Social Responsibility of Journalism & Media: News of the World and the Murdoch Media

Empire

Professor Eric Freedman3 November 2011

freedma5@msu.eduericinlithuania.wordpress.com

Common Themes

• Professional ethical standards in theory and in practice.

• Conflicts between multiple roles of journalists as professionals & citizens.

• Impact of changing communication technologies & economic models on ethical practices.

Lecture Outline

• The scope of the Murdoch empire• The News of the World hacking scandal• Pattern of corporate & professional

corruption in News Corp.• Ramifications of the scandal in the UK &

elsewhere• “Little Murdoch's” in other countries

Glossary

• Self-censorship: practice of journalists not reporting legitimate stories for fear of retaliation or punishment

• Media credibility: public trust in the truth of what the press reports

Discussion Points

• Where is the border between proper & improper relationships between media organizations & the politicians they cover?

• Should different ethical standards apply in different countries, and why?

Partial Holdings: News Corp.United States• Fox Television (including Fox TV, Fox News, Fox Business, Fox Sports,)• 20th Century Fox• Wall Street Journal -- New York Post• Dow Jones -- HarperCollins

United Kingdom• The Sun -- The Times• News of the World

Europe• SKY Italia -- BSkyB (majority holding)• Sky Deutschland -- FOXTEL

Australia• The Australian -- The Courier-Mail• The Daily Telegraph -- The Mercury Others• Russian radio stations Russia Nashe & Best FM • LNT TV & TV5 Riga (Latvia)

Milly Dowler

Rupert Murdoch

James Murdoch

Rebecca Brooks

Andy Coulson

David Cameron

Rupert Murdoch Live

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hrb9_WYJ-l0

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJn6Hb0MPK8

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wACxYtwfk4g

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmupOfu0fcU

Sir Paul Stephenson

Fox News

17th century colonial press in America

• “The press was not merely partisan; it was at times vile, crude, unjust, more of a blight on the communities to which it reported than a service, a means of inciting more than informing.” –Eric Burns, Infamous Scribblers

21st century Fox News in America• “Fear is precisely what it is selling:

The network has relentlessly hyped phantom menaces like the planned "terror mosque" near Ground Zero, inspiring Florida pastor Terry Jones to torch the Koran. To watch even a day of Fox News - the anger, the bombast, the virulent paranoid streak, the unending appeals to white resentment, the reporting that's held to the same standard of evidence as a pre-election attack ad” – Tim Dickinson, Rolling Stone Magazine

British coverage of News of the World closing