The News of the World is dead, but does the fallout stop there! Is this a crafty damage limitation exercise to curtail further investigation into News Corp practices?
Much has already been written about the disgraceful practices that News Corporation allowed at NoW and the total lack of accountability in its management hierarchy. Whilst the legal case and subsequent public enquiries will rumble on for years, there seems to be almost unanimous agreement that News Corp has acted unethically in its phone hacking of innocent victims and their families. Whether its politicians, bankers or journalists, plausible deniability seems to be the watchword. It may constitute a legal defence, but when will public figures learn that ‘I didn’t know, I’m as shocked as you are’ doesn’t really cut it anymore!
How quixotic that companies flourishing scarce advertising dollars, concerned for their brands, are the new arbiters of ethics, probably the only constituency that has any influence on News Corp behaviour. Well done Ford et al.
How bizarre also that News Corp should have a Code of Ethics for the CEO and Senior Financial Officers, but not one for the rest of the organisation! In the light of past events, it is quite clear why! No one wanted to restrict the questionable methods of those sent out into the murky twilight world of News of the World ‘investigative journalism’. Interesting also that ethics in the eyes of News Corp is only related to money and those who are responsible for it; values principles, responsibility seemingly have no part.
