What we need is a Corporate Death Penalty
So as focus the minds of Shareholders if their Companies' Officers behave illegally.
Otherwise Limited Liability extends to culpability for Criminal Acts as well.
Sun hacks cuffed after being DOBBED IN by News Corp
Scotland Yard released five Sun journalists on bail at the weekend after they arrested the hacks on suspicion of corruption and aiding and abetting misconduct in a public office. The latest round of arrests at Rupert Murdoch's flagship tabloid brings the total number of people cuffed at that newspaper to nine. The Met also …
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Monday 13th February 2012 12:00 GMT Pinkerton
What's the betting...
...That The Sun will start whining and bitching that the public are unfairly judging those that have been arrested before any evidence has even been heard in court?
I bet "weird"*, "lewd"*, "creepy"*, "angry"* & "disturbing"* Chris Jefferies must be pissing himself laughing at the brass-necked hypocrisy of the situation.
I just wish that the media wasn't such a closed-shop and that a few titles would break ranks and do a hatchet job on those arrested - dredge up every last element of their past and then retell them out of context and in sinister tones.
* (c) 2011 The Sun.
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Monday 13th February 2012 12:35 GMT Andy 75
Closest you can get to that is the Private Eye. It doesn't seem to consider "fellow press" as sacrosanct and that includes the owners of the papers as well as the people who work there.
The main problem is that the Eye doesn't hold anything sacred and so eventually every reader is offended by something. Subscribers just have enough of a thick skin, sense of proportion or sense of humour to keep going.
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Monday 13th February 2012 14:06 GMT Graham Marsden
@Pinkerton
We have already had the Associate Editor of the Sun, Trevor Kavanagh, moaning about the "Witch Hunt" and whinging that "Instead of being called in for questioning, 30 journalists have been needlessly dragged from their beds in dawn raids, arrested and held in police cells while their homes are ransacked,"
"Wives and children have been humiliated as up to 20 officers at a time rip up floorboards and sift through intimate possessions, love letters and entirely private documents."
Of course if the people involved had been suspected of being terrorists or paedophiles I have little doubt that his paper would be lauding the brave Police for "swooping" in "coordinated dawn raids" as concerned neighbours looked on (having been told, of course, by the noble Police that they're wrong'uns) whilst the suspects (who should be presumed innocent) are hauled away in handcuffs for questioning and their computers are seized to be searched for the incriminating material they no doubt contain...
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Monday 13th February 2012 14:34 GMT Matt Siddall
The point being
If the people involved were terrorists, then there might be an actual danger to someone, so justifying dawn raids, etc. In this case, surely the purpose would be served just as well by the police showing up at 10am and showing some degree of respect to those arrested - after all, "innocent unless proven guilty" ?
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Monday 13th February 2012 15:19 GMT Jim Morrow
the dawn raids have a purpose. first, it assures the public that the cops are at long last mounting a proper investigation into the conduct of murdoch's shit-sheets. [hopefully the rest of the tabloids will get the same treatment in due course.] second, it's telling those who have been arrested so far (and those who have still to be arrested) that they will be treated as criminal suspects. they're not going to get invited for nice chat down the local nick at a time that suits them. the cosy days of handing over brown envelopes and nice dinners are definitely over.
if, as seems likely, those arrested have been acting in concert (ie a conspiracy), it makes sense for the cops to arrest all the suspects at the same time: less opportunity to destroy evidence or collude to get their stories straight.
btw, ask the people who have been monstered by the tabloids about "innocent unless proven guilty". it seems only fair that the cops return some of the treatment tabloid hacks have dished out to others.
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Monday 13th February 2012 12:13 GMT cocknee
Ha bloody ha!
Made me chuckle, a lot.
Totally agree with Pinkerton, especially after the indignation of that git Trevor Kavanagh complaining "30 journalists have been needlessly dragged from their beds in dawn raids, arrested and held in police cells while their homes are ransacked" and "Wives and children have been humiliated"
Makes a bloody change for the shoe to be on the other foot doesn't it. How many lives has your paper (and that filth the News of the World" needlessly turned upside down. Shouting about the freedom of the press and the public interest defence is falling on deaf ears. As often said, what's of interest to the public, is not always in the public interest.
Hung by your own petards.
Of course, innocent until proven guilty, in a court of law in front of your peers. Go see Pinkerton's comments.
Tough shite, resign, resign, resign!
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Monday 13th February 2012 14:34 GMT Tom 38
Kavanagh complained they were treated like a criminal gang
Where as in fact they were a grouping of individuals who come together to allegedly commit criminal offences in collusion with bent coppers whom they bribed to interfere in police inquiries.
IE, nothing like a criminal gang. It is upsetting to these criminals^Hjournalists to be treated in this way.
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Monday 13th February 2012 12:26 GMT Jelliphiish
witch hunt
They sure were selling a lot of papers to a lot of people.. That would imply some complicity.. I can't believe the people purchasing the chip-rags hadn't figured there had to be some underhand shenanigans fueling the daily dirt.. nobody cared then.. I'd be surprised if the people buying them now care either.
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Monday 13th February 2012 13:04 GMT Is it me?
I may not like the Sun
or for that matter Woopert, but the world is a better place with the Sun than without it. Look at the alternatives.
The Sun was put in a position of power by its readers, its owners exploited that, but for all the harm it has done, it's done as much, if not more good.
Just remember, it used to be said "I thought my wife was having an affair, but then I read it in the Sun and knew it was Bo**ocks".
Lets keep the Sun, its popular appeal, and improve the quality of its journalism.
Still not going to read it though. Sticking to my Grauniad.
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Monday 13th February 2012 13:37 GMT peter 45
Hmmmmm
"Look at the alternatives" Like the alternative of having Journalists who are *not* a bunch of amoral scum-sucking trotters who get their stories by amoral and illegal methods you mean?
"but for all the harm it has done, it's done as much, if not more good". And that is a good excuse or a get-of-of-jail-free card is it? Good thing that the rest of us don't subscribe to the "you are fine just as long as you some good" morality.
P.S. I understand that Cock-fighting used to be a very popular sport. Should we have kept that 'cos it was popular?
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Monday 13th February 2012 14:34 GMT Chris Miller
Peter, like 'Is it me?', I don't care much for The Sun's journalistic style. But if you want journalism that proceeds only by 'moral and legal' means, you will have news that consists solely of recycled press releases. Make no mistake, where laws have been broken, those responsible should be punished, allowing for suitable mitigation where genuine 'public interest' defences can be mounted. But without illegal methods we would know nothing of MPs' expenses, to take just one recent example. And that's very much the way a lot of rich and powerful people would like it.
If this type of behaviour is shown to have been confined only to News International publications, I'll eat my copy of The Guardian (without relish).
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Monday 13th February 2012 15:28 GMT Jim Morrow
> you will have news that consists solely of recycled press releases
that already accounts for the overwhelming amount of what's called "news" these days.
very few reporters actually gather news or break stories any more. they don't have the time and their employers don't have the budget. what ends up in our mass media are rewritten press releases, recycled wire copy and pr agent supplied showbiz gossip. read "flat earth news" by nick davies.
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Monday 13th February 2012 15:53 GMT cocknee
Sorry, good???? please have some examples.
There's far more examples of gutter journalism by it and it's dead Sunday stablemate.
It's poisonous treatment of tittle-tattle without regard for human dignity, truth, fairness, truth, facts, truth (again) makes it an odourous rag. It's high and mighty attitude about being a force for good is so lame.
I for one wouldn't lament it's demise, there are a few other titles that would be best to go the same way too.
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Biting the hand that feeds IT
