That is some funny shit right there.
And now the investigation expands to computer hacking…
I’m cross posting this from the DSK thread, since it has some relevance to the Murdoch empire, which owns both Foxnews.com and the NY Post, both of which reported that the alleged rape victim was a prostitute.
7/7/2011:
So… based on the claim of a single anonymous source, the NY Post declared that the nameless Chambermaid was a prostitute, in graphic language and 2 inch front page headlines. They did not have corroboration. They did not seek comment from the Chambermaid’s team before running the story. That’s 2 lapses of journalistic ethics.
Depending upon the reliability or economic interests of this anonymous source, I’d say that their claims were malicious and reflected an execrable disregard for the truth.
Here’s where the later articles (allegedly with anonymous sources close to the prosecution) are discussed:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/erik-wemple/post/new-york-post-libel-suit-part-2/2011/07/06/gIQAP4Js0H_blog.html#pagebreak
Don’t get me wrong. I have no opinion on how the chambermaid earned her living: I don’t know her. I’m just saying that the NY Post appeared to be engaging in journalistic malpractice.
7/31/2011:
More evidence of journalistic malpractice has surfaced.
The NY Post alleged that a union placed the woman in the Sofitel Hotel, because they knew that she would “bring in big bucks.” Some thirty paragraphs into the article is a vehement denial by the union. So far, so unexpected: no organization will confess to a reporter that they are running a prostitution ring for example. That’s one heck of an implication though.
What the NY Post didn’t report was the union’s substantiation of their claim. The union forwarded employment packages to Murdoch’s employees: the chambermaid did not even land the job at the hotel via the union.
Hey more evidence might surface. But when the union denies the allegation by a single anonymous source and the union can back up its claims, then readers should be alerted to such evidence and Murdoch’s employees should ask their single anonymous source to clarify the factual discrepancies. Are they lying through their teeth? This is looking more and more like a malicious front page smear. IMHO.
Mmm, I wonder…
So - whilst we’ve been busy concentrating on other things in the UK (riots, the start of the football season, England becoming a good cricket side, the impending return of The X Factor), this has continued rumbling on in the background.
New revelations today
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/aug/16/phone-hacking-now-reporter-letter
Former NotW journalist Clive Goodman has had a letter published he wrote to NI 4 years ago. In it, he describes how much people in the NotW knew about phone hacking (including the then editor Andy Coulson), alleges that he was to carry the can for the initial hack enquiry (and get his job back when he was released from prison for doing so) and generally fucks up the testimony of quite a few NI representatives who were called to the Parliamentary Select Committee about 6 weeks ago. Basically, he’s crying cover up - which I guess most people following this story would have suspected at some point.
This story has quite a bit of unravelling to do yet. I suspect that Murdoch Junior could well be seeing our MPs again in the not too distant future and that Andy Coulson could well wind up going to jail, if the contents of this letter are accurate.
From BBC breaking news…
"Commons culture committee recalls ex-News International executives to face questions on 6 September "
Custard pies at the ready?
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/aug/18/phone-hacking-news-of-the-world
And we get closer and closer to NI armageddon. NotW’s Hollywood reporter - James Desborough - has been arrested in London in connection with phone hacking - the arrest is in connection with events in the UK, prior to the point at which he moved to the USA and worked for the paper in California.
If found to have been complicit in phone hacking, the obvious questions will be - OK, you had support from the company for doing it in the UK. Did you do it in the USA? Were you the only one, if you did? If you weren’t the only one, how widespread was it in the USA? And ensuing questions…
If they weren’t doing it already, I would be wiping hard drives like crazy if I was working for NI in the States.
A bump, as the hearings have been back on for a while. James Murdoch ruffled feathers in his own camp by suggesting that he’d close the Sun if proof were found of phone hacking there. A few celebs (including J.K. Rowling, Hugh Grant, Steve Coogan and Charlotte Church) have testified about how the media has ruined their lives in various ways. And of course there is the paragon of journalistic integrity that is Paul McMullan, who has earned himself his very own Pit thread.
It’s all going swimmingly.
I can’t say that I was particularly surprised by anything I’ve heard at the Levenson enquriy, but there is still something shocking about hearing the experiences of all the celebrities who have been giving evidence.
I’m hoping a lot of custodial sentences come out of all this.
Update, and now the Sun gets it where it does not shine.
Oh sweet day!
And don’t forget that four other Sun reporters were arrested a couple of weeks ago.
Let’s hope the Daily Mail isn’t too far behind. Poisonous bastards.
But what would be do without all those tits? What about all that excitement they brought to the paper!
But enough about those arrested reporters… 
Except Murdoch has now announced The Sun on Sunday is heading our way soon. 
Why doesn’t he just come clean (Murdoch? Clean? Hah!:rolleyes:) and call it ‘Zombie News of the World’?
It’s being reported that Rebekah Brooks has been re-arrested, this time over “suspicion of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.”. No question of making an appointment and her walking into a police station. This time it was a dawn raid on her home where her husband was also taken into custody.
I image the new charge relates to the alleged destruction of evidence relating to phone hacking.
May I make a polite British “hurrah”?
Hurrah.
Let’s hope they’ve got enough evidence this time.
How did we not even mention the thing about her and the police horse? Or James Murdoch resigning from News International? Or Ofcom investigating whether BSkyB should still hold a broadcasting licence?
This story just gets better and better.
It gets worse. latest story :- “News of the World man held over suspected witness intimidation”
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-17373545
Going back to yesterday’s arrest, one of the people apprehended was Brook’s husband Charlie. I wonder if this was over this incident? :-
**Police examine bag found in bin near Rebekah Brooks’s home
**
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/jul/18/mystery-bag-bin-rebekah-brooks