News International says it is shutting down the News of the World tabloid that is at the center of Britain's phone hacking scandal.
James Murdoch, who heads the newspaper's European operations, says the 168-year-old newspaper will publish its last edition Sunday. The scandal has cost the paper prestige and prompted dozens of companies to pull their ads.
The Rupert Murdoch-owned tabloid is accused of hacking into the cell phone messages of victims ranging from missing schoolgirls to grieving families, celebrities, royals and politicians in a quest for attention-grabbing headlines.
Police say they are examining 4,000 names of people who may have been targeted by the paper.
The Sunday-only newspaper has acknowledged that it hacked into the phones of politicians, celebrities and royal aides, but in recent days the allegations have expanded to take in the phones of missing children, the relatives of terrorist victims and families of soldiers killed in Afghanistan.
Well that is one down, is it too much to hope that Fox News will be next?
I know I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
"The scandal has cost the paper prestige"??? How on earth could any rag owned by Murdoch have any prestige to lose? I wonder how it feels to them to have their family name equivalent to the words "scummy slime". I guess it is the same as the Palin name being the equivalent of the words "grifting liar". You can't say one with out thinking of the other.
ReplyDeleteHurray!
ReplyDeleteThe Brits are pretty sure Rupert will simply rename the paper under the guise of the Sunday Sun. Typical. The man is just trying to cover his ass and stop people from surmising he hacking crossed the ocean. Can't really hide in plain sight anymore--I guess.
ReplyDeleteStill, I cannot believe that this rag was the largest selling paper in England? Damn. Murdoch continues to feed the world dreck, doesn't he? And the stupid assed world just keeps eating it up. Murdoch is a blot on the landscape and he and his businesses need to go.
FAUX first please.
They will come back just under another name.. The SUN on Sunday or some other crappy tabloid.
ReplyDeleteBuggy Whips
ReplyDeleteGramophones
Typewriters
8-Track Tapes
Chernobyl
Parachute Pants
Pet Rocks
Accessory Dogs
Barbershop Quartets
The Shark from Jaws
The Edsel
FOX
So hackers posting that Obama was assassinated on Fox News' Twitter feed was just a "coincidence?" Looks like that directly ties into this current scandal in the UK - but nobody is covering the Obama fake assassination Tweets from Fox here in the US even though it just happened over July 4th! How can that be?
ReplyDeleteMurdoch is fucked! This is an act of desperation to try and derail criminal investigations. It won't work, in fact the calls for thorough examinations of News International are intensifying.
ReplyDeleteAdditionally, Murdoch faces the prospect of THOUSANDS of lawsuits from the victims of his spying. I predict that his reflexive decision to close NOTW world will hurt him mightily in these civil cases; he has effectively conceded that the criminal allegations at his company are true.
It is just a matter of time before people on this side of the pond begin to look at Murdoch's U.S. holdings to see if they too have engaged in criminal behavior.
Could this be the death knell for FauxNews? Be still my beating heart!
Hey, Murdoch, "never send to know for whom the bell tolls; It tolls for thee."
Pass the popcorn!
So they got their information by regularly hacking into peoples' cell phones. How easy is it to hack someone's cell phone?
ReplyDeleteI know, there was that kid in Tennessee, but he had to guess Sarah's secret password, where did she and Todd meet. Don't people choose a password and verification questions which are hard to hack?
Hope that Sarah's™ Uncle Murdie doesn't have a stable full of scapegoats to take the fall for him in the US...I'm sure that Faux News has a whole lotta of nasty, hidden shenanigans in its "fair and balanced" past. BTW, I'd LOVE to find out who exactly was behind those hideous tweets this past weekend (besides the hackers, that is).
ReplyDeleteAlas, I feel he's closing it down in an attempt of whitewashing his misdeeds. Murdoch doesn't want to lose the BSkyB deal. Cameron ordered a public inquiry, but knowing what I know about them... no big hopes there.
ReplyDelete...catering to the lowest common denominator has been most successful internationally.
ReplyDeleteJust as there would be no sex-for-pay prostitution if there weren't demand, there would not be sleazy publishers and their scandal-for pay products if there weren't voyeurs who buy.
Sooo... what else isn't news?
