Tell Congress: Investigate News Corporation!
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Family members of 9/11 victims just called for an investigation into allegations that FOX News owner Rupert Murdoch's newspaper News of the World sought to hack into voicemail boxes of 9/11 victims.
Murdoch has already been forced to shut down the British paper since it has been revealed that its reporters hacked into the voice mail of politicians, celebrities, British soldiers and even a missing girl who was later found murdered.
But now this scandal has expanded to the US, on reports earlier this week that a former New York City police officer claims he was offered money by News of the World journalists to retrieve phone records of 9/11 victims and their families.
This is an opportunity to hold the owner of FOX News accountable before the American people for the detestable practices he promotes as journalism. Murdoch's News Corporation is a US company that operates FOX News, The Wall Street Journal and The New York Post. And if any News Corporation outlets were spying on Americans, we deserve to know.
Tell Congress: Investigate News Corporation!
The hacking activities at News of the World, and were not limited to a few rogue reporters, but reflect systematic orchestration from the highest levels of News Corporation -- just as we have seen the lies and misinformation agenda of FOX News get handed down from senior management there.
Les Hinton, one of the top News of the World executives at the time of much of these hacking activities, is now the Chief executive of Dow Jones, which publishes the Wall Street Journal. Hinton, who is one of Rupert Murdoch's closest personal confidants, testified in 2007 that the hacking was limited to one reporter. That now appears clearly untrue.
Yesterday, Senator Jay Rockefeller, Chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, said the reported hacking was "a serious breach of journalistic ethics" and called for investigations, but stopped short of saying he would pursue a Congressional investigation.
As this scandal may now impact Americans, and includes executives like Hinton at one of America's largest newspapers, congress owes it to Americans to get to the bottom of this. And given the pattern of abuses at News Corp, Rupert Murdoch himself should be made to testify.
Spying on victims of the worst terrorist attack in our history -- to help sell more newspapers, or for any other reason -- is totally unconscionable. And if executives knew about these abuses, or implemented similar abuses at other American outlets, they must be held accountable.
The Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, and Media Matters, are calling on Congress to investigate. Please sign the petition to help build these calls now.
Tell Congress: Investigate News Corporation!
1. "9/11 families call for U.S. probe of Murdoch," Politico, July 13, 2011
2. "Gordon Brown and 9/11 victims possibly hacked by News International papers," The Washington Post, July 11, 2011
3. "Rockefeller Urges Probe Into News Corp. For Phone Hacking," Talking Points Memo, July 12, 2011