Newscorp’s God complex proved its undoing
Last month the Fourth Estate faced what was perhaps its lowest moment in history. The seemingly all-powerful global media powerhouse News Corporation and its megalomaniac management, which owns hundreds of newspapers, radio networks, satellite television companies, film production houses and websites got its comeuppance in a manner that could hardly have been imagined in a fictional work.
In the face of the phone hacking scandal the arrogant mega media corporation’s credibility unravelled in just a matter of days, threatening to create a crisis of confidence in the Fourth Estate. The ripples reached the far corners of the globe in no time.
News Corporation boss, the embattled Media Mogul Rupert Murdoch, offered "a full and humble apology" to the family of murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler, whose phone was hacked by the now closed tabloid News of the World, owned by News Corporation.
In the following days, Murdoch and son James faced the House of Commons of the British Parliament about what they knew and how they have dealt with the crisis. He said it was "the most humble day of my life" but refused to accept responsibility for the entire episode. Instead, he blamed the fiasco on his colleagues who ran the day-to-day operations. It is hard for people with a God complex to take it on their chin and so always look for scapegoats.
The scandal, which spurred huge outrage in the UK from citizens and political leaders, triggered a spate of resignations of top administrative officials – including London’s police chief – and News Corporation executives.
The whole News Corporation saga has brought into sharp focus the limits to which the media can go in its whistle blowing duties. The media draws its strength and sustenance – especially in democratic systems – from the public that is supposed to be served by the three pillars of government: the elected legislature, the judiciary and the executive.
The media’s raison d’etre is to report and comment on the interaction between these pillars and their functioning, which is to work in the best interests of the people for their weal and serve them well in the course of their elected or allocated terms or periods.
As a watchdog, the media, ideally independent and self-regulated, must blow the whistle when it finds any “wrongdoing” – acts that go against the interests of the people. To achieve that end, journalists throughout history have all sorts of ploys, techniques, known and anonymous informers, subterfuges and technological gadgetry, most commonly like wiretaps, mini video cameras and recorders.
In the course of following such a path, it is easy to lose sight of the thin line that separates public interest and the violation of individual privacy – even if it is intended to be in the larger public interest.
The plethora of eavesdropping technology that is now available and the money, which is now available to news networks to pursue leads in order to crack “breaking stories” and stay ahead of the competition, the temptation to blur that fine line is compelling.
That is exactly what led to the phone hacking scandal. A global news media corporation blinkered by the God complex saw itself as an all-powerful, can-do-no-wrong force in a delusion driven by some sort of organisational megalomania and pursued all avenues to get at a story. The unfortunate deaths of victims of war, terrorist attacks and violent crime did not stop its media persons in bribing their way to obtaining personal phone records of the departed – something that has caused extreme revulsion almost universally, making instant heartless monsters of the media.
Not unexpectedly, echoes of the scandal reverberated around the world and some political leaders were quick to take potshots at News Corporation’s media outlets in their respective.
Just last year, a News Corporation newspaper in Fiji, the Fiji Times, bit the dust when its government changed ownership rules. The paper had often been accused by successive regimes over the decades of slants in its editorial policies. There will undoubtedly be those who will feel vindicated of the act of ousting the paper from the country after last month’s dramatic turn of events in London.
The media around the world will have to bear the weight of the News of the World cross for some time to come. No wonder journalists rated among the lowest among professions on the trustworthiness scale.
Hopefully, it will be a lesson well learned. For proprietors: not to undermine journalistic ethics in the wild pursuit of ratings and soaring circulations and never to abuse media power. For journalists: to refrain from losing sight of the human aspect while trying to claim the moral high ground and fall prey to the very crimes they set out to expose.
It will take a great deal of sincere effort to repair the cracks in this all-important fourth pillar of democracy – the only true friend of the people.
