Morgan; British Scandal; Geithner

10 July 2011 |permalink | email article

With the News of the World phone-hacking scandal still spreading across all segments of Britain and showing no sign of containment – and the 30 billion dollar Murdoch media empire struggling to contain the damage to its worldwide image – the reputation of Piers Morgan, 46, the smarmy former British journalist and controversial CNN host since January, appears untainted by the fallout, at least for now. 

Morgan’s first major position in the national British media was as de facto editor of The Sun’s show business column, ‘Bizarre.” In 1994, aged 28, he was appointed editor of the News of the World by Rupert Murdoch, becoming the youngest national newspaper editor in more than half a century.

Morgan quickly gained a reputation for his invasive, thrusting style and lack of concern for celebrities’ right to privacy, claiming that they could not manipulate the media to further their own ends without accepting the consequences of a two-way deal. Morgan’s autobiography, “The Insider,” states that he left the News of the World of his own choice and somewhat against Murdoch’s wishes when he was offered the job as editor at the Daily Mirror.

What’s riveting is that Rebekah Wade, a top Murdoch confident whom he continues to protect, was editor of The Sun when she was asked by a House of Commons select committee in 2003 about dubious and long festering tabloid media practices. “We have paid the police for information in the past,” she said, in fact, admitting to breaking the law before backtracking on the subject.

Later, as editor of News of the World in 2002, and known by her new married name, Rebekah Brooks, said she condemned hacking but refused to be interviewed by The New York Times.

Early on Brooks was known for her creative flair in getting articles and her lack of compunction on how she got them. In 1994 she prepared for The News of the World’s interview with a paramour of Princess Diana by hiring a hotel suite and hiring a team to “kit it out with secret tape devices in various flower pots and cupboards.” Morgan, her former boss, mentions the incident in his memoir.

Quotable

“If they don’t act, then we face catastrophic damage to the American economy and the leadership, to their credit, and I mean Republicans and Democrats, fully understand that.” – Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner on Sunday.

“Nobody is talking about not raising the debt ceiling. I haven’t heard that discussed by anybody.” – Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.

 

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