News Of The World & Phone Hacking Scandal

Films, TV shows, and books of the 'modern' era
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charliechaplinfan
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Re: News Of The World goes under

Post by charliechaplinfan »

moirafinnie wrote:Glad to see that Murdoch has dropped plans to acquire Sky News:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/14/world/europe/14hacking.html?_r=1&hp

Good points about globalization and mergers, gentlemen. I've been through five corporate marriages in my working life in the last 25 years. They are not fun and not profitable for working people in the short or long term in my limited experience. Sadly, the hope of going back to a time when one corporation was not able to control an entire industry within a country or internationally seems quite dim. Bigger may be better for some people. I just don't know them.
I'm delighted about the first part of your post, although I don't think we've heard the last of Mr Murdoch but at least for the time being he's been stopped. I don't think the British public will ever forget, they'll always connect this scandal to Murdoch. There is now an investigation looking into charges and culpability and how far the blame went, this will take some time but hopefully will be thorough and will nail another nail into Murdoch's coffin.

As for the second part, I'm completely in sympathy with what you say. One of my enjoyments of classic films is that the world they show is a simpler, less streamlined world, kinder to people and their communities. I think I feel a regret each time I see one of those scenes and realise the downside of living in our modern corporate, money loving world.
Failure is unimportant. It takes courage to make a fool of yourself - Charlie Chaplin
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MichiganJ
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Re: News Of The World goes under

Post by MichiganJ »

Interesting article on how hard it would be to boycott all things Murdoch.
http://www.npr.org/2011/07/13/137817127 ... -you-think

Since I think The Tree of Life is one of the best films of the century (!), I'm already out of the boycott. But I still have never seen an episode of American Idol, so there's that.
"Let's be independent together." Dr. Hermey DDS
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charliechaplinfan
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Re: News Of The World goes under

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Looking at that list I might fall down on the publishing company but thankfully on nothing else.

The Murdoch's are appearing in the House of Commons next week to answer questions on what's been happening. I was listening with interest to a commentator on the radio, an American correspondent who thinks it will only take one whiff of a similar scandal there to ignite the same response in the USA.
Failure is unimportant. It takes courage to make a fool of yourself - Charlie Chaplin
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srowley75
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Re: News Of The World goes under

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MichiganJ wrote: Since I think The Tree of Life is one of the best films of the century (!), I'm already out of the boycott. But I still have never seen an episode of American Idol, so there's that.
I'm planning on going to see The Tree of Life this week. It will be a 2 1/2 hour drive (I'm also hoping to see Midnight in Paris, Bridesmaids, and a special showing of The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly on the same trip), but all I've read has led me to believe I need to try to see this one in a theater. And as I've not yet been to the movies this summer, I can feel a bit better about spending the extra cash.

I thought I was the only one who couldn't bear American Idol. Overall, I just can't deal with entertainments that people obsess over. That might be why I've avoided superhero movies, competitive reality TV, the Twilight saga, The Hangover, Lady Gaga, etc. like the plague. I feel like I've inadvertently heard enough of/about them without even making an effort (through conversations, news, radio, etc.). Actually sitting through a show/album/movie on my own seems superfluous.

-S.
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Rita Hayworth
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Re: News Of The World goes under

Post by Rita Hayworth »

srowley75 wrote:
MichiganJ wrote: Since I think The Tree of Life is one of the best films of the century (!), I'm already out of the boycott. But I still have never seen an episode of American Idol, so there's that.
I'm planning on going to see The Tree of Life this week. It will be a 2 1/2 hour drive (I'm also hoping to see Midnight in Paris, Bridesmaids, and a special showing of The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly on the same trip), but all I've read has led me to believe I need to try to see this one in a theater. And as I've not yet been to the movies this summer, I can feel a bit better about spending the extra cash.


-S.
Srowley75, Could you please share your thoughts on The Tree of Life - on a separate thread for all of us here! I'm very interested in hearing your thoughts on this. Thanks Srowley75!
stuart.uk
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Re: News Of The World goes under

Post by stuart.uk »

I watched the first episode of the current Torchwood series and without giving anything away phone hacking was rife
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charliechaplinfan
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Re: News Of The World goes under

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Rebekah Brooks has been arrested, this story just keeps running and running.
Failure is unimportant. It takes courage to make a fool of yourself - Charlie Chaplin
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Rita Hayworth
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Re: News Of The World goes under

Post by Rita Hayworth »

More Problems here ...

