In your untraceable Monday media column: News Corp's board meeting approaches, Current TV gets a new president, the backlash to The New Yorker's Bin Laden story, the NYT's online beta testing site, and newspapers are stolen.
In your simmering Thursday media column: Rick Sanchez pipes up again, CNBC's bizarre PR scandal, James Risen's judicial defender speaks, News Corp is flooded with lawsuits, and the WaPo's punchy editor is retired.
James Murdoch, whose claim to Parliament last week that he had no idea there was rampant phone hacking going on at News International when he approved a $1.1 million settlement for a phone hacking case has since been contradicted by two of his executives, will probably be called back to explain the discrepancy.
News of the World, the Rupert Murdoch-owned tabloid shut down last month over allegations of extensive illegal story-gathering practices, is now accused of hacking the voicemail of the mother of a murdered eight-year-old—on a phone that the paper's editor Rebekah Brooks gave her as a gift.
Lispy CNN host Piers Morgan's increasingly desperate claims to have had no knowledge of phone hacking during his time as editor of the Daily Mirror just got a little harder to believe: The Telegraph and Daily Beast have published audio of Morgan admitting to a BBC Radio interviewer in 2009 that he played all kinds of dirty tricks.
German lingerie company Blush has mocked up a series of ads inspired by the News of the World hacking scandal. In them, the King, Queen and Jack of this particular house of cards — CEO Rupert Murdoch, his slippery heir James Murdoch, and henchwoman/editrix Rebekah Brooks — are called out by name in a series of tabloid-inspired headlines. This is about as sexy as the News Corp. scandal is going to get, so enjoy it. (Click image to expand.) [AdWeek]
In your ominous Tuesday media column: the first big scandal book deal of many sure to come, Peter Chernin lives, Gannett rips off Groupon, Tim Hetherington's final pictures released, and corporate infighting at Thomson Reuters.
It's a terrible time to be a News Corp.-owned UK tabloid, but a pretty sweet time if you happen to be the competition. Case in point: The Daily Mail & General Trust newspaper group is feasting on a schadenfreude smorgasbord over Rupe's recent troubles. CEO Martin Morgan was still picking the gristle from his teeth at a press conference today in which he touted the completely above-board means by which his journalists overturn garbage cans obtain their stories:
The Murdoch phone-hacking scandal has crested; the parliamentary hearing was nothing compared to this. Now there are Murdoch-blocking browser add-ons! Never again accidentally visit a Murdoch-owned website!
The U.S. Justice Department is preparing to hand out its first subpoenas in connection with their investigation into News Corp.'s alleged hacking of 9-11 victims. In their report, the Wall Street Journal quotes an anonymous "person close to News Corp." who dismisses the subpoenas as being "a fishing expedition with no evidence to support it." (Gee, I wonder how they managed to track down that Deep Throat? "Hey Bob, I'm going for a Starbucks run. Want anything? Oh, and could you give me a damage-control quote for this thing I'm writing? Sweet.") The subpoenas, which would give federal investigators broad access to News Corp. records and information, need approval by a senior Justice Department official before they can be issued. Shouldn't be long now. [Photo: AP]
On tonight's Report, Stephen Colbert reviewed Rupert Murdoch's testimony yesterday before a British parliamentary panel and the moment when Murdoch was hit in the face with a pie. After noting that News Corp.'s stock shot up right after Murdoch was attacked, Colbert wondered if we shouldn't be throwing more items at the disgraced CEO's face. A clip of the segment is above.
Rupert Murdoch appeared before a British parliamentary committee yesterday to testify about his knowledge of the News of the World phone hacking scandal, a subject Jon Stewart touched on during last night's Daily Show. Stewart returned to Murdoch once again tonight, but this time he focused on the crime-fighting abilities of Murdoch's wife, Wendi Deng, as well as the shoutfest that is Parliament itself.
Man, was that a gas or what? Two-plus hours of doddering and selective senility, with a surprise splosh party and French manicure attack thrown in for good measure! One day, we'll have a better understanding of what the Murdochian Inquisition meant in the grand scheme of things; but for now, let's just take a moment to savor the bounty of fresh memes it's produced. These memes to us be blessed, amen.
Fox News's stunningly even-handed coverage of Rupert Murdoch's Barbasol-smeared troubles continues with The O'Reilly Factor. Host Bill O'Reilly prodded Tuesday night's yespert — that would be Nile Gardiner, Ph.D. — to back up his assertion that the widespread attention the case is receiving in the U.S. is fueled by the media's radical left agenda:
Rupert Murdoch appeared before a British parliamentary committee today to testify about his knowledge of phone hacking at News of the World. On tonight's Daily Show, Jon Stewart took the opportunity to poke fun at the 80-year-old media mogul—and praise wife Wendi Deng for defending him against a pie-wielding assailant—before mocking Fox News's efforts to downplay the scandal.
Rupert Murdoch appeared before a British parliamentary committee today to testify about his knowledge of phone hacking at News of the World. On tonight's Daily Show, Jon Stewart took the opportunity to poke fun at the 80-year-old media mogul—and praise wife Wendi Deng for defending him against a pie-wielding assailant—before mocking Fox News's efforts to downplay the scandal.
