Rupert Murdoch has built a mega-billion dollar media empire. The chairman and CEO of News Corporation's personal wealth has been estimated to be over $6 BILLION DOLLARS. His holdings include media companies in Australia, the UK, Asia and the United States. In the U.S., the most notable companies owned by Murdoch are FOX News and the Wall Street Journal.
Murdoch's recent troubles began with allegations that his UK newspapers (tabloid format) hacked the voice mails of a teenaged murder victim, making the police and her parents believe the young girl was still alive. The investigation was directly affected. Beyond the tragic murder of a young girl, other voice mails were hacked, along with confidential medical information about politicians and their families, including former UK prime minister, Gordon Brown. Allegations have surfaced that information about the royal family was also obtained illegally, through phone hacking. Multiple arrests have already been made in the UK in connection with the scandal and many of Murdoch's employees and former employees have been summoned to testify before parliamentary committees.
Murdoch and his son, James, were at first, informally summoned, but declined that invitation. Now that the British parliament has formalized the invitation, father and son have stated that they will appear tomorrow morning, July 19th. Scotland Yard officials have resigned their posts, some of Murdoch's senior employees have resigned, and stories of bribery of the police and government officials fill the airwaves, both here and in the United Kingdom.
In one single bound, this crisis within the Murdoch empire has crossed the Atlantic. Murdoch and his empire are now being investigated by the FBI. Questions and allegations regarding possible hacking of 9/11 victims in this country have aroused the ire of many Congressmen. They are calling for a complete Congressional investigation into Murdoch's activities here and abroad.
In the U.K., Murdoch's son, James, has been accused of paying hundreds of millions of dollars in secret settlements to some of the victims of the phone hacking scandal. This is how corporations operate. Surprised? If you are a political junkie, you should not be surprised! You have seen it time and time again. It happens in the U.K., and it happens in the United States. The payoffs by corporate giants are nothing new and Murdoch's evil empire turned it into a science. If only they had not exploited a missing, murdered young girl and her fear-stricken family, the Murdoch empire might have never been found out!
Even more than phone-hacking of the 9/11 victims, are the questions that surround the Murdoch empire's support of the Iraq war. The Bush, Cheney, Murdoch connection? The Murdoch media empire consistently ran stories in the U.K. and the U.S. backing the propaganda and lies told by George Bush, Cheney and Tony Blair. Those who were against the war in Iraq were branded as traitors by the conservative News Corps of America. Fox News ran story after story, terrifying and influencing Americans prior to the war. False information? Journalism at its best!
Rupert Murdoch lived in the United States as an Australian citizen for almost twenty years. Murdoch reportedly never expressed an interest in becoming a United States citizen. That changed at the very moment that Murdoch decided he wanted to purchase U.S. media interests. The broadcasting companies that he wanted to purchase could only be bought by someone who was a U.S. citizen. It was then that Murdoch decided to change his citizenship, and it has been reported that the FCC approved the purchase of the broadcasting companies PRIOR to Murdoch even being sworn in as a citizen of the United States.
Further, Murdoch's path to citizenship has been reported to have taken as little as a payment of $300.00 and was finished in less than three weeks. This irregularity should be included in any investigation of Murdoch's activities in the U.S.
Payoffs, anyone? The question is no longer out of line in light of recent developments within News Corp.
For years, Rupert Murdoch has been feared by politicians in the United Kingdom as well as in the United States. It has been said that if Murdoch did not like you, your political career was over, because he and his evil empire, would dig and dig and dig, until they found the dirt to do you in, even if that dirt was manufactured. Conservatives, as well as liberals, have expressed their fears of the Murdoch empire. Murdoch is much more than a media mogul. The man has had a vested interest in politics both here and abroad. He has never been known to sit on the sidelines. He goes above and beyond to destroy his political enemies, on both sides of the Atlantic. When mega media corporations strike out, NO PRISONERS ARE TAKEN and people listen.
Fox News is clearly an example of the Murdoch brand of journalism. Fox deals in subterfuge and falsehoods, always dedicated to promoting the conservative, anti-government agenda...Want to run for office? First work for Fox News! They will most assuredly back up your brand and tear down and destroy any opponent. Fox may say that they are fair and balanced, but they are rarely honest and above board.
Maybe this time, Murdoch and his cohorts will be brought down. The evil empire destroyed, once and for all! All because of a young girl's murder and Murdoch's desire to exploit a tragedy for his own monetary gain...