The U.K. Parliament has released a scathing report into the News of the World hacking scandal:
In a report on the malpractice at Murdoch’s now shuttered News of The World tabloid, legislators accused Murdoch and his son James of overseeing a corporate culture that sought “to cover up rather than seek out wrongdoing.”
Parliament’s cross-party Culture, Media and Sport committee unanimously agreed that three key News International executives had misled Parliament by offering false accounts of their knowledge of the extent of phone hacking – a rare and serious censure that can see offenders hauled before Parliament to make a personal apology.
The panel said the House of Commons would decide on the punishment meted out to the three executives: New York Daily News editor Colin Myler, a former News of The World editor; the British tabloid’s longtime lawyer Tom Crone and Les Hinton, the former executive chairman of News International, former publisher of The Wall Street Journal and former board member of The Associated Press.
Members of the panel said Rupert Murdoch, 81, had insisted he was unaware that hacking was widespread at the News of The World, blaming his staff for keeping him in the dark. That explanation was not accepted.
When this story first started breaking last year I was amazed at how much Murdoch and his son kept trying to say “well we didn’t know it was happening”. These are idols of conservatism, the very people who always preach about personal responsibility, yet they sat there and blew off any responsibility. Well we all know where the buck stops, except maybe Murdoch. It’s his damn company so he is responsible. That’s why the report has declared Murdoch “unfit to lead” his own company.