The fallen media baron Conrad Black, former Hollinger International Inc. chair, took Rupert Murdoch to task in print. Black described News Corp. chair, Rupert Murdoch (his former rival), in his column of the Financial Times, as being untrustworthy, malicious and a person who has “difficulty keeping friendships.”
In the column, Black accuses the owner of Sun and News of the World for calling himself a:
“pillar of contemporary, enlightened populism in Britain and sensible conservatism in the US.”
As he made those claims, he was pushing forward enterprises in his business, pandering to the basest of instincts and sensationalism. Black, the previous owner of Telegraph Newspapers and being competition for News International, said:
“Although his personality is generally quite agreeable, Mr. Murdoch has no loyalty to anyone or anything except his company. He has difficulty keeping friendships, rarely keeps his word for long, is an exploiter of the discomfort of others, and has betrayed every political leader who ever helped him in any country, except Ronald Reagan and perhaps Tony Blair. All (Murdoch’s) instincts are down-market; he is not only a tabloid sensationalist; he is a malicious myth-maker, an assassin of the dignity of others and of respected institutions, all in the guise of anti-elitism … His notions of public entertainment and civic values are enshrined in the cartoon television series The Simpsons: all public officials are crooks and the public is an ignorant lumpenproletariat.”
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Black, aged 66 was re-sentenced last month for obstruction of justice and fraud, for 13 months in prison. The British lord, had been sentenced in 2007 to 78 months prison time after he was found guilty of mail fraud on three counts, and a count of obstruction of justice. Twenty-nine months were served at a low security prison in Coleman Florida, prior to the US Supreme Court throwing out two of the original convictions over misuse of “honest services” law. On Sept.6th he will return to jail.
While he objects to Murdoch’s behavior, Black does note the he thinks it unlikely Murdoch, his son or Les Hinton actually committed any crimes.
Black is hardest on the British establishment, which has allowed Murdoch’s media businesses to run-down and say horrible things about public figures, professional athletes and celebrities, without penalty. Black said:
“There must be a reckoning with decades of establishment cowardice towards someone whose nature has been well known throughout that time. The fault is the British establishment’s and it must not be seduced and intimidated, so profoundly and durably.”
Murdoch, his son James and Rebekah Brooks will be grilled by MP’s over the alleged data-hacking and phone hacking as well as payments to police which happened at News International publications. Brooks acted as editor of News of the World during the time when a lot of the hacking took place, including voice mail interceptions on the cellphone of murdered teenager, Milly Dowler.
Scotland Yard made an announcement that another arrest was made with regard to the investigation into the police payments and phone hacking. A former exec editor, Neil Wallis aged 60, was said to have been taken into custody on Thursday – the 9th person arrested in this case.
And the case continues with reports to be made as it progresses.
image:guardian/co
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