Shut Fox Down

Previous Page

Transcript by http://www.newsy.com BY BRICE SANDERS Just as the News of the World phone hacking scandal leaves the headlines, The Hollywood Reporter says another Rupert Murdoch publication is taking a humiliating hit. "... Murdoch is facing a new crisis at News International after five senior and current reporters at his flagship daily paper The Sun were arrested ... Saturday morning. The News Corp chairman and CEO is understood to be flying to London to reassure staff amid concern that the arrests may force the title to be shut down." The Guardian explains the investigation, launched when a lawyer researching the News of the World case found evidence of bribery. "Details as to why the journalists have been arrested remain sketchy for the moment but what is clear is that the ... investigation into allegations of corrupt payments made by journalists to police officers has been widened to encompass other public officials..." Those officials? A police officer, Ministry of Defense employee and a member of the armed forces. As The New York Times reports, this is a setback Murdoch might not be able to survive. "... News Corporation ... sought to shield The Sun, seen by many industry analysts as [Murdoch's] crown jewel and cash cow here, from [last year's] scandal. In the face of occasional mentions in lawsuits last year, the company fiercely disputed any suggestion that the newspaper was embroiled in widespread illegality." Euronews says Murdoch is being proactive in an effort to save The Sun. "Amid ongoing public anger over the scandal, Murdoch's News Corp. company says it provided the information to police that led to Saturday's arrests." But a media consultant -- and former editor at News of the World -- tells the BBC it will be hard to bounce back from this latest blow. He says: "'If you have a police force or military or officials in the civil service who are so terrified to have contacts with journalists, that will not serve the public interest.'"