewart to Fox News: STFU
March 14, 2012Re Limbaugh/Maher/Nugent/Huck/Hannity/Fox News/rightwing cult of victimhood. No elaboration necessary. /more/
- More »
Comments (25)
Showing 1-25 of 25
CSPAN3 airs Murdoch/Brooks testimony at 8:30. Here is a 4 minute preview with Olbermann and John Dean:
http://www.truthdig.com/avbooth/item/keith…
like
dislike
If these illegal activities spill over and take down Fox News, how will the Huckabees pay their mega-mortgage?
For the history buffs out there, here is a fascinating bit from Wiki about the genesis of the Manchester Guardian to read later if you are watching the hearings. I love how the British reps are not using this occasion for bloviating and speechifying and just ask the damn questions.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peterloo_Mass…
I wish I was as mean as Rupert Murdoch. I guess, being the tree-hugging liberal I am, I just can't enjoy the suffering of others. I'm sitting here watching and slapping myself trying to get my mean on. Maybe I'll perk up and grow horns after my second cup of coffee.
We are watching the premier example of what's wrong with the world. Our troops in the Middle East aren't fighting for anyone's freedom, they're fighting for the future profits of giant oil companies. "Just business" is a worse term than "terminal cancer". The Ruperts of the world are killing us and our planet. We must reverse this trend.
DBI....some good points.
Maybe the liberals among us should start our own "LET'S TAKE OUR COUNTRY BACK" movement.....only we will be referring to corporate tyrants and not to a black president.
SEEING THAT PICTURE IS LIKE SEEING THOMAS JEFFERSON, PATRICK HENRY OR AYN RAND BEING QUESTIONED.
IF THEY JAIL THIS GREAT AMERICAN PATRIOT, SEAL TEAM SIX WILL HAVE TO KICK SOME ASS AND RESCUE HIM.
OCCUPYING SOCIALISTIC BRITAIN WOULD PLEASE THE TEA PARTY GREATLY.
Man I wish I could watch but business calls. I will sure check the reports on all the various outlets from BBC to Fox to MSNBC.
I can not wait for The Daily Shows' take though.
The Daily isn't on vacation this week are they? It seems like every time something big occurs they are off. Palin resigning etc.
Let's enjoy the good time while it lasts.
http://arkansasmediawatch.wordpress.com/
Hey Granny, you do realize that two of your heroes aren't from around here? And by "around here", I mean the North American continent....
From an AP report:
"Murdoch also said he was not informed that his company had paid out big sums — 700,000 pounds ($1.1 million) in one case — to settle lawsuits by phone hacking victims.
James Murdoch said his father became aware of the settlement "in 2009 after a newspaper report. It was a confidential settlement.""
Wow, VERY confidential I would say if you believe Rupimple Murdoch didn't even have a need to know.
And then there is this snip from the same AP article:
"London's departing police chief revealed that 10 of the 45 press officers in his department used to work for News International, but he denied there are any improper links between the force and Murdoch's media empire."
Holy Christmas, 45 press folks and every damned one of them is an officer! Not an enlisted man or woman in the bunch. That's the problem. This last part posted in the vein of Bill or maybe co led.
"Murdoch also said he was not informed that his company had paid out big sums — 700,000 pounds ($1.1 million) in one case — to settle lawsuits by phone hacking victims."
When you own over 30% of a company and you don't know of a non-budgeted expense of $1.1 million, you aren't in control of your business.
I remember the Mallinckrodt's VP Finance's comment to me when I went down to open up a plant in North Carolina-"Son, if you know of any significant loss that is going to affect the company, I better be the first one you call, even before your boss". And he meant it. Unfortunately, I had to make one call in three years of the start-up when a power failure cost us $100,000. It was not a pleasant call but it was caused by something that we never anticipaated and the "fix" was already underway.
Propaganda has consequences. Who dominates the public debate matters. Facts matter and lies matter. If we could seize this Rupert Murdoch moment to start a popular movement demanding media accountability? If not now, when?
Arkansas Media Watch
http://arkansasmediawatch.wordpress.com/
I will be so glad when Fox news is eliminated. Then we can get back to the main street media telling us what to believe and letting Dan Rather falsify documents.
I do not want to hear both sides of anything anymore.