10:03;
ReplyDeleteApparently itś pretty easy. No need to hack sarah´s phones, though. The dumbass palins don´t even know how to properly hang up their hotel phones.
Oops!
I hope this isn't the end of this, there was alot more going on, and if there were any victims or hacking that took place in the US, i hope they go forward with wiretapping prosecutions against the highest level-people involved. Further it is alleged that Rupert Murdoch himself reached out to Gordon Brown when he was PM to request that the investigation be stopped, there should be charges for this as well.
ReplyDeleteSort of like Whack-A-Mole.
ReplyDeleteAnd, perhaps if Fox News gets caught in all of this, Glen Beck will hire them on his new whatever it is.
O/T This morning Bristol was on "The View" lying again.
ReplyDeleteBarbara Walters to Bristol Palin: Let’s Talk About Sex!
http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2011/07
/barbara_walters_to_bristol_pal.html
"The View" Takes Bristol Palin To Task On Her McCain Attacks (VIDEO)
http://www.businessinsider.com/
bristol-palin-book-the-view-bar
bara-walters-video-2011-7
Agree with Angela. This is a public gesture of appeasement hoping to stop further investigation and govt inquiries. Must be something REALLY nasty at the bottom of it. Murdoch wants his big deal with SkyTV to go through and his print products only account for 13% of his empire. Better to kill it, get the public off his back and make his deal to virtually own UK media outright. The Prime Minister already came to his defense in Parliament saying that the hacking scandal bears no relationship with the big SkyTV merger and it looks like the govt is set to agree with him. Be interesting to see what the public thinks.
ReplyDeleteThe Sun, another UK Murdoch publication is under investigation for the same - hacking!!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/now-met-police-probes-the-sun-after-union-chief-raises-concerns-2208670.html
They are also investigating the testimony of many including Coulson, who WAS a member of Prime Minister Cameron's administration, who was also at one time the editor at News of the World.
Perjury anyone??
I don't believe for one minute that misdeeds were limited to the one tabloid. Given Murdoch's ties to Cameron there seems little hope that a British government investigation will uncover the full story. But I'll cross my fingers, too.
ReplyDeleteWhat's anonymous at 10:21 all about? You know they've been doing the same thing here. Our president is either as pure as the driven snow or one of the most tech savvy individuals around. You know rupie wanted to derail President Obama's campaign so bad he could taste it.lol
ReplyDeleteAngela 9:55
ReplyDeleteThe Sun is now under investigation for the same -- hacking!!!
Countdown clock is ticking to when they close The Sun down!!!
Murdoch's purchase of balance of BSkyB appears to be in a hold pattern!!
Come on U.S. DofJ -- time to initiate investigation this side of the ocean as Murdoch is planning on bringing those rags into the U.S. on top of everything else he has like FauxNews.
Just closing this newspaper down is not enough. There needs to be criminal punishment in this matter no person or organization should get away with such acts.
ReplyDeleteThis should give Sarah some idea of how Rupert will treat her when her scandals surface.
ReplyDeleteFOX/Murdoch installed the studio in the Palin residence. Do we think that Murdoch would NOT take this opportunity to "bug" the house - perhaps audio AND video?
ReplyDeleteJust because SP is paranoid, it doesn't mean that no one is out to get her.
RE: Grifters and those who love them-
There is a group of people in the U.S. and beyond who sent Casey Anthony cigs, candy and money - so it is not surprising that there is a group of people sending SP money as well.
Pop the bubbly, time to celebrate!! It seems to me that it is much, much, worse than what we have been told. Their knee jerk reaction speaks volumes. It is no surprise that the scum that Murdoch surrounds himself with would ultimately take him down. I am so glad I get to see it happen. Keeping the fingers crossed that something like this will happen over at faux. I just wish I had the balls to call up the inlaws and rub it in their face.
ReplyDeleteOT// BP at a Texas walmart to sign book. You'll bust a gut laughing at this, of course, it is Wonkette. Nobody funnier. (don't miss the comments)
ReplyDeletehttp://wonkette.com/449011/small-town-texas-walmart-finds-time-to-host-bristol-palin-book-signing
So the mama flying monkeys's main funding source has taken a serious hit today... IF Papa Rupe can't pay the for the monkey's brooms any more what is mama gonna do??
