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[Vector]

They'd better get keelhauled for bullshit like this.

Uch.

On the other hand, I'm kind of scared for the future, now.

[Aqizzar]

The more frightening aspect is that this isn't nearly as beyond the pale in Britain's tabloid industry as it is in America (no really).  But will probably put some fear into other papers when it comes to getting scoops by illegal means.

The way a 186 year old newspaper collapsed literally overnight is astounding.

The conspiracy theory is that Britain (as far as I've heard, I really hope someone knows more than me) does not have very stringent laws about defunct companies holding onto relevant materials before they're actually demanded by a court.  So the paper may have been effectively closed overnight - with its entire staff fired while Rebekah Brooks got promoted to News International - so they could destroy any more paper evidence of illicit activity and get everyone important protected from subpoenas.

[nenjin]

With Murdoch landing in London the day it closed, that does seem like some good conspiracy theory fodder. I find it hard to believe though that in criminal investigations, the British government doesn't compel defunct companies to retain documents or find them guilty of hindering prosecution. That's not a loop hole, that's a freaking truck hole.

[Vector]

Wait, idiom check.  This is more normal in the UK than it is in the US?

[Aqizzar]

I will keep caveating this as many times as it takes - I'm only saying what I hear said by reporters who I assume from experience know what they're talking about.  I would love for someone who knows better to say something meaningful.

[Vector]

No, I'm just saying in terms of "that is the meaning of the sentence which has an unknown truth value."

At this point I care more about understanding the English than whether or not what you said can be taken as fact.

[Aqizzar]

Oh.  Okay, my implication was, by implication from the general chattering about the issue, is that the British tabloid industry as a whole is less scrupulous, legally and morally, than one would presume from other countries, namely America.  Hacking cell phones was rampant at World and was kinda their ace in the hole, but it would be amazing if it never happened once at any other tabloid, considering it started at World with outside help.  Likewise, World's other practices, like bribing police for confidential information and attaining private documents (probably through dumpster diving), as well as doctoring up photos to embarrass people and such, are not unknown from other tabloids.

[nenjin]

The World is kind of in an interesting position relative to the US, because there are few straight up tabloids here that ever rise to the level of prominence that the World did. TMZ and a few other online outlets, they hit the celebrity level of news. But you don't find the Inquirer hacking government phones and emails.

So I'm more concerned about how much this practice actually goes on at the higher levels of journalism. Because at this point, I wouldn't be surprised if it happens here too at major news organizations.

[alway]

Ya, I get the impression the tabloid industry in America is given much less weight and has a much lower profile than those in the UK. US tabloids are generally regarded as a bunch of 'shopped photos everyone sees at the grocery store checkout lines.

[nenjin]

That and they live and die off the work of the Paparazzi, which is a far cry from what the NotW was involved in. 

[sneakey pete]

As someone pointed out above, print media is in such a miserable state today that if newscorp did get control of BskyB, they could probably shut down all of their newspapers and still be making more money. fact of the matter is newspapers are a dying breed now anyway.

According to figures a local media commentry show here pulled up, total profit of all newcorps newspapers world wide, under 500 million dollars in 2010, whereas BskyB was 1.2 billion.

[Aqizzar]

Getting breaking news about NewsCorp stuff is kinda hard, since most of the breaking news about tabloids is from other tabloids.  You can believe this one if you want to, but it's basically everywhere now.  If indeed it was just World reporters and just them, then it's just more for the pile.  If it's any larger than just World, this would be groundbreaking.

[Pnx]

As big and famous for being big as NewsCorp is in America, it's basically the broadcast news agency in the United Kingdom

I think you made a little bit of a mistake. I might be a bit out of touch with the UK, but the BBC is still the largest news provider out there. Heck just look at the language, you don't hear anybody talking about the BBC without the the... Perhaps that's just the influence of that song.

[Vattic]

Pnx is correct at least partially as BSkyB is the biggest by revenue but not necessary viewers.

As for whether out Tabloids are worse it's really hard for me to comment as I've not known foreign tabloids. One thing we've got is tabloids masquerading as respectable papers which irks me. A while back now they were stopped from doing things like having vans parked outside the Royal Palace with listening devices. I do know that they frequently get behind certain laws pushing them  through and have a great impact on public opinion. It's really strange to hear our politicians commenting on them like they are now given the power they have over political careers.

I'm still really concerned that they use this as an excuse to mess with our freedom of speech and it would be a poor legacy for a news company.

[Neonivek]

..So what is Fox reporting about this?

A reporter from Fox Business was actually giving Rupert Murdoch the infamous chase-reporter treatment, but he wouldn't take the bait.

The Fox News front page has no indication of any such story anywhere, which is understandable.  Trying to report on an ongoing lawsuit involving its parent company would be a very dangerous thing to do, since any material would easily count as public statements if anything turns out false... Although a search of the network says that Fox Business has been all over the story from the beginning, and they're not exactly soft stories either.  Basically, journalism.

I do love that Fox considers a quest to find Goliath's bones a front-page story.

Well remember that Fox is officially at this point an extremely corrupt newscast.

Even if what you said wasn't true it would HARDLY be the first time they manipulated the news because of controlling interest.

In fact I'd be uttarly surprised in Fox News gave fair and impartial treatment to this fiasco unless pressured to by the public.

Also assuming it is Goliath from David and Goliath... Why would his bones remain? He isn't a saint and I highly doubt David's rock he picked off the ground was so holy that it sactified Goliath's remains.