Rupert Murdoch 'not fit' to lead major international company, MPs conclude

[shawn703]

Source: The Guardian

Rupert Murdoch is "not a fit person" to exercise stewardship of a major international company, a committee of MPs has concluded, in a report highly critical of the mogul and his son James's role in the News of the World phone-hacking affair.

The Commons culture, media and sport select committee also concluded that James Murdoch showed "wilful ignorance" of the extent of phone hacking during 2009 and 2010 – in a highly charged document that saw MPs split on party lines as regards the two Murdochs.

Labour MPs and the sole Liberal Democrat on the committee, Adrian Sanders, voted together in a bloc of six against the five Conservatives to insert the criticisms of Rupert Murdoch and toughen up the remarks about his son James. But the MPs were united in their criticism of other former News International employees.

The cross-party group of MPs said that Les Hinton, the former executive chairman of News International, was "complicit" in a cover-up at the newspaper group, and that Colin Myler, former editor of the News of the World, and the paper's ex-head of legal, Tom Crone, deliberately withheld crucial information and answered questions falsely. All three were accused of misleading parliament by the culture select committee.

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2012/may/01/rupert-murdoch-not-fit-select-committee?mobile-redirect=false

[KeepItReal]

1. K&R

But can they compel the company to remove Rupert and James Murdoch?

[Lionessa]

16. Exactly. "Should"?!? They're the f'ing government, why don't the MAKE him take responsibility?

PS: The "should" reference to to the post I'm responding to but the comments from the UK body.

[muriel_volestrangler]

23. This is a committee of MPs, not the government

The 5 Labour MPs (the opposition) and the Lib Dem (minority member of the governing coalition) voted to say Rupert Murdoch is not fit to run a major international company; the 4 Conservative MPs voted against that (the Conservative chairman of the committee didn't vote, so, surprisingly to me, the Tories had fewer votes than Labour).

See http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2012/may/01/phone-hacking-report-select-committee-amendments?newsfeed=true for all the details of the votes they took on amendments.

[JDPriestly]

26. Seems to me that they could take away their charter of official authorization

to do business, their incorporation, whatever.

In the US, a corporation can only enjoy the privileges such as tax privileges and selling stocks, etc. if it is registered as a corporation. That is done at the state level in the US, I think.

The UK probably has a similar system.

[T_i_B]

2. From the Telegraph article.....

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/phone-hacking/9238358/MPs-phone-hacking-report-Rupert-Murdoch-not-fit-person-to-run-News-Corp.html

The report says: “On the basis of the facts and evidence before the committee, we conclude that, if at all relevant times Rupert Murdoch did not take steps to become fully informed about phone-hacking, he turned a blind eye and exhibited wilful blindness to what was going on in his companies and publications.

“This culture, we consider, permeated from the top throughout the organisation and speaks volumes about the lack of effective corporate governance at News Corporation and News International.

“We conclude, therefore, that Rupert Murdoch is not a fit person to exercise the stewardship of a major international company.”

[muriel_volestrangler]

3. BBC Business Editor comment:

That description of Mr Murdoch by the British parliament as "not a fit person" is likely to have significant consequences.

It will force the board of News Corporation to review whether the 81 year-old, who created one of the most powerful media groups the world has ever seen, should remain as its executive chairman.

It will give ammunition to those News Corporation shareholders who would like to loosen the hold over the company of the Murdoch dynasty.

It will push Ofcom, the media regulator, closer to the conclusion that British Sky Broadcasting is not fit and proper to hold a broadcasting licence, for as long as News Corporation owns 39% of BSkyB.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-17908839

[KeepItReal]

6. Thanks for the link. Here's a gem within:

"I forgot to mention one very important conclusion, that the News of the World and News International also misled MPs as corporate entities.

The MPs say these institutions "exhibited wilful blindness", for which Rupert Murdoch and James Murdoch should "ultimately be prepared to take responsibility". "

[progressoid]

4. He's not fit to wipe his own ass.

[Liberalynn]

30. +1

[muriel_volestrangler]

5. Myler was appointed editor of the NY Daily News after misleading parliament

"We consider, therefore, that Les Hinton was complicit in the cover-up at News International, which included making misleading statements and giving a misleading picture to the committee," the MPs said.

Crone and Myler were accused of deliberately misleading the MPs in 2009 and again in 2011 about their alleged knowledge that phone hacking went beyond a single "rogue reporter" at the now-closed Sunday tabloid.

"Both Tom Crone and Colin Myler deliberately avoided disclosing crucial information to the committee and, when asked to do, answered questions falsely," the MPs said in the report.

All three executives now face the prospect of being called to apologise before parliament, in a constitutional move that has not been used for almost half a century.

The report could prove especially damning for Myler, who is only five months into his editorship at the New York Daily Post.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/blog/2012/may/01/select-committee-report-james-rupert-murdoch#block-6

What Mort Zuckerman was thinking, appointing an editor already up to his neck in the NotW shit, I don't know.

[KeepItReal]

9. CNN hired Piers Morgan who is part of this hacking claim

Sir Paul McCartney’s ex-wife Heather Mills last night claimed she had been used as a 'scapegoat' by former Daily Mirror editor Piers Morgan.
Miss Mills suggested the CNN host had tried to use her to avoid questions that her phone was hacked by the Mirror while he was editor.

Earlier in the day, a former Mirror journalist said that it was 'very unlikely' that Mr Morgan did not know about alleged phone hacking.

In his evidence to the Leveson inquiry into Press standards, Mr Morgan admitted he had listened to a tape recording of a voicemail message left by Sir Paul on his then wife’s mobile phone.

