The Nature of Things

Rupert Murdoch's American media outlets have been at pains to defend him and downplay the ever-widening scandal of bribery, phone hacking, and invasion of privacy that has been happening in Great Britain.   The Wall Street Journal , the New York Post , and Fox News have not given much attention to the story but what they have done  has been to question why other media outlets are spending so much time on it. .  Even the Washington Post , which is not officially owned by Murdoch but which seems to follow his editorial policy, has spouted the same line of nonsense.  After all, "it all happened years ago" and "Murdoch has apologized," and so there's nothing to see here.  It's no big deal.  Move along. As usual, the truth is very much at variance with the line these News Corp. outlets are trying to sell.  It is, in fact, a very big deal, and it seems very likely to reach into this country as well.  We'll see whether our news media are as aggressive at...

Rupert Murdoch and his media empire are being investigated and castigated for their sleazy, dishonest, and probably illegal practices in managing the news.  It couldn't happen to a more deserving mogul. Murdoch is a thug who has done much to destroy the honorable profession of journalism in all the countries where he practices his black art.  A lot of journalism's ills can be traced back to his rise.  But not all. Journalism in this country is in a sad, sad state and that has led or contributed to many of the ills from which the country suffers.  Journalism has abdicated its responsibility as a fair and impartial referee of events.  Instead, it seems only concerned with what will capture readers or viewers.  The more lurid (and often misleading) the headline the better.  Journalism, in short, has become part of the entertainment industry and is obsessed with non-stories like the Charlie Sheen debacle or Donald Trump or, yes, Sarah Palin, the quitter ...