Dear Commons Community.

The latest allegations in the phone hacking scandal at News Corporation have reached a new level. It no longer simply is a matter of a couple of rogue, overly zealous journalists infringing the privacy of celebrities in order to write some gossip about them. The News Corporation, owned by Rupert Murdoch (Fox News, New York Post), appears to engage routinely in large-scale hacking of individual cell phones and other mobile devices in order to get dirt on celebrities and political figures. However, when it was learned that the News of the World (Murdoch-owned British tabloid) hacked into and deleted some of the voice messages of a murdered schoolgirl, the newspaper has potentially impeded a criminal investigation. If true, this is not only wrong and illegal; it exhibits a fundamental lack of human decency.

If these allegations are true, for shame on Mr. Murdoch and his publication. He should take a good close look at his policies and the “anything for a buck” culture he has developed.

For a timeline of the evolution of the News Corporation and the hacking scandal, check out The Anatomy of a Phone Hacking Scandal provided by the New York Times.

Tony