Hacking is a serious crime and grave privacy invasion. PERIOD.; Update: Attacker at Murdoch hearing — with cream, video of Wendi Murdoch reaction added; full Rupert Murdoch statement link added
Heads are rolling in the News of the World hacking scandal aftermath. As they should be.
Several editors and London police officials have resigned. More are undoubtedly on the way. A former NoTW reporter-turned-whisteblower who suffered from drug and alcohol addictions has now tragically turned up dead — compounding a global media tragedy that has shaken countless murder victims’ families, terror victims’ families, celebrities, and politicians whose cell phones were allegedly illegally rifled through in pursuit of salacious gossip and tabloid fodder.
News Corp. head Rupert Murdoch, his son James Murdoch, and newly-resigned and arrested NoTW editor-in-chief Rebekah Brooks are testifying before Parliament this morning as I write. CSPAN-3 is carrying the proceedings live here.
As a proud Fox News contributor for the past 10 years, I have come to News Corp.’s defense countless times and will continue to do so when critics distort the facts and wage unfair attacks.
This is not one of those times. There is no defense for this godawful fiasco.
Rupert Murdoch started at the hearing this morning by gently commenting that this is the “most humble moment” of his life. As it should be.
But saying it and showing it are two entirely different things. Just a few days ago, he was smiling broadly with disgraced editor Brooks, calling her his “first priority.” Asked about the comment at the Parliament hearing this morning, Murdoch suggested he didn’t actually say that because there were many microphones shoved in his face — but the backtracked when asked if he was asserting he was misquoted.
Yes, the police failed to do their jobs and apparently conspired to whitewash the voicemail hackings. But blaming Scotland Yard somehow as worse perpetrators than the company’s sanctioned hackers — as the News Corp.-owned Wall Street Journal editorial board did yesterday — is sheer madness.
While the Murdochs have repeated their apologies at the hearing this morning, there is clearly a lack of contrition in at least one editorial boardroom of the News Corp. That needs to change.
I blasted the blame-the-hacking victim mentality demonstrated by the liberal press against Sarah Palin. I am just as incensed to see the same mentality applied to the NoTW hacking victims.
Hacking is a serious crime and grave privacy invasion. PERIOD.
Yes, it is painful to see a great media champion/entrepreneur and a great media empire — of which NoTW was just a tiny sliver — under fire. The glee and double standards of News Corp. haters on both sides of the pond are hard to stomach.
But there is no one to blame for this other than those in News Corp. who let the scandal fester, and whose inaction handed critics all the ammunition they are firing now. These are the lumps and now every single rank-and-file employee and contributor at News Corp. is being forced to suffer them.
Rupert Murdoch told the Parliament hearing panel that he “can’t imagine” the illegal hackings took place in the U.S. But at least one victim — actor Jude Law — has alleged his phone was hacked while in New York.
And now, one of the Parliament questioners this morning has just raised the appalling possibility of computer hackings as well as phone hackings.
The failure to address the scandal in a timely, vigorous manner has put everyone associated with News Corp. at risk of retaliation hackings.
ANY and EVERY other newspaper higher-up or Scotland Yard brass who knew about the NoTW privacy invasions, signed off on them, looked the other way, or covered it up should be held accountable in a court of law.
News consumers in the U.K. and beyond will decide in the court of public opinion what price the rest of Rupert Murdoch’s news empire should pay — as well as other non-Murdoch U.K. tabloids with hacking clouds swirling overhead.
Media conglomerates have weathered a litany of plagiarism, fabrication, and circulation fraud over the history of modern journalism. I pray News Corp. can survive this one. Contrary to the company’s salivating detractors, government-imposed journalism ethics won’t prevent or solve the lapses. Competition in the media marketplace is the best check and balance we have.
***
UPDATE: 11:58 Eastern. As James Murdoch was testifying, an unknown assailant tried to reach the testimony table and apparently tried to attack Rupert Murdoch. His wife Wendi, who was sitting behind him, leaps up and reaches over to stop the unknown assailant.
