From today's yesterday's Guardian:
The Australian government has reportedly put itself on a war footing with Rupert Murdoch's Australian newspaper division after it published, and then retracted, an erroneous report about the country's prime minister.
According to the Australian Financial Review, the government has had discussions about "going to war" with the News Corporation subsidiary News Ltd and is even considering withdrawing state advertising.
There are also increased prospects to a wider review of media ownership amid concerns that Murdoch, who owns 70% of the country's papers, has too much power.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/...
The current Australian prime minister is Julia Gillard, a member of the Labor Party. The article in The Australian (a Murdoch paper) reported erroneously that she was still linked to an ex-boyfriend, thereby implicating her in the embezzlement of Union funds. Gillard called the story "in breach of all known standards of journalism", and, in a very rare move for a sitting prime minister, threatened to sue the Murdoch newspaper.
Wouldn't one expect Rupert and his minions to be on better behavior, in light of the ongoing hacking scandal? Instead, he appears to be doubling down on vileness.
...
The very same Murdoch rag that published the smear of Gillard, has TODAY posted an article with the headline: "Pressure Grows on Gillard's Leadership."
excerpt:
Julia Gillard's hold on the leadership is being questioned following the High Court's Malaysia ruling.
...
The PM is now under fire on two major fronts following the High Court's decision to scrap the Malaysian solution. Her decision to criticise the High Court for its ruling has drawn fire from all sides. Worse, there are reports her future as leader is now being openly discussed, with a Kevin Rudd-Stephen Smith double act mooted.
...
The headlines: "Tick Tick Tick", "Lost control", Gillard on notice", "Gillard versus the High Court" and "Rudd return looms" say it all.
The Herald Sun reports: SENIOR Government figures say Julia Gillard has "lost her authority" and have urged her to weigh up whether it's in Labor's best interests for her to stay on as PM.
According to Bloomberg Business & Financial News, all of the above rumors were anonymously sourced by Murdoch's News Ltd. papers! No one would go on record with that garbage.
The Prime Minister responded to these 'reports' by saying, "I’m Not Going Anywhere".
http://www.bloomberg.com/...
My big question is this: Why would a corporation that is being investigated for serious crimes in both the UK and the United States (and Scotland...) launch a brand new, all out attack on Australia's government leadership? Is it a distractobomb? Or is Rupert having a narcissistic meltdown of some kind -- errantly trying to throw his weight around and topple governments?
UPDATE 1:
Big h/t to cotterperson for finding this excerpt from a diary by Unenergy:
When given the opportunity to influence the Australian electoral process through public opinion, Murdoch is instrumental in getting a new government elected. He then flip flops with his support, deciding that he doesn't like the direction of the governments programs, but rather than wait for elections to come around again and the people choose to vote Whitlam out of power, Murdoch turns on the DEMOCRATICALLY ELECTED government he initially backed and through his Australian media empire is instrumental in turning public opinion on them so much so they are constitutionally dismissed. ....
So by the time Mr Murdoch is 43/44, he has had the experience of being actively involved in first getting a government elected then destroying a democratically elected government bypassing the democratic process altogether. He does this via the influence of his media enterprise.
Also note the tactic adopted by the opposition party was one of complete non-cooperation in the parliamentary process. In other words they became the party of 'NO', sit still, refuse to do anything in order to cause a crisis and get the government prematurely dismissed.
They destroyed the democratic process and Rupert was right there assisting in pulling the levers.
http://www.dailykos.com/...
UPDATE 2:
On Thursday alone (yesterday), Murdoch's News Corp. lost about
2.5 billion dollars 1.5 billion dollars in market capitalization:
Volume 26.9M
Change –0.46
–2.66%
Last $16.81
http://topics.nytimes.com/...
(Number correction h/t bondibox)
UPDATE 3:
A devastating post by Robert Manne in today's Sydney Morning Herald regarding Murdoch's flagship Australian newspaper:
The Australian has conducted a prolonged and intellectually incoherent campaign against action on climate change and undermined the hold in public life of the central values of the Enlightenment: science and reason. ...
The paper has led a series of high-volume and unbalanced campaigns against Labor governments...
It has sought systematically to undermine the credibility of its only broadsheet rivals - the Herald and The Age - and, in a relentless campaign, to intimidate and drive towards the right the only other mainstream source of analysis and opinion in this country, the ABC.
It has conducted a kind of jihad against the Greens, a party supported by 1.5 million. By its own admission it has devoted itself to the task of trying to have that party destroyed at the ballot box, a statement which in itself undermines any claim to balance. ...
Even though its core value is the magic of the market, it is doubtful The Australian could survive without hidden financial subsidy from the global empire of its founding father, Rupert Murdoch, for whom it offers the most important means for influencing politics and commerce...
http://www.smh.com.au/...
If Rupert Murdoch were playing the board game Risk, right now, he'd be trying to defend armies on three continents simultaneously - North America, Europe and Australia. That's an unwinnable situation.
one more thought: could this attack on Australian PM Gillard be a kind of warning to UK PM Cameron? i.e. "You'd better protect me or we'll do this same number on you!" It seems kind of desperate to me at this point. Does Murdoch realize how little credibility his papers' articles now have? If he weren't still so powerful, he'd be a joke.
UPDATE 4:
From cleduc2 in the comments:
Murdoch to testify under oath in Britain:
Phone hacking: judge to question Rupert and James Murdoch under oath
Rupert Murdoch and his son, James, are to be questioned about the phone hacking scandal under oath in the High Court.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/...
...
They now will have to answer to that accurately under oath or face serious consequences.
Their situation in Britain continues to get worse for the Murdochs...
Also, in case you missed it, earlier this week, the New York State Comptroller CANCELLED the 27 million dollar contract it had with Murdoch's student data tracking company! w00t!
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/...
I diaried the NY State and NYC teachers unions' request for this cancellation a few weeks ago:
http://www.dailykos.com/...
UPDATE 5:
BREAKING from Clive all hat no horse Rodeo in the comments...
Drip...drip...drip...2 September 2011 Last updated at 13:09 GMT
New arrest in phone hacking inquiry -- Breaking news
A 34-year-old man has been arrested in the inquiry into phone hacking at the News of the World, police have said.
The man was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to intercept voicemail messages and attempting to pervert the course of justice.
The arrest took place by appointment at a north London police station; the man is in police custody.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/...
UPDATE 5.5:
Our ace reporter Brit has found a second article about today's arrest, with a bit more information on the suspect:
Detectives from Operation Weeting held him at lunchtime today when he went to a police station in north London. The man - believed to be a former staff member at the News of the World - is the 16th suspect to be arrested over the crisis that has engulfed Rupert Murdoch's media empire.
A Met detective has also been arrested on suspicion of leaking information about the inquiry.
...
The arrest comes days after the axed Sunday tabloid's former managing editor Stuart Kuttner was re-arrested as part of the long-running investigation.
(bolding by diarist)
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/...
UPDATE 6:
More gold from Brit in the comments (WARNING - may cause nausea):
Meanwhile Rupert and James increase their pay.
The News Corporation chairman and chief executive, Rupert Murdoch, received a $12.5m (£7.7m) cash bonus for the last financial year, while his total remuneration rose 47% year on year to $33m, according to the company's annual statement to shareholders.
His son James Murdoch – who is deputy chief operating officer, with responsibility for News Corporation's business in Europe and Asia – also benefited handsomely, with a $6m cash bonus taking his total remuneration to almost $18m – a 74% rise on his 2010 take-home pay.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/...
What price corporate governance and responsibility?
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