Fox news is as evil as Sarah, Michelle, Boehner, etc. I want to watch MSNBC all day and get tingles down my leg. How dare anyone try to put a program on that claims to be fair and balanced. I would rather watch Eliot on CNN in hopes he starts to tell about some of his $2,000 "hookups"
Hey Cato
Fox news has been reporting about Murdoch's News Corp being the parent company of Fox News since the start of this scandal. Get your facts straight---If you have any desire to do that!?!?!?
How does it feel to have to be relagated to writing for a free newspaper, Brabtley ?? Just think Brantley, a free paper??? YOURS. You used to be something...now you aint crap !!!...but Murdock is...and will be when you eat your next dessert !!
Too bad so many don't remember the questioning and responses of Ronald "Rayguns," George H.W. Bush and Reagan's NSC and CIA henchmen in the Iran-Contra hearings. There was a lot of "I don't remember", "I don't recall" etc. etc. etc. then too.
We'd be hearing a lot more of it, if Obama (a.k.a. Bush lite) had kept his campaign promises about uncovering and prosecuting those involved in torture, renditions, etc. during the Bush and Clinton administrations.
Instead, President Obama did a Hitler justification and given the perpetrators of war crimes blanket amnesty from investigation and trial by refusing t investigate and prosecute.
Finally, a Democrat joins the Republicans in covering over scandals and gross malfeasance by U.S. executive, judicial and legislative officials. Hooray, bipartisanship at last. Bipartisan conspiracy to subvert the Constitutin they swore to defend, protect and uphold.
P.S. plainjim, they needed 45 to spread Murdoch payoffs around equitably and to keep the cash bundles small.
Dott, you say Obama (a.k.a. Bush lite)??? More appropriate as Obama (a.k.a. Bush-on-steroids)
"Hey Cato
Fox news has been reporting about Murdoch's News Corp being the parent company of Fox News since the start of this scandal. Get your facts straight---If you have any desire to do that!?!?!?"
Whiner, if you don't know Rupert is a billionaire from Australia then you need to find another blog to visit for you won't be taken seriously here.
By the way, Rupert became a naturalized Am. citizen when he was 54 so he could legally buy and operate tv stations in America. A true patriot through and through, don't ya think?
O'Reilly cries crocodile tears for Rupert. Maybe the reason there is a "witch hunt" going after Rupert is because he is a witch---or a warlock---or something.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/07/20/b…
More by Author
-
Monday topics
The line is open. To conclude: * FAYETTEVILLE IS FOR RELIGION: The Fayetteville Free Thinkers are properly exercised about the discovery that a Fayetteville city parks worker has the OK to carve crosses into the trunks of trees he cuts down, though others who mark on trees are fined.
- Feb 27, 2012
-
Arkansas judgeship caught in Republicans' holdup
Glenn Sugameli, staff attorney for Judging the Environment, Defenders of Environment, updates me periodically on progress of federal judicial nominations.
- Feb 28, 2012
- More »
Event Calendar
-
Re: Riverfest eve open line UPDATE
Of course, now they are pathetic papers. You were right about that one.
- on May 24, 2012
-
Re: Hurst fined again by bar committee for late filing
Hackett... I practice law and I can tell you that unfortunately, that's a large amount…
- on May 24, 2012
-
Re: Two LR cops busted in federal marijuana sting
Funny. Seems I recall just such a scenario being played out before -- traffickers needing…
- on May 24, 2012
Top Commenters
Blogroll
Slideshows
-
Police close the Occupy Little Rock camp, perhaps the last Occupy encampment on public land.
Site Index
News
Cover Story / Arkansas Reporter / The Week That Was / Smart Talk / The Insider / The Observer / Editorial / Max Brantley / Ernest Dumas / Gene Lyons / Bob Lancaster / Words / Guest Writer / Letters
Entertainment
A&E Feature / To-Do List / In Brief / Movie Reviews / Music Reviews / Theater Reviews / A&E News / Art Notes / Graham Gordy / Books / Media / Dining Reviews / Dining Guide / What's Cookin' / Calendar / The Televisionist / Movie Listings / Gallery Listings
This Week's Cover
Quick Links
Special Publications
RSS
Facebook
Twitter