Amazing.
The assailant had a pie and his face is smeared with whipped cream/shaving cream.
The assailant was “anarchist comedian” Jonnie Marbles.
And now…An MSNBC host actually complained that Wendi Murdoch was sitting TOO CLOSE to her husband and distracting viewers.
What a freak-show circus. The disruption shows just how manic Murdoch haters are. All the more reason to clean up the ethics mess — without excuses and moral equivalence — and get back to the quality journalism that is driving progressives mad.
***
VIDEO:
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Full Rupert Murdoch statement is here.
***
UPDATE: Rebekah Brooks now testifying — 12:48pm Eastern. Press and public barred now from proceedings after pie fiasco. She’s with her counsel and testimony will be severely limited as a result of her arrest late last week.
***
Update 3:34pm Eastern.
Another thing: There is a tedious discussion in the comments section to this blog post parsing the meaning of “hacking” in Clintonesque fashion.
Look, the Murdochs this morning condemned what happened. Intruding into someone’s PRIVATE voicemail, email, and phone communications to gather salacious, non-national security-related information is to be condemned. PERIOD. “Everybody does it” doesn’t cut it. Everyone who continues to do it in the UK tabloid world should be pursued and face all possible civil and criminal consequences.
I repeat: Blaming the victims for not changing their default passwords is appalling. It would be like blaming John Boehner for not doing enough to protect himself from the illegal eavesdroppers who taped his private phone conversations off a police scanner and leaked them to Democrat Rep. Jim McDermott, who handed them to the New York Times, which gleefully published portions of the purloined conversations. Remember that?
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And I have to ask… why weren’t the cops watching the crowd better? That one bobby had to cross half the room to even get to Murdoch…
Has anybody heard the latest about Fast and Furious or Castaway? Me either. But hey, it’s not like selling guns to drug cartels is more serious than an invasion of privacy in some other country thousands of miles away.
This serves the left’s goals.
1. Discredit Fox
2. Let F&F slide.
I am no great fan of Rupert Murdoch.
I do feel for him, knowing how bitter it is to suffer betrayal at the hands of persons you trusted.
Here is some information on the attacker on Murdoch if you would like to look and read.
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/so-who-is-murdoch-attacker-jonnie-marbles/
L
Definitions of terms often change over time. You need to get over it.
And in your definition of ethical hacking, poking around in a system, creating a breach, despite not stealing information or funds can still do damage and cost the owner of that system significant dollars as you set off alarms, triggering incident responses.
The security of their systems are their issue. Not yours. You are not doing them any favors.
And my general comments on “hacking” had nothing to do with the NoTW issue.
Your “ethics”, while rooted in what you believe is good, are misplaced.
Sounds to me like you might be the Karl Marx of code.
Had they let Wendi at him, Jonnie likely would he Marbless.
Continued stonewalling last I heard.
Continued silence from the MSM.
This is a minor story of little significance here in America. We have far more important stories that are not receiving the attention they demand because the Fifth Column Treasonous Media is using this cr@p to distract Americans from what is really important.
Operation “Fast and Furious” The California connection.
Good question. How’d that person get to that point with a pie of unknown composition?
Cosmo: There’s a war out there, old friend. A world war. And it’s not about who’s got the most bullets. It’s about who controls the information. What we see and hear, how we work, what we think… it’s all about the information!
Cosmo: The world isn’t run by weapons anymore, or energy, or money. It’s run by little ones and zeroes, little bits of data. It’s all just electrons.
Carl: So it’s a code breaker.
Martin Bishop: No. It’s THE code breaker. No more secrets…
Why? Because he opposes software patents?
In part.
It seems like you can’t comment here without somehow insinuating something. Just my impression.