ReplyDeleteWHERE did glenn go??? WWWHHHHAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaa.....OMG...OMG....OMG....
Always read your posts carefully. Some people want to use your blog to get the true message out about the slutty mercede johnston. Not to mention some of the new stuff we know about your dotter. Coming soon!
ReplyDeleteMurdoch is beyond contempt. What a vile greedy scoundrel. A newspaper man who does not understand the meaning of the word "ethics".
ReplyDeletePrestige = Ad revenue.
ReplyDeleteThe paper is no longer making money. That's the only reason it's being shuttered.
Anon @ 10:41,
ReplyDeleteIt's being reported that Andy Coulson (former NOTW editor and former press advisor to British PM David Cameron) is to be arrested tomorrow.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/jul/07/andy-coulson-arrest-phone-hacking
My bet is that this is the first of MANY arrests of Murdoch henchmen. Which one will roll over on The Dark Lord to save their own ass?
Did you hear that? That giant "PLOP?"
That was Murdoch shitting his pants.
ROTFLMAO!
dmoreno56,
ReplyDeleteWhat's your in law's number? I'll be glad to call them.
I love this tweet:
ReplyDelete@ robbrown : Quote of the day from outside the #NOTW building ""They just f*cked off a bunch of ruthless reporters with an axe to grind".
And an angrier, more ruthless lot of reporters who have earned their living as professional character assassins who now have an axe to grind you are not likely to find.
And now there are about 500 of them that are out hunting for Murdoch's balls.
Pass the popcorn!
Gasman 12:08
ReplyDelete"That was Murdoch shitting his pants."
--------
That reminds me of the old saying -- 'Can I borrow your underwear -- I just shit in mine'!!
There won't be any clean undies left to borrow at the rate this is going!!
If Rup is still in NY - I don't expect he'll find any clean ones in Beck's empty office!!
Gasman, Thanks for the update. This has been a fun day!!! To hear all the various stocks of his corps are 'Down'!!
10:23 Tell us more!
ReplyDeleteHe's got plenty more where that came from. And he's about to own the largest television network in Britain. This means nothing.
ReplyDeleteIt's the end of the 'News of the' World as we know it. And I feel fine.
ReplyDelete(apologies to R.E.M)
I'll have whatever Gasman is drinking!
ReplyDeleteCheers!
Pass the popcorn!
Wish this was happening to FauxNews as well.
ReplyDeleteThere may be a more devious reason. Once they close their doors they may have a way around producing records for the lawsuits that are pouring in. I read somewhere that it could give them a loophole under existing law. Hope it is not true. But several days ago Murdoch bought a domain site to use for a Sunday edition of their daily paper, The Sun. (I can't remember the exact name). But it seemed well thought out so it sounds like he has some sort of plan.
ReplyDeleteHonestly Gryphen, I do not know why you let the palin brats post here (anon@11:41)
ReplyDeleteGood to see you back gasman. Hope you and yours came through it all ok.
There is a lot of good info here. This is a big deal.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.truth-out.org/murdoch-close-tabloid-fury-rises-over-hacking/1310061473
with how much media he owns we need a browser based application that tells you when there is Murdoch content to boycott in your www. harper collins to name one less discussed.
ReplyDelete11:41 concern troll. Yes, I saw that on a few conservaitive blogs I data mine regualarly, they reported recently that Gryph was involved with, and actively contributing to "The hater slut's" blog. The link was :GASP: PROVEN when he admitted it in the comments section.
ReplyDeleteWas this supposed to be a veiled threat to Grypen, Mercede, and his Daughter?
Keep it up asshats! He's stood up to far worse than this from Palin herself, and came out unscathed.
I'd venture to guess he has a team of experts, tools, and the knowledge to use them to his advantage, if Palin herself failed to refute certain facts he's reported, what does he have to fear from your bullshit?
Who helped Mercede when her computer was wiped clean? And where did she get the contacts to get it done?
Gp Lb NaCl!
These are serious offenses, and I'm glad it's seeing the light of day.
ReplyDeleteThe british politicians often used this rag themselves, to promote their election causes. Would be interesting to see if they'll hitch their wagon to Ru Merde's papers again.
The part that got me was using dead soldier's and crime victims private info to sell papers.
How low can they go until they get caught?
Unfair, Unbalanced, and sick.