The Murdoch Empire Scandal & Public Trust in Media

Professor Eric FreedmanVytautas Magnus University

October 18, 2012

Media Power & the Powerful

• Power of the media in a variety of countries and political systems.

• Conflicts between those with political & economic power on one side and those with less power or no power on the other side.

• Impacts of changing communication technologies• Role of the press in bringing events to light, helping

set the public agenda for discussion & action by citizens & policymakers.

• Newsmakers, news gatherers & news consumers.

Issues to Consider

• What relationships are ethically acceptable between the media & the politicians or government officials they cover?

• How should multinational media organizations handle differences in ethical standards from country to country?

• And should ethical standards vary among countries?

Rupert Murdoch

24th most powerful person in the world: Forbes magazine

News Corporation

www.newscorp.com “At a time when the U.S. has been weighed down by its slowest recovery since the Great Depression, when Europe’s currency threatens its union and, I might add when our critics flood the field with stories that refuse to move beyond the misdeeds at two of our papers in Britain, I am delighted to report something about News Corporation you might not know from the headlines: In 2012, for the second year in a row, we have brought our stockholders double-digit growth in total segment operating income.”

Letter from Rupert Murdoch, 2012 Annual Report

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 (until 2011)

Europe• SKY Italia -- Sky Deutschland -- FOXTEL

Australia• The Australian -- The Courier-Mail• The Daily Telegraph -- The Mercury Others• Russian radio stations Russia Nashe & Best FM • National Geographic Channel• Americanidol.com

British coverage of News of the World closing

Milly Dowler

James Murdoch

Rebecca Brooks

Andy Coulson

David Cameron

10th most powerful person in the world: Forbes

Sir Paul Stephenson

Rupert Murdoch Live

• www.youtube.com/watch?v=hrb9_WYJ-l0• www.youtube.com/watch?v=CdPOxfpShbg• www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6eI-xCubsg

Parliamentary inquiry

Inquiry into media & Met Police

Civil lawsuits

Shareholder lawsuits

U.K. criminal investigations

U.S. criminal investigation

Legal problems for RupertMurdoch, corporations,associates, press,police & politicians

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2203868/Kate-Middleton-topless-photos-Richard-Desmonds-fury-Irish-Daily-Stars-decision-print-pictures.html

CO N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 VILNIUS 000648SIPDISSIPDISE.O. 12958: DECL: 09/12/2017 TAGS: PGOV, PHUM, ECON, KCOR, LH, HT1 SUBJECT: LITHUANIAS CORRUPT MEDIA HURTS EVERYONE, INCLUDING U.S. BUSINESSESClassified By: CDA Damian Leader for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).1. (C) SUMMARY. Some media outlets in Lithuania, newspapers especially, extort politicians and businessmen using rewards of positive coverage and the threat of negative coverage. Media corruption damages media credibility, undermines Lithuania’s democratic institutions, and intimidates politicians, businesses, and civil society. It also hurts U.S. businesses, who are less apt to "play the game" than their local counterparts. End summary.Context: Picture is bleak, regulation weak

Vitas Tomkus Takes on 15min

Code of Journalistic Principles: Belgium

• 1. Freedom of the press• 2. The facts• 3. Distinction between information and comment• 4. Respect for the diversity of opinions• 5. Respect for human dignity• 6. Presentation of violence• 7. Correction of erroneous information• 8. Protection of sources of information• 9. Secrecy• 10. Human rights• 11. Independence• 12. Advertisements

• Adopted by the Belgian Association of Newspaper Publishers, the General Association of Professional Journalists of Belgium and the National Federation of the Information Newsletters in 1982.

Press Complaints Commissions & Self-Regulation

Press Councils

Internal Complaint Review System

• The Australian Broadcasting Corporation invites and welcomes your feedback. To email the ABC please fill in this form and a member of Audience and Consumer Affairs will process your email.

• ABC Audience & Consumer Affairs does not respond to anonymous correspondence. If you would like a response to your email please fill in your full name and a valid email address. All emails, including anonymous emails, are noted by ABC Audience & Consumer Affairs and conveyed to the relevant program area.