First, Michelle is renown for how quickly and aggressively she will spotlight wrongdoing on her side. It is a staple of this blog. If fact, to be honest, I’ve sometimes chafed at her posts like these because they sometimes seem to cede ground needlessly in an attempt to be even-handed (as you pointed out, Fox hasn’t yet been implicated). Her “going on the record” isn’t some kind of rarity, as your comment seemed to imply. She stands head, shoulder–heck ANKLES–above anyone on the Left in her willingness to point out problems on her side of the aisle.
Secondly, Michelle can’t “opine” on everything (that’s probably partly why she has co-bloggers like Doug) so I don’t get the implication that it’s nice “for once” to see her say something. Bogus.
But that’s just it: the Left doesn’t care about that. The reason this will be front page news daily INSTEAD OF Obama’s lack of specifics, Obama’s blatant threat of not paying the military or seniors, the Obama administration’s revealed antipathy towards Fox News, the Dems not having a budget contrary to law, the Dems trying to set up Bachman’s husband, left-leaning reporters digging through Palin’s trash back in the day and then hunting through her e-mails, Maxine Waters’ ethics scandal, and on and on is because they hope to make this bigger than it is in an effort to destroy their enemy, regardless.
For the folks that send MM the hate e-mail and many like them, all it takes is just the appearance–classic guilt by association. Mark my words, it won’t be but days (if not already a reality) before you hear people saying, “Yeah, well ‘Faux’ News is out there hacking people’s private information.” I GUARANTEE it. I may not be old Limbaugh, but like him, I know the Left like I know every square inch of my 40-something naked body.
I’m not insinuating anything. Because I’m a ‘troll’ and a ‘marxist’ people assume lots of things about me. Nothing I said about MM was inaccurate or unfair.
How long has this story been out and she hadn’t said a word about it? So your ‘quick and aggressive’ label doesn’t really fit this scenario. I didn’t expect her to comment on this Murdoch mess, so to see a post from her was a pleasant surprise. Not because she’s unfair, but just because the story has been big for a couple weeks and she hadn’t made mention of it. (unless I completely missed a post earlier…which I could have been out of internet service for a few days). But it’s her blog and I have no expectation for her to post about every story. It’s her prerogative.
But that’s besides the point. She came out on a current events issue and did so fairly. I commend her for that. No slimy insinuations on my end.
Software is already protected by Copyright to prevent code theft. There is no need to involve patents.
And this part…where did I ever say ‘for once’? Oh, you added that in there to make my comment seem like more of an attack on her. Whatever.
Not only has Fast and Furious been buried but – George Soros and his influence on all the Lame Stream Media has been overlooked and buried as well. While I do not condone any hacking at all, seems suspect to me that NewsCorp is being raked over the coals as a diversion to the flip side of the coin -
Red State Skeptic said:
I thought you were still in Greece – Bigot
Major O said:
+100 btw. Except for that naked bit! And AFAIC, let this be the last of it. If there’s crucial updates, we can comment as needed. Courtroom hysterics notwithstanding?
Talk about being stupid…that comment fits the definition. And yes, I do believe you think women who wear short skirts deserve to be raped. You never did clarify that, so one has to assume…
was I just deleted?
Michelle–you rock. LOL
Ms. Malkin has a conflict of interest since she is on the Murdoch’s corporate payroll. I wish reporters, columnists and employees involved in this issue would not try to propagandize this issue in Murdoch’s favor.
I also think Piers Morgan of CNN should be suspended until the British government ends the investigation of him.
I watch as this thing is snowballing (IMO – out of control!) and it just makes me sick.
What happens if we lose the only cable network that comes closer to presenting the truth than any other?
That was great!
Tough love.
I’d like to buy a vowel Pat.
You mean Hiraghm dropped trow?!
I pop open my phone to read new posts… and the headline is that lie about “hacking”.
There is no evidence of actual hacking taking place.
You can drop the stick, Hiraghm. The horse is dead.
he can’t stop–I heard the horse also called him a ‘cracker’.
