[danm]

I'm waiting for the Sunday Sun recruitment ads to appear shortly:

Sleazy low-life journalists required, with experience of phone-tapping, bribing law enforcement officers and willing to work anti-social hours whilst hoping to get a photo of Kate Middleton's tits.

It shouldn't be too hard to find recruits with the requisite qualifications and experience, as a bunch have rather fortuitously just become available on the job market.....

[Jaspersharpe]

According to C4 Brooks offered her resignation last night but it was turned down by the News Corp board:

http://www.channel4.com/news/news-of-the-world-to-close

andy coulson to be arrested tomorrow - http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/jul/07/andy-coulson-arrest-phone-hacking

Worth following Nizza ( @fieldproducer ) on Twitter. Fascinating stuff from lots of sources on the inside yesterday. The story is moving so quickly it's really the only way to keep up!

[Jaspersharpe]

Lots of people with egg on their faces today (none more so than "Dave") so let's take a minute to laugh at one of them. Step forward serial shit talker and all round halfwit Iain Dale!

http://iaindale.blogspot.com/2010/09/coulsons-accusers-can-go-to-hell.html

 

[rich d]

I really don't understand the massive excitement and frenzy over this. The story to me looks like, Murdoch's empire is corrupt and very dodgey. Newspaper editors turn a blind eye/actively encourage  unethical and illegal journalism. Journalists use unethical, unpleasant and illegal techniques to get stories. The politicians are caught up in this. All of the above are now lying to save their positions of power, whilst publically pretending to be the guardians of truth, democracy and justice. News paper is closed down to be re-opened by the same owners - but with a different name (probably).
I though we'd all guessed that that's just the way things are done round here.

[tomtom]

I really don't understand the massive excitement and frenzy over this. The story to me looks like, Murdoch's empire is corrupt and very dodgey. Newspaper editors turn a blind eye/actively encourage  unethical and illegal journalism. Journalists use unethical, unpleasant and illegal techniques to get stories. The politicians are caught up in this. All of the above are now lying to save their positions of power, whilst publically pretending to be the guardians of truth, democracy and justice. News paper is closed down to be re-opened by the same owners - but with a different name (probably).
I though we'd all guessed that that's just the way things are done round here.

Its more interesting than my work today!

[rich d]

And more interesting than mine! I think I'm grumpily reacting to the glee with which other media are reporting it, as though they are ethically perfect.

[erm, sam]

Well I am really enjoying the Murdoch empires in the shitness. It is a rare treat.

[tomtom]

And more interesting than mine! I think I'm grumpily reacting to the glee with which other media are reporting it, as though they are ethically perfect.

Yes, the cannabalistic/mastabatory frenzy with which the media gorges upon itself. Like a great big 24/7 wanking circle...

[Jaspersharpe]

Us cynical fuckers who actually take an interest in what's happening with regard to the running of the country already knew all this, of course.

The reason this story is so important is that it has thrust the facts into the limelight where the protagonists didn't want them and has made a lot of people who weren't previously interested in such things look at them. If only for a week or two.

It's also made Cameron look even more of a cunt than usual which is always a good thing.

[tommytwotone]

I really don't understand the massive excitement and frenzy over this. The story to me looks like, Murdoch's empire is corrupt and very dodgey. Newspaper editors turn a blind eye/actively encourage  unethical and illegal journalism. Journalists use unethical, unpleasant and illegal techniques to get stories. The politicians are caught up in this. All of the above are now lying to save their positions of power, whilst publically pretending to be the guardians of truth, democracy and justice. News paper is closed down to be re-opened by the same owners - but with a different name (probably).
I though we'd all guessed that that's just the way things are done round here.

Yeah - the "tabloid media in immoral practices shocker" isn't really a bolt from the blue, however...

Firstly, don't forget that in addition to the above the allegations that the Police are caught up in this as well...namely that payments were made from the NOTW to the MET, and it would appear that the NOTW also performed surveillance on a leading member of the police force.

And, also don't forget that David Cameron decided to hire a man who:

a) Had already resigned from the Murdoch empire over the previous round of hacking allegations
b) Employed and is connected to a private detective suspected of murder

As his Director Of Communications, despite being warned specifically by certain sections of the media (certainly the Editor of the Graun, others too from what I read)!

The PM's attempts to minimise his total lack of judgement on this issue didn't do much to convince me, though I'm not sure about the rest of the electorate.

As Jasper says I always feel like I'm in the tiny minority of the populace who actually pay attention to this sort of stuff.

[Fultonius]

And for some more positive news:

 Stem-Cell grown windpipe transplant!

[tommytwotone]

Sorry - I've just realised I sound a bit like Sloper in my last post...I'll tone it down a bit!

[Jaspersharpe]

And for some more positive news:

 Stem-Cell grown windpipe transplant!

Wow. 

Sorry - I've just realised I sound a bit like Sloper in my last post...I'll tone it down a bit!

No no, you were making sense.

On the subject of actually paying attention to this stuff I saw a great tweet yesterday about how the News of The World was a total misnomer unless The World was located up Cheryl Cole's minge. Unfortunately most people do prefer to read that stuff.

That's why it took the Dowler and dead squaddies angle to actually tip this story over the edge. Much as those cases were awful, you'd have thought people would already be "outraged" by what was going on but when it was only about not living in a democracy nobody gave a shit.

[tommytwotone]

Agree that those revelations were the moral watershed, also Hugh Grant's made a very good point earlier in the week (talk about "things I didn't expect to be typing"!) that with the celebs the "you're in the public eye, you bring it on yourselves, you make money out of publicity" argument was alway the justification, not so the Dowler / 7th July victim's families / dead squaddies' families.

