Newsgate

The phone-hacking scandal of News Corp has already engulfed Britain and has every chance of spreading across the Atlantic. Accusations of phone-tapping into victims of 9/11 have surfaced, and the FBI is investigating these allegations as well as corruption charges. 

Although the newspapers held by News Corp in Britain are not crucial to New Corp's profits, the ensuing scandal has tarnished the influence that the newspapers formerly held. In Britain, the scandal has disrupted the suspiciously cozy links between the tabloids and the British establishment. It has scuttled the acquisition of British Sky Broadcasting, and several high executives have been fired/forced to resign.
The scandal has raised questions regarding journalism ethics and focused the attention on Murdoch’s often controversial behavior. It won’t however, disrupt Murdoch’s business in the long term. News Corp is too large, and too global, to be seriously disrupted by the scandal.

Unless the allegations in America are somehow found true. America is not like Britain. In contrast to Britain, a relatively small country, the US has too many competing media companies not to take advantage of News Corp’s troubles. I’m willing to bet Ted Turner is praying for the event that Murdoch is implicated in any manner. Murdoch’s influence on American politics is substantial, but his links with American politicians are nowhere as cozy as that of Britain’s politicians. While it is true that News Corp holds a commanding position in American media, the politicians in Washington are more apt to listen to radio talk-show hosts and Tweeters. And of course, Murdoch’s first response may be to rush to Washington, call in favors with various supporters and politicians, and contain the scandal. In ordinary times, that would work only too well. However, given that News Corp stands accused of attempting to benefit from 9/11, America’s greatest tragedy, no politician would dare stand next to him, let alone defend him.

The solution is clear. There has to be a thorough investigation, not the half-hearted, useless lip-service that we are used to. The American public, and the British public, and indeed, the public of the whole world need the truth.