Weird, just got a message after hitting ‘Submit Comment’ that my msg. was saved and asked me to log in again. Well, I didn’t. So if the following shows up twice …
This may be beating that dead horse but if there was any true hacking going on e.g. illegally accessing the addresses in a voice mail system of a telecom carrier, that carrier/provider will need to get their security folks to find and plug the hole.
You’re not beating a dead horse. Apparently 3 of the top 4 (not Verizon) telecoms do not require voicemail pins to access it. They were apparently ‘convenient’ for the users. However, once people figured out how to call the cell phone from the number of the cell phone, they’re then able to access the voicemail.
No soup for you, Hiraghm!
Rupert Murdoch’s rivals are full of glee. Finally, the big bad old boy had overreached, and is in big trouble…..
all over the world, liberal trolls hiding in their parents basement in their spiderman underwear are celebrating this as the greatest day ever as some dweeb attacks Murdoch with a pie…..
***
What about The NY, or LA Times…. papers that were dragged by the internet publications, kicking and screaming, to even mention the name of Rev. Wright during the last election campaign?
The papers that would have loved to turn away from John Edwards’ and Al Gore’s indiscretions, and would have hid them from the public?
Yes, Rupert Murdoch’s papers pushed far too hard, but how about not pushing by the LA Times, which allegedly sits on the record of Barry’s pre-presidential, pro-Palestinian speech made at an event honoring his close friend Rashid Khalidi, diligently guarding it from the public? Is that a service to journalism, and the public? Or how about the NY Times, which out of zeal for the affirmative action pushed forward and promoted Jason Blair, who out of gratitude — and laziness — plagiarized stories, when not inventing them out of thin air? Was that done for the sake of journalism?
http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2011/07/rupert_murdochs_journalism_and_that_of_the_ny_times.html
The real issue here is Wendi Murdoch’s smackdown of that tool. Awesome. If every time a lefty threw one of these tantrums someone laid a heavy hand on them there would be no more incidents like this.
I try but I lag behind in computer and telecom knowledge even though my work life has been in those fields – changes quickly.
I can see how people my age (young? boomer) can be tricked into giving out information.
I can also see how Murdock (ego aside) who is so much older could not at first understand the problem enough to take it more seriously. (Could be wrong there.)
I’m guessing that Hiraghm is much younger than me and I understand his lack of tolerance for folks who get conned. I also understand how sensitive techies are to the ‘H’ word. For what it’s worth (zero) I give him a pass.
I’ve been completely polite to Ms Malkin and Doug. And one or the other of them slaps me in the face with this baseless assertion.
I’m disappointed that Ms Malkin would want to revel in her ignorance.
Chapter 14.
Non-Violent Delivery of Edible Missiles
The Story of My Experiments with Truth
M. Gandhi
You have no reason to believe that beyond jumping to conclusions. I merely said that he didn’t want to hear my response to that.
As your erroneous conclusion could grow to have kittens, I’ll go ahead and give my response…
I think women who wear short skirts and/or low-cut blouses in public deserve to lose when slapped with sexual harassment lawsuits by any males nearby, and should be charged with discrimination by any males they refuse to have sex with, provided there is a male they *do* choose to have sex with.
I have no sympathy for women so stupid as to think dressing provocatively doesn’t provoke anyone but the men they’re attracted to, or that there is any reason to dress that way except to evoke sexual desire in the males around them.
I’m annoyed at the Fox female news anchors who wear tight-fitting skirts that only come down to mid-thigh, and then have to cross their legs to keep from showing too much, and thereby making me feel uncomfortable for them. There’s no reason why they can’t wear dresses that A) are pleated and spread out pleasantly like a sundress, and possibly B) come down to the knee.
It’s like the entire female population is taking its cue from Mrs Wiggins.
There… satisfied?
Hiraghm,
I’ll make this short and to the point.
You blame Murdoch for the actions of subordinates he trusted.
You blame Sarah Palin for the actions of her daughter she trusted.
When you go off-base again on another vile rant, should your father be banned or should you be held accountable for the actions you did?