[tomtom]

1. 3T you're no Sloper despite the brown brogue tendencies

2. The Millie Dowler aspect was a game changer in many ways, but for me it left the tabloids regular justification in tatters. E.g. Celebs are in the Public eye so they deserve/like it etc.. There was no justification for that at all, and revealed (which many know) hat the tabs have no morals really.

[Jaspersharpe]

Daily Star offices raided by police.

And, importantly, Renault have become the first advertisers to withdraw from all NI titles:

http://www.brandrepublic.com/news/1079229/renault-extends-ad-boycott-news-international-titles/

[tomtom]

Back from the dentists...

Theres going to be quite a trail if they can recover a load of deleted emails..
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/jul/08/phone-hacking-emails-news-international

Its also interesting that the previous hearings (inluding that of the deluded Tommy Smith) have forced NOTW and NI execs to go on the record about missign data, etc.. so they are liable for perjury.. There really is plenty more to come from this.

I also think Cameron has missed a trick this morning to put distance between himself and the matter. He came half clean - and his suggestions for investigations are the right ones (Judge at head of public enq, and two enquiries). But - he stopped short of saying it was a mistake to employ Coulson and to have a close relationship with Brooks. If he had done this and held his hands up and said - look they are friends, but I shouldnt be too close to them, conflicts of interest etc.. then he would be admiiting the correct thing - that he was wrong and made an error of judgement.

But he didnt....

And he was warned on two occasions about Coulson (listening to the Guardian editor on Newsnight last night saying he spoke to him directly about this) though he now says he wasnt...

Investigations now at the daily Star - though that may be linked to the former NOTW royal correspondent who now works there and has been arrested. Also interesting that McClare (sp?) also said in one interview that the Daily Mail were one of the worst (worse than NOTW) users of such methods up to .c2005 when they abruptly stopped... plenty more to come here...

(beat me to it Jasper!)

[tomtom]

For those needing a summary of events Korean Styleee

[tomtom]

At work we have a weekly Bulletin - someone has created their own this week (HTML formatting removed...)



Bulletin
________________________________________
Last Ever Issue of the Bulletin

Following the internal scandals that have led to the Departure of almost every member of the Senior Management Team, the University has decided to close the Bulletin. There is apparently no link between the closure of the bulletin and their departure, however the man at the top has admitted that the weekly publication has ‘lost its way’. Members of the University have been continually disappointed by the hopelessly up-beat stories that appear to bear little resemblance to the reality of a miss-managed institution that lacks any leadership from the top and is mired with incompetence below.
________________________________________
All Money to go to Charity

If we ever find someone to run finance and if they can find any money in our bank accounts, we promise to give it all to charity.
________________________________________      
________________________________________
________________________________________
Forthcoming events

Monday 11 July

Degree ceremonies:
The highlight will be the awarding of Honoury Degrees to all members of SMT that have left – as a symbol of our eternal gratitude.

________________________________________
Staff Development

How to find a job - Open Meeting
Wednesday 20 July 2011, 12.30 pm  to2.00 pm (lunch provided)

[slackline]

Investigations now at the daily Star - though that may be linked to the former NOTW royal correspondent who now works there and has been arrested. Also interesting that McClare (sp?) also said in one interview that the Daily Mail were one of the worst (worse than NOTW) users of such methods up to .c2005 when they abruptly stopped... plenty more to come here...

(beat me to it Jasper!)

Thought you two were on Twitter?

3T asked about other papers involvements earlier and I pointed towards this article (original full list here, and the Daily Fail do indeed rank top there).

[Will Hunt]

Did anybody else see Paul McMullan get thrown to the wolves (Coogan, Greg Dyke, Will Self) on Newsnight? Absolutely brilliant! Does he go out of his way not just to sound like an absolute sleazebag but also to look like one too? Suit that looks like it belongs on a con artist, unkempt facial hair, tie half undone with top button open like he was stressed out of his wits before he even came on the show. I'm not one to judge somebody on their appearance but for God's sake man try and do yourself a favour and break free of the 'untrustworthy journalist' stereotype just a little.

Self referring to him as a sort of feral, rat-like sort of creature was a highlight.

[Jaspersharpe]

Slackers the point was that the police were raiding the offices of The Daily Star earlier today. A significant move on from *them* only focussing on one paper. I already posted a link to the Spectator article about other rags' involvement in this sort if thing.

[slackline]

Slackers the point was that the police were raiding the offices of The Daily Star earlier today. A significant move on from *them* only focussing on one paper. I already posted a link to the Spectator article about other rags' involvement in this sort if thing.

I got that, but was linking to the findings that Daily Fail ranked top in the most instances of illegal information that 2T was alluding to.

[slackline]

Did anybody else see Paul McMullan get thrown to the wolves (Coogan, Greg Dyke, Will Self) on Newsnight? Absolutely brilliant! Does he go out of his way not just to sound like an absolute sleazebag but also to look like one too? Suit that looks like it belongs on a con artist, unkempt facial hair, tie half undone with top button open like he was stressed out of his wits before he even came on the show. I'm not one to judge somebody on their appearance but for God's sake man try and do yourself a favour and break free of the 'untrustworthy journalist' stereotype just a little.

Self referring to him as a sort of feral, rat-like sort of creature was a highlight.

[DaveC]

Interesting opinion piece about Rupert from the NY Times.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/09/opinion/09nocera.html?_r=1&hp

Actually, the NYT has generally been remarkably gentle on Murdoch considering the almost personal vendetta he's been pursuing against them for years now!