“You can crush a man with journalism.”
~William Randolph Hearst
A common view of journalists is that they are conniving leeches without morals, who are willing to stop at nothing. While this is certainly not true in all cases, the Rupert Murdoch scandal certainly does nothing to dispel this perception.
The News International phone hacking scandal, which has garnered negative global attention was first brought to light during the murder of Milly Dowler, an English school-girl, where it was revealed that News of the World (NoW) hacked into her cellphone. This incident unearthed various News Corp unethical practices such as bribery of police and other illegal reporting techniques. This has also led tothe resignation and arrest of several key players of the News Corp. scandal, as well as the shutdown of the “toxic” brand NoW.
Aside from the obvious corruption within the News Corp. Empire, what disgusts me about this case is the blatant disregard of ethics and sensitivity in the murder of a young girl. Not only did these actions by NoW hinder a six-month long police investigation, but they also gave false hope and agony to Milly Dowler’s family during an already traumatic time.
Sources:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-14124020
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/jul/04/milly-dowler-voicemail-hacked-news-of-world