The Decline And Fall Of The Empire

To save Rebekah Brooks, a long-standing newspaper was shuttered. The News Of The World, published since the 1840's, had to die to save her job.

The Murdoch clan is discovering that the death of a single tabloid has not staved off the disease of scandal and the whole empire may wither and die.

Investigations have turned up evidence that another Murdoch newspaper, the Sunday Times, paid a P.I. to pose as Gordon Brown, the former Prime Minister, and get the gory details on the politician's bank account. There is also evidence that one of the Murdoch newspapers managed to get a look at Mr. Brown's tax records and legal files, as well as his children's medical records.

It's one thing to hack into cell phones to get personal details to create a scoop for the newspaper. It's quite another to break the law in order to get private information about politicians when that information can be used to sway voters and influence an election.

Rupert Murdoch is busy acquiring media outlets so that his children have jobs to go to every morning. With the ever-growing scandal arising out of inquiries into the News Of The World phone hacking, anti-competitive boards in the UK and the U.S. are on full alert as he tries to expand his empire.

Investigative reporters perform an important service, but does it do anyone any good if said reporters are more interested in toppling one particular political party rather than all corrupt politicians? As for current Prime Minister Cameron, the fact that he is a close friend of Mr. Murdoch only adds to the appearance of dirty tricks that rival the Watergate scandal.

Mr. Murdoch's desire to buy up satellite provider BSkyB is on shaky ground because of his corporation's laundry list of sordid activities. The easiest solution is to divest, and the future looks more digital than wood-pulp analog.

There are rumors floating through the media stratosphere, that the Murdochs will sell their News International interests and put all their newspaper troubles behind. The acquisition of BSkyB could then proceed without fear of monopolistic practices.

What, then, of David Cameron, who won the last election and then hired former NOTW editor Andy Coulson? Mr. Coulson resigned when the phone hacking story broke, but how many British voters are wondering if the popular News Of The World misled them and used them to further the Murdoch family's fortunes?

What, then, of investigative reporters who expose the criminal conduct of corrupt politicians? Will readers begin to wonder if there's an ulterior motive, some particular agenda which the newspaper's editor or publisher are promoting?

If you can't believe what you read in a newspaper, there's no place left to get the news.