News of the World Had a Culture of Fear and Cynicism

[Stuart G]

MSNBC, and Reuters
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/43793016/ns/business-us_business/

By Georgina Prodhan and Kate Holton

updated 2 hours 10 minutes ago

LONDON — "It was the kind of place you get out of and you never want to go back again." That's how one former reporter describes the News of the World newsroom under editor Rebekah Brooks, the ferociously ambitious titian-haired executive who ran Britain's top-selling Sunday tabloid from 2000 to 2003.

Journalists who worked there in that period describe an industrialized operation of dubious information-gathering, reporters under intense pressure attempting to land exclusive stories by whatever means necessary, and a culture of fear, cynicism, gallows humor and fierce internal competition.

"We used to talk to career criminals all the time. They were our sources," says another former reporter from the paper who also worked for Murdoch's daily tabloid, the Sun. "It was a macho thing: 'My contact is scummier than your contact.' It was a case of: 'Mine's a murderer!' On the plus side, we always had a resident pet nutter around in case anything went wrong."

(further down in the article)..

Four former employees of Britain's best-selling Sunday tabloid have told Reuters that Brooks's denials are simply not credible. They say people on the paper's newsdesk, the hub that directs news coverage, were regularly grilled about the top stories by Brooks and later by her successor Andy Coulson, who resigned over the phone-hacking scandal in 2007 and went on to become Prime Minister David Cameron's spokesman. "They went in and they were cross-examined for two hours every day. And it was all about the genesis of all the stories," the first ex-reporter, who worked at the paper for seven years, told Reuters.

[no_hypocrisy]

1. The paper reflected on the psychosis of its owner, Rupert Murdoch.

[CarmanK]

2. BLIND ambition and lack of professional integrity!

It has all driven the advancement of News Corp enterprises. And if you didn't fit in, get out. Otherwise do what you are told, "do whatever it takes to get the story".

[mazzarro]

4. The mentality of "do whatever it takes to get the story"

Now one can begin to understand why Murdoch's faux journalists assiduously follow the daily meme handed down each morning - no deviations even in face of overwhelming refutation of whatever lie of day they are shoving to the public - IOW "do whatever it takes to push the story" of the day.

[OnyxCollie]

3. Let's see...

Andy Coulson leaves NoW and becomes David Cameron's spokesman.

Tony Snow leaves Fox News and becomes George W. Bush's spokeman.

Coincidence?

[mazzarro]

5. Very good catch there - no coincidence at all -- n/t

[OnyxCollie]

7. And then you have Dana Perino

who goes to Fox News after her stint as press secretary for George W. Bush.

Dana Perino, Obama's nominee for Broadcasting Board of Governors, confirmed by a Democratically-held Senate.

[barbtries]

8. interesting.

you're thinking.

[bemildred]

6. Pope reported to be Catholic. nt

[dixiegrrrrl]

9. Bear-woods.

[defendandprotect]

10. Thanks -- "phone-hacking scandal in 2007" ... presume went nowhere ... ???

Four former employees of Britain's best-selling Sunday tabloid have told Reuters that Brooks's denials are simply not credible. They say people on the paper's newsdesk, the hub that directs news coverage, were regularly grilled about the top stories by Brooks and later by her successor Andy Coulson, who resigned over the phone-hacking scandal in "They went in and they were cross-examined for two hours every day. And it was all about the genesis of all the stories," the first ex-reporter, who worked at the paper for seven years, told Reuters.