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/b ... cking.html

Scotland Yard two top officials resigned:

Chief - Paul Stephenson and Assistant Commissioner Paul Yates

Here's excepts from my own Seattle Times:

Scotland Yard chief Paul Stephenson stepped down Sunday night, followed out the door Monday by Assistant Commissioner John Yates. Yates was the official who decided two years ago not to reopen police inquiries into phone hacking and police bribery by tabloid journalists, saying he did not believe there was any new evidence to consider.
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charliechaplinfan
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Re: News Of The World goes under

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It gets more and more complicated, who knows were it will end. Rebekah Brookes and the Murdoch's appear before the Parliamentary commitee tomorrow.
Failure is unimportant. It takes courage to make a fool of yourself - Charlie Chaplin
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moira finnie
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Re: News Of The World goes under

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charliechaplinfan wrote:It gets more and more complicated, who knows were it will end. Rebekah Brookes and the Murdoch's appear before the Parliamentary commitee tomorrow.
This is now so big that CNN will be carrying the parliamentary inquiry live here in America. The FBI are looking into charges here that could be brought against Murdoch (who's an American citizen) for condoning bribery abroad, which is a federal crime.

Part of me is glad to see Murdoch and his associates get their comeuppance, but another side of me wonders how many relatively innocent journalists and others will lose their jobs as a result of all this at a time when it is hard enough for the newspaper profession to pay its way. I also think the American media (esp. cable tv news) are looking for one more thing to speculate endlessly about and babble on about. They need to fill that 24/7 time--even if understanding and thought about such issues might take time, not just yakking. This topic seems to be a possible replacement for all that blather about the Casey Anthony case.
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charliechaplinfan
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Re: News Of The World goes under

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I know nothing about Casey Anthony but the News of the World story just keep rolling. it's been rolling for the past couple of years but nobody minded when it was celebrities involved now this is all we hear about. I'm interested in what comes out tomorrow at the enquiry but I think it's going to be months before we find anything out. It is coming very close to the Primeminister although I don't think he has done anything wrong, the man he employed was found innocent by police enquiries but he was a former editor.

I like watching the news on BBC but not on the 24 hour channel. Do you only have 24 hour channels for news or do you have some anchor programmes on popular channels?
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moira finnie
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Re: News Of The World goes under

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charliechaplinfan wrote:I know nothing about Casey Anthony but the News of the World story just keep rolling.
Consider yourself lucky. I've tried to avoid it as much as possible. I think that the news media can't be bothered examining real news like the debt crisis, so they stick with the sad, the salacious and the sick.

"No one ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American people" - H.L. Mencken
charliechaplinfan wrote:I like watching the news on BBC but not on the 24 hour channel. Do you only have 24 hour channels for news or do you have some anchor programmes on popular channels?
We have both. We get the BBC news here on PBS (public television) and on BBC America. I find it is best to avoid most of the news on television in general, though my doctor's office had it blaring away today, which is how I heard that CNN would be providing live coverage of the parliamentary proceedings.
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charliechaplinfan
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Re: News Of The World goes under

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In some places you just can't avoid the news, when I went to the gym, that was a long time ago, it didn't encourage my sessions, endless news, it's not for me. The programme I love the most for news is Radio 4's Today programme, it is the best of British.
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MichiganJ
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Re: News Of The World goes under

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I listen to BBC 4's Today, too. Journalism on the radio (or, in this case, as a podcast) is hard to beat. They are doing a remarkable job in covering the still unfolding Murdoch story. The story hasn't resonated here in the States much, which in itself is interesting. We generally love a good scandal, but I guess right now our attention is more focused on the kabuki dancing in Washington.

Television news in the US has been on a slow decent since the networks demanded that their news programs be profitable. More ads and less real content has made the nightly newscast nothing more than headline reading. That is when there even is a nightly newscast, for, on the weekends, if a sporting event runs long, the newscast is often jettisoned altogether. There's more money in that re-run of Two and a Half Men.

To me, cable news (aka 24-hour news) is an oxymoron.
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charliechaplinfan
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Re: News Of The World goes under

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I couldn't wake up to anything else apart from Radio 4's today programme, music as soon as I wake up is a no no but serious news about serious matters is a sobering and concentrates the mind for the day. The amount of times I miss part of an interview because of the kids wanting breakfast, how inconsiderate! Apart from the Today programme there is Newsnight, serious but at the other end of the day and Channel 4 news which are well respected news programmes that try their best to get to the heart of government and world concerns. We also have Questiontime which is a panel of MPs from each party and social commentators discussing the matters of the day.

It's important that citizens should understand what happens in their world but some programmes and newspapers avoid the important issues.

Despite what has happened to Murdoch it's still important to have a free press. Murdoch's papers had the widest readership and as such they were courted by party leaders for the 'honour' of having The Sun, the NOW sister paper support their party. A word in support of Murdoch, if I may. He's run The Times at a loss for years, it's a respectable paper, it's a broadsheet which means it reports o the important issues. It has cache but empty coffers.

I was dissappointed to see that RM had got a face full of shaving foam, it's disgraceful that man got in to the committee room and made headlines that should be reserved for holding people to account.
Failure is unimportant. It takes courage to make a fool of yourself - Charlie Chaplin
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