Rupert Murdoch’s usually chatty Twitter has fallen silent. There was support for immigration after US Independence Day, but nothing since.
So we look forward to Murdoch reappearing at the UK culture, media and sport select committee over the ongoing fallout from systemic phone-hacking and bribes paid at his newspapers. Metropolitan police are now investigating a leaked taped conversation between Murdoch and his staff that would seem to contradict the chairman’s earlier testimony of innocent ignorance. As a company statement reads:
“Mr Murdoch welcomes the opportunity to return to the select committee and answer their questions. He looks forward to clearing up any misconceptions as soon as possible.”
Misconceptions? Well, that’s one word for it. Others might deduce that Murdoch was telling a few little fibs given we now know he told his staff he was aware of a culture of paying police officers for stories “existed at every newspaper in Fleet Street”; “that’s been going on a hundred years, absolutely”. Not to mention that while the company offered support to police, he thought the investigation was “totally incompetent”.
So which is it, Rupert? Did you know or didn’t you? How serious are you about cleaning up dodgy journalistic practices that have seen more than 42 people charged? Feel free to tweet your answer …
Another of those most humble days in the life coming up?
The saddest part of Rupert’s ongoing battles against the world, is that Tom Watson no longer sits on the select committee.
It would have been a schadenfreude made in heaven, to see him grilling the dirty digger yet again.
I wonder what comes first, Rupert Murdoch’s tweets, or the Coalition’s policies? Many of them do seem to have a remarkable degree of similarity, and a similar amount of detail.
But more seriously, what offends me most about Murdoch and his media outlets, is that they are full of frothing at the mouth sanctimoniousness and faux outrage, at the alleged moral, personal and policy transgressions of other members of society, but strangely, they don’t seem to apply the same standards to themselves.
Mumble, mumble, humble…
And no Wendi…..?
Maybe he can wade through with “Rebekah of Sunny Brooks Farm”?