One of the basic tenets of conservatism and a foundational belief of the Founding Fathers is self-government. You control your own actions and words. If you don’t, you will be held accountable for them.
Murdoch and Fox News are not at fault for the actions of a subordinate in a different business segment in Britain. It is more of a statement to the values in Britain. Those who did the action should pay the price.
Quite frankly, your logic is that of a teenager and a typical Democrat. “It’s my parent’s fault that I wasn’t raised right” blah, blah, blah “Bush did it.”
BS to all that.
Each person is responsible for their actions and words including yourself. Blaming others is childish. Trying to ascribe blame on a superior for the actions of a subordinate is counter to basic responsibility. The buck stops with the individuals involved in the action.
My wife figured this out at age 5. When will you?
hubba hubba
go daddy-o!
Very true, the hacking of families of murder, military & terrorists victims families is reprehensible, but I can’t say the same where celebrities and politicans are concerned. These self-same people court the MSM when it suits. I’ve lost count of the celebs that have come out and said they were either physically/mentally or emotionally abused as children, the most private of things, yet they’re now outraged because some trivial titbits have been revealed. Sorry this doesn’t wash with me. Just a bandwagon to jump on, a bit of welcome publicity for fading stars.
As to politcans, it’s a travesty of justice that these corrupt individuals are let anywhere near a committee passing judgement on others. Don’t get me wrong the Murdochs deserve to be called out on what they did to members of the public but not by the shysters doing the grilling. For them it’s pure and simple pay back for NI desserting Labour for the conservatives in 2010, and the fact Murdoch wanted full control of BSkyB. Now they can feel smug and self-satisfied, Murdoch has dropped the bid for BskyB and closed NOTW down.
The PM, Cameron, is getting a real roasting and there are those that think he should resign, now I can’t stand Cameron, I feel about him as most on here feel about Obama, plus he’s an ardent europhile, but what took place did so while the Labour Party, Blair & Brown were in office, and they knew what was going on but because they were sucking up to Murdoch did nothing, it was only when NI supported the tories that Labour turned nasty, so while Cameron, is being lambasted so should Blair, Brown and all the other Labour MPs that coveted Murdochs approval be put in front of a committee. Cameron’s arrogance and he knows best attitude in employing Andy Coulson against sound advice has done for him, but this is nothing to what the Labourites did and they’ve been given a free pass.
Then there’s the fact that the new Labour leader, Ed Milliband, is calling for the Murdoch empire to be broken up, this from a party that politicised the police and sucked up to every million/billionaire in sight. I’d feel much better if they broke up the monopoly that is the BBC, a left wing corporation that has done all in its power to bring this country down.
The whole damn lot of them should be swept from the houses of parliament. But a new government of one of the three main parties will not make a bit of difference because are all exactly the same. At least the US have a Tea Party.
A lefty newspaper, The Guardian started the media frenzy against NI yet it’s been revealed that other newspapers have done the same as NI, though you’d never know it. No the prize is Murdoch. And it shows how good our security is, apart from letting every known terrorist into the country + benefits, they can’t even secure parliamment where the custard pie throwing prat was allowed free reign. From lefty comments in the MSM you’d think the pie thrower was ole Joe Stalin himself.
I despair and feel ashamed and embarrassed of my country and its politicans.
Just about crossed the line there, hirum!
So, women who don’t dress appropriately, according to your code, are “asking for it”…I think that is the jist of your post. Shades of the Taliban come to mind. Cover up, woman…men can’t control their sexual drive if they see your ankles. Sigh.
Please tell us you meant this instead, friend.
If so, join the club. I have been embarrassed for my country before, but not of it. At least, not yet.
Now politicians………….that’s another matter.
She is Wendi Deng, not Murdoch, she never takes the last name of her latest goldmine.
Well. Sounds like she nailed your opinion. Don’t need to ‘jump’ far when you lay it out so clearly, you sexist.