Mr Morgan denied his behaviour was 'unethical' but repeatedly refused to reveal who had played him the tape, and has denied any involvement in phone hacking.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2077024/Phone-hacking-Its-unlikely-Piers-Morgan-didnt-know-says-ex-Mirror-journalist.html#ixzz1tcOQZYnW

[The Wizard]

7. Hed turned the Fourth Estate

into a fifth column. Strip him and his family of all assets. They have propagandized for the GOP cult for far too long.

[T_i_B]

8. UK Conservatives already complaining about the report

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-17898029

The committee was split six to four with Tory members refusing to endorse the report and branding it "partisan".

Conservative Louise Mensch said it was carried on "political lines" - with Labour and Lib Dem members backing it - and called it "a real great shame" that the report's credibility had potentially been "damaged" as a result.

Tory MPs objected specifically to the line branding Mr Murdoch "not fit", with one, Philip Davies, telling a press conference the committee had seen "absolutely no evidence" to endorse such a "completely ludicrous" conclusion.

[Joe Bacon]

10. I DEMAND to know!

I DEMAND to know how may phones Screwpert Murdoch and his pals hacked here in the US. AND why our Corporate Controlled Conservative Press (CCCP) has covered that up?

BTW--where have I seen "CCCP" before???????

[anti-alec]

12. CCCP is another word for USSR

It's in Russian.

Hope that helps.

[Dont call me Shirley]

29. Love that "Screwpert", pretty clever

[anti-alec]

11. Then shut down all of his business

Fox News empire must cease to exist.

Murdochs belong in prison in Australia, not stealing billions of dollars and brainwashing Americans and the world to follow right-wing influence.

[meow2u3]

14. Yes, and strip him of his American citizenship

Murdoch is a naturalized US citizen and lost his Australian citizenship. I say let's strip him of his US citizenship, deport him to Australia, and leave him stateless.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rupert_Murdoch

Murdoch made his first acquisition in the United States in 1973, when he purchased the San Antonio Express-News. Soon afterwards, he founded Star, a supermarket tabloid, and in 1976, he purchased the New York Post.[9] On 4 September 1985, Murdoch became a naturalised citizen to satisfy the legal requirement that only US citizens were permitted to own American television stations. This resulted in Murdoch losing his Australian citizenship.[77][78]

[cstanleytech]

13. Well this isnt new news

as most of us have known this for decades.

[Kingofalldems]

15. Revoke his FCC license

[aquart]

17. Which means what? Will his wrist hurt?

[LiberalFighter]

18. What will they do about it?

It is really not for them to remove him from the position. So I am a bit perplex on this coming out like they did. Wouldn't it be an government investigation that determines what wrongdoings he has committed and file the necessary charges? Then it would be up to the board to decide how to handle his removal when his continued presence diminishes the value of the corporation.

[muriel_volestrangler]

24. It may put pressure on Ofcom about the control of BSkyB

BSkyB is the only British satellite TV operator (there were 2, but Murdoch bought out his competitor - one of the controversial things the previous Tory government allowed him to do). News Corp owns 39% of BSkyB; they wanted to take complete control, and that was what the Jeremy Hunt decision was about (in the news last week; he is the Media Secretary, and seems to have been on Murdoch's side from the start), but after the News of the World scandal broke, they withdrew their application to do that. Now, Ofcom, the non-political national regulator of communications, could decide to examine whether it's appropriate for News Corp to have any significant control of BSkyB at all. See, for instance, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/mediatechnologyandtelecoms/media/9238846/Ofcom-could-ask-for-News-Corp-to-be-restructured.html . This report may put pressure on them to investigate.

[LiberalFighter]

27. It would seem they need to regulate that more so something like that doesn't happen.

The something meaning corrupt decisions made by those with conflicts of interest. So the statements may influence Ofcom to tell Murdoch/News Corp to ef themselves.

Maybe they should create legislation prohibiting non British from owning any stake in media there. It would only be right since he decided to become a citizen in the US for the express purpose of owning electronic media here. And that it was fast tracked.

[Uncle Joe]

19. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, shawn.

[The Second Stone]

20. The tory MPs that voted against it should be investigated

Why shouldn't such a finding be made when routine violations of the law are unwritten standard operating procedures of the company?

Murdoch runs a criminal enterprise. Duh.

[pacalo]

31. The female conservative who spoke at the end of the video is unbelievably naive or

she's on someone's payroll. Plus, she's, admittedly, a very good actress. If I didn't know better, I'd believe her.

Despite all the evidence, the lies, the amnesic testimony by the Murdoch team, she claims the committee's conclusion that Murdoch was unfit was made along political lines, then, so convincingly, she says, "And it's a shame."

If both Murdochs were left out of the loop by their upper & lower executives to the extent to which both Murdochs testified, then they -- the Murdochs & their executive teams -- are not fit. If the Murdochs could swear under oath that they "could not remember" to so many questions about major issues regarding their company, they are not fit.

And aside from all this, are the conservative MP's aware of how Rupert Murdoch conducts his propagandic "news" in the U.S.?

[T_i_B]

32. Would this be Louise Mensch?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louise_Mensch

[pacalo]

33. Yes, that's the MP.

[oilpro2]

21. Will Fox News be covering this? And how? n/t

[Marzupialis]

22. Murdoch's career is toast

And I'm loving it.

[Blue Owl]

25. Bye bye, sleaze merchant of menace

Please take FOX News to hell with you on your way down.

[Dont call me Shirley]

28. Rupert Murderoch is not fit to be a member of society.