Will our Press stop at nothing

How low can the gutter press sink
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-14040841

With many of them the answer is NO. But it has always been obvious that Murdoch will do anything to increase his profits and influence. Hopefully now people realise what a "slimeball" he is, his organization might be cut back, in this country at least, though the popularity of his Fox News in America will probably continue amongst the cavemen of the US

I don't understand any of this report.
How do the newspaper people even get to know other peoples mobile phone numbers? I don't know mine.
I am also pretty sure that the term hacking is being used to describe the act of calling someones mobile phone answering service from another phone in the same way as the owner of the number might do in the absence of their own mobile phone. This isn't really hacking as in computer network break in's.
This is simply dialing all the possible networks voicemail access numbers and then entering the victims mobile phone number and PIN. Made easier by taking advantage of the fact that almost no one ever sets a new PIN to secure their voice message service. This gives the caller full access to the victims voicemail and settings.
It certainly isn't possible to listen into digital mobile phone calls.

Volty

Whatever the technicality of this crime is, it simply is beyond belief that a newspaper would condone this sort of thing. I see that like rats deserting a sinking ship they are all trying to wriggle out of any involvement "it wasn't me sir". Why now is the issue of payments to the police for information being raised. Are they trying to frighten somebody in authority?

Phil

Phil,
As it is so easy to get into someones voicemail and journalists see everyone else's business as the newspapers property, to do with as they will, then I don't think they would see anything wrong with it.
Certainly nothing is beyond my belief when it come to the scumbags of the press, this is what I would expect from a self regulated money machine.
VM

The more I read of the. News of the world Hacking story the more I am sickened by it.
Anyon who advertises with it or buys it must be of very low moral fibre.
This sick Rag is produced by Morons for idiots.

From the days when I used to read it in 1948, it's always been a comic.

We always had four papers in our house on a Sunday morning, News of the World, Pictorial, People, and Sunday Mercury. The only one of those four that I still take is the Sunday Mercury.

Phil

Interestin development today, though its probably because they think they won't get much advertising revenue, and in the hope that it might relieve pressure on the takeover of Sky. Maybe we should all boycott Sky (mind you I don't ahve it anyway - and wouldn't ever anyway as it seems to think everyone should love it because it is overloaded with Sport.)
Pity someone can't close down the Conservative party

It seems as though the morals of this country are sinking lower and lower. We take Footballers and Popstars rich powerful people who our youngsters look up to as role models. What do they do, anything as corrupt or depraved as they can to get their filthy names in the papers.
Our Newspapers we once trusted to sort out the corruption in our lives, now run by scumbags.
Our politicians have skimmed off as much money as possible and we wouldn't have a clue if they were lying to us or not.

I wouldn't take the news of the World as a gift. It's standard of reporting on subjects that are not in any shape or form News of the World simply panders to the lowest possible taste. I have a copy from 1910 when it was worthy of the name, reporting on events across the world. How things have changed. But to close it down is simply punishing staff and proving nothing. The backlash would probably have done the job anyway. It's a cosmetic move that leaves the situation unchanged. How many weeks before The Sun on Sunday. And what about the rest of the press? The Times and Sun? Squeaky clean? I doubt it. After all they're owned by the same company. The Mail? A moralistic rag that loves to take the high ground moralistically but scape the surface and what might you find? The Express owned by porn merchants and the Mirror who lost Piers Morgan, it's editor, when he printed stuff about British Soldiers involved in torture (with pictures) that was patently untrue and ended with a front page apology. I'll bet the whole lot are crapping themselves for fear of what might come to light. It's a sorry mess.

Handlebar, I agree with most of what you say. Except the bit about closing it down. Newspapers these days don't carry the staff that they used to. When you take the Sports pages, mostly agency stuff. Take the adverts, just needs a small staff section. Holiday pages, most of the information is supplied by the resorts.
When it comes to the news loads of it is taken from agencies. The rest just isn't worth page room.
If my company turned out a load of Crap every time we serviced work for our customers our Company would have closed down years ago.
Any Newspaper which constantly turns out garbage and drivell and insults the intelligence of it's readers It's time to go.
Unfortunately some people actually believe what they read in the papers. You should be able to anyway. Yes some people will lose their jobs.
How many people have lost their Livelyhoods, Wives, family and friends because of lies printed "In the Public Interest".
Sorry but this paper has got to go.

I can remember back in the early 70s talking to an aquaintance at the Birmingham Post. He was well aware of the problems people could have (even then) dealing with the press, and , in fact he came over to help some friends who had recieved a lot of press attention on one occasion. However he insisted that (whatever you thought of the content), the one paper you could be sure would, as far as possible be absolutely accurate in its reporting would be the News of the World. This was because , then, the courts would come down so hard on them if they printed inaccurate facts and were sued. Things have changed

Posted by Sheldonboy

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(Edited) Any Newspaper which constantly turns out garbage and drivell and insults the intelligence of it's readers, it's time to go.

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I have to disagree here SB, I don't believe any newspaper insults the intelligence of it's readers, surely it's readers are of the required level of intelligence to match the paper.
Intelligent people don't pay to be insulted do they?
VM

Knowing Murdoch never does anything for the good of others, he realised that the News of the World was finished and if he hadn't pulled the plug it would have gone anyway.

Not wanting to be seen to have a failed newspaper as part of his portfolio he wisely closed it. I don't care much as it one of the "Sundays" that I never read, as long he doesn't think by closing this trash sheet that it will get he or his employees away with anything.

Phil