So a few people are denying this is a big deal, and suggesting Ms. Malkin shouldn’t have written about it. Other people are complaining that she didn’t write about it sooner. Seriously, this is ridiculous.
She isn’t a news reporter; she writes about her opinions. Of course she’s going to post about whatever she feels most strongly about. I’m guessing she may take extra time to compose a post about a big and complicated story.
This is a great post that just shows once again that Ms. Malkin has a lot of integrity.
Everyone pardon me while I go change into my burka. I would hate to offend…
Agreed.
Have you been working out? My goodness those ankles have me salivating.
I laughed so hard!
Wow. I am just floored.
Is this really Stacey?
I’ve always been really clear about respecting Ms. Malkin, even though we only agree on a few things. I don’t have time to read blogs by people I don’t respect, to be honest.
so, Retiredkapo can post, but mine get deleted. I guess I don’t understand. Oh well.
I stand corrected in the wording, thanks for pointing it out.
But, and here’s the rub, how to put this without contradicting myself, to a certain extent I am embarrassed by my country. How it has become so dumbed down that it now resembles a banana republic, I once felt very proud of my country, now if I had the money I’d be out in flash. Sadly the electorate have stood by and let it happen, have kept voting the same English haters in time after time. Because believe me it’s always the fault of the English, never the Scots, Welsh or Irish which make up the UK (Britain)
Where the pols are concerned England is the cause of all ills in the world and feel the need to keep apologising for on our behalf, I myself feel no need to apologise, and it sickens me they do.
But I have to say that many Americans hate the English because of the past. Me I’ve got thick skin, I’m proud of my Englishness, will not call myself British, but embarrassed that many in this country revile anything English.
I hope you get the gist of what I’m trying to say, well I know what I’m saying lol.
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HI HANGFIRE–#155. Looks like StaceyOfLiberty’s education is proceeding along quite nicely.
***
I’m so old I can actually remember Democratic politicians who were loyal Constitution respecting good Americans. I didn’t always agree with them–but I never saw them as socialists / marxists / communists–like I view the current crop now. Their basic loyalty to our country was never in question long ago.
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John Bibb
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Well, if you’re feeling low, you can always feel better by……..
…..invading France.
Me, too. But the old Democrat Party died in Chicago 1968 at the convention.
Of course, it had been planned since the ’30s in our institutes of higher learning. Nothing incubates Communism like a college campus.
Ha!! Good one! You also would NOT want Hiraghm to get all weinered up at the thought of your naked…ankles! Seems he has a bit of a “self-control” problem.
Except when the leftist ends justify the means.
There are those that will always cling to their hate.
I would not feel too bad, my friend. Because, despite your fears to the contrary, there is hopefully a bit of the Celt in you.
As long as you have that bit of Celt, you can have as much Saxon, Angle, Jute, Norman, Norse, or Roman blood as you like.
And if you have any French blood, DADT.
Wow! What a wife!
Larry McDonald comes to my mind. As a Democrat he was the most conservative in congress.
Now Fox is reporting this. – and only one cracker in the whole bunch.
Well, there was Zell Miller, but he got run out of the party on a rail.
That seems like a pretty big takedown of Anonymous, but then again, I don’t know if they got any of the most active or skilled members.
Anonymous has actually done some good things too, like tracking down a child predator. Of course different people are in on different operations, since they don’t have much structure, since they are so loosely organized and, basically, anarchists.
This actually makes me wonder something. What do you guys think of hackers who expose government secrets? Exposing military secrets is traitorous, but what about hacking when things are hidden that shouldn’t be?
I had some sympathy for Anonymous’s attacks on Scientology, because of Scientology’s tactics of secrecy and intimidation. I don’t recognize it as a religion, because you have to pay tons of money to spiritually advance. (Imagine if you had to donate a large amount of cash to learn about Jesus’s crucifixion and be saved.)
I don’t even have a specific scenario in mind, but I can see from a theoretical standpoint that sometimes hacking might be justified and provide a needed check on the power of a government or a large institution.