Last month the Fourth Estate faced what was perhaps its lowest moment in history. The seemingly all-powerful global media powerhouse News Corporation and its megalomaniac management, which owns hundreds of newspapers, radio networks, satellite television companies, film production houses and...
Last month the Fourth Estate faced what was perhaps its lowest moment in history. The seemingly all-powerful global media powerhouse News Corporation and its megalomaniac management, which owns hundreds of newspapers, radio networks, satellite television companies, film production houses and websites got its comeuppance in a manner that could hardly have been imagined in a fictional work.
In the face of the phone hacking scandal the arrogant mega media corporation’s credibility unravelled in just a matter of days, threatening to create a crisis of confidence in the Fourth Estate. The ripples reached the far corners of the globe in no time.
News Corporation boss, the embattled Media Mogul Rupert Murdoch, offered "a full and humble apology" to the family of murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler, whose phone was hacked by the now closed tabloid News of the World, owned by News Corporation.
In the following days, Murdoch and son James faced the House of Commons of the British Parliament about what they knew and how they have dealt with the crisis. He said it was "the most humble day of my life" but refused to accept responsibility for the entire episode. Instead, he blamed the fiasco on his colleagues who ran the day-to-day operations. It is hard for people with a God complex to take it on their chin and so always look for scapegoats.
The scandal, which spurred huge outrage in the UK from citizens and political leaders, triggered a spate of resignations of top administrative officials – including London’s police chief – and News Corporation executives.
The whole News Corporation saga has brought into sharp focus the limits to which the media can go in its whistle blowing duties. The media draws its strength and sustenance – especially in democratic systems – from the public that is supposed to be served by the three pillars of government: the elected legislature, the judiciary and the executive.
The media’s raison d’etre is to report and comment on the interaction between these pillars and their functioning, which is to work in the best interests of the people for their weal and serve them well in the course of their elected or allocated terms or periods.
As a watchdog, the media, ideally independent and self-regulated, must blow the whistle when it finds any “wrongdoing” – acts that go against the interests of the people. To achieve that end, journalists throughout history have all sorts of ploys, techniques, known and anonymous informers, subterfuges and technological gadgetry, most commonly like wiretaps, mini video cameras and recorders.
In the course of following such a path, it is easy to lose sight of the thin line that separates public interest and the violation of individual privacy – even if it is intended to be in the larger public interest.
The plethora of eavesdropping technology that is now available and the money, which is now available to news networks to pursue leads in order to crack “breaking stories” and stay ahead of the competition, the temptation to blur that fine line is compelling.
That is exactly what led to the phone hacking scandal. A global news media corporation blinkered by the God complex saw itself as an all-powerful, can-do-no-wrong force in a delusion driven by some sort of organisational megalomania and pursued all avenues to get at a story. The unfortunate deaths of victims of war, terrorist attacks and violent crime did not stop its media persons in bribing their way to obtaining personal phone records of the departed – something that has caused extreme revulsion almost universally, making instant heartless monsters of the media.
Not unexpectedly, echoes of the scandal reverberated around the world and some political leaders were quick to take potshots at News Corporation’s media outlets in their respective.
Just last year, a News Corporation newspaper in Fiji, the Fiji Times, bit the dust when its government changed ownership rules. The paper had often been accused by successive regimes over the decades of slants in its editorial policies. There will undoubtedly be those who will feel vindicated of the act of ousting the paper from the country after last month’s dramatic turn of events in London.
The media around the world will have to bear the weight of the News of the World cross for some time to come. No wonder journalists rated among the lowest among professions on the trustworthiness scale.
Hopefully, it will be a lesson well learned. For proprietors: not to undermine journalistic ethics in the wild pursuit of ratings and soaring circulations and never to abuse media power. For journalists: to refrain from losing sight of the human aspect while trying to claim the moral high ground and fall prey to the very crimes they set out to expose.
It will take a great deal of sincere effort to repair the cracks in this all-important fourth pillar of democracy – the only true friend of the people.
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