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06 Jul 2011 10:13

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World: News of the World scandal: A father’s reaction to being hacked

  • I just felt stunned and horrified. I find it hard to believe someone could be so wicked and so evil, and that someone could work for an organization that even today is trying to defend what they see as normal practices.
  • Graham Foulkes, father of a 2005 London bombing victim • Reacting after learning that he was on a possible list of people whose phones have been hacked by News of the World. As you might imagine, it’s not the kind of news one takes well, and in the case of Foulkes, who will mourn the sixth anniversary of his son’s death later this week, it only makes things more difficult. Foulkes wants leadership at News Corp. to change, starting with Rebekah Brooks, the chief of News International who once edited News of the World, but denies she knew what was going on. “She’s gotta go,” he said. “She cannot say, oops, sorry, we’ve been caught out. Of course she’s responsible for the ethos and practices of her department. Her position is untenable.” Do you agree? source

05 Jul 2011 10:22

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World: News of the World opens up new realm of unethical journalism

  • Surely now we should hear from David Cameron and Ed Miliband. It’s utterly disgraceful that they’ve let this scandal run on for as long as it has. No more cowardice — we want action.
  • Labour parliament member Tom Watson • Reacting to the news that “News of the World,” the U.K. tabloid publication, hacked into teenager Milly Dowler’s voicemail after she went missing in 2002. But it gets worse — apparently, after Dowler’s voicemail got full, they deleted messages in hopes of receiving more of them. But the end result was that it gave her family false hope, because it made them think she deleted the messages. In reality, Dowler was murdered, but News of the World crossed a very strong ethical line in hopes of getting a story. It’s one they’ve crossed before, by the way. source

08 Apr 2011 12:10

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World: News of the World hacks their way into journalism scandal history

  • You know, bad journalism is bad journalism. But occasionally, someone manages to open up a new tier of bad journalism, one that not even Jayson Blair or Stephen Glass could even imagine. Such is the case of News of the World, Rupert Murdoch’s downmarket British tabloid, best-known in the States for revealing that Michael Phelps likes doing bong hits at college parties. The paper just admitted, after days of denials, that it is responsible for a scheme wher a bunch of its reporters hacked the mobile phones of many potential sources — including members of the Royal Family, actresses, politicians and sports stars. The scandal has already cost a member of David Cameron’s staff his job, and now News of the World is finally admitting their reporters screwed up. Stephen Glass looks professional in comparison. source

21 Apr 2009 10:29

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Culture, World: Police are investigating that crazy “Slumdog” child sale claim

  • “News of the World” is probably full of it, but might as well check. Indian police are investigating claims by the British rag that Rafiq Qureshi, father of “Slumdog Millionaire” child star Rubina Ali, tried selling his child for a big payday, a claim he understandably denies. We wish we could just ignore their claims out of hand, but they were right about the Michael Phelps thing. source

20 Apr 2009 10:00

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Culture, World: A “Slumdog” child actress + the British press = Sketchiness

  • “My daughter is not for sale.” You mean he had to clarify? Rafiq Qureshi, father of “Slumdog Millionaire” child actress Rubina Ali, denies reports that he demanded money to sell his now-famous daughter. British rag News of the World (who broke the Michael Phelps pot scandal) apparently tried to trick him into selling his daughter, under the guise that he was talking to a wealthy Arab couple looking to adopt, not some douchebag with zero ethics working as an intern for News of the World. He said he was trapped into a tempting situation but never once tried to sell her. You suck, News of the World. source