The Listening Post

Rupert Murdoch’s Watergate

The phone hacking scandal that has shone a light on the News Corp CEO’s influence in British politics.

On the show this week:Rupert Murdoch’s Watergate – the phone hacking scandal, the extent of the crime and the implications for News Corp. Also, debating the role of whistle blowers in society.

When a reporter with the British tabloid News of the World was jailed for illegally tapping into the phones of high profile names back in 2007, the newspaper insisted it was the work of a rogue reporter. It is a position the newspaper and its parent company News International continued to maintain.

But as more cases of phone hacking were brought to light and senior News of the World staff members implicated, the company finally conceded that the practice of phone tapping had been widely used within the organisation. It has since publicly apologised to all the victims and has reportedly put around $33mn into a compensation fund.

Our News Divide this week looks at the scandal that not only shines a light on Rupert Murdoch’s influence in British politics but also on the journalistic integrity of one of the world’s most powerful media empires.

Quick hits from the media world: A blogger in custody becomes the latest victim of Bahrain’s crackdown on critical voices; an Egyptian blogger becomes the first prisoner of conscience under the new military government; a cyber attack on the Russian blogosphere and a leading leftist newspaper – the motivations could be political; and Glenn Beck’s days are numbered as Fox News announces his departure from the network.

Since exploding on to the scene a few years ago, Wikileaks has been praised for its critical take on the political and corporate establishments. Opposition voices have been just as loud – accusing the organisation and its editor-in-chief Julian Assange of threatening national security. The issue of whistle blowing was debated at a recent event in London, co-hosted by London’s Frontline Club and The New Statesman magazine. With three speakers on each side, the debate looked at the balance between the public’s right to know about what their governments do at home and abroad with national security concerns. In the second half of the show, we feature some of the highlights of this lively debate.

Finally, in our video of the week, we feature one of the team’s favourite animators, Mark Fiore. This weeks offering is the Pulitzer Prize winner’s take on how to make it as a US media pundit – useful viewing for anyone wanting to get their face on television. We hope you enjoy the show.

Listening Post airs each week at the following times GMT: Saturday: 0830, 1930; Sunday: 1430; Monday: 0430.