Murdoch’s hackles raised – and revealed
Rupert Murdoch has vented his anger at the continuing police investigation into alleged phone-hacking and illegal payments to officials by journalists working for his media empire, a secret recording reveals.
The release of the recording has sparked a call by British MP and anti-Murdoch campaigner Tom Watson that it be referred to police.
“There is a man who sat before parliament and said he had the highest integrity, they were working their way through it, cooperating with the police, and that people who hacked phones or paid police would be immediately dealt with,” Watson told Channel Four News in Britain.
“And then you hear him reassuring people that if they go to jail, they might get their jobs back.”
The recording, obtained by the Exaro investigative website and broadcast by Channel Four News, was said to have been made during at meeting with journalists from The Sun at his British newspapers’ headquarters in Wapping, east London, in March.
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Murdoch is heard railing at the the way the police behaved.
“Still, I mean, it’s a disgrace. Here we are, two years later, and the cops are totally incompetent,” he said.
When one of the journalists present questioned why so much material had been handed over to the police by News Corp’s management and standards committee (MSC), Mr Murdoch indicated that he believed they had gone too far.
“Because – it was a mistake, I think. But, in that atmosphere, at that time, we said, ‘Look, we are an open book, we will show you everything.’ And the lawyers just got rich going through millions of emails,” he said.
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Murdoch also appeared to suggest that any journalists who were convicted and jailed in connection with the inquiry could get their jobs back.
“I will do everything in my power to give you total support, even if you’re convicted and get six months or whatever,” he said.
“You’re all innocent until proven guilty. What you’re asking is: what happens if some of you are proven guilty? What afterwards? I’m not allowed to promise you – I will promise you continued health support – but your jobs. I’ve got to be careful what comes out – but, frankly, I won’t say it, but just trust me.”
Tom Watson said Murdoch’s comments contrasted with his contrite appearance before the Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee two years ago.
News International issued a statement to Channel Four today, responding to the story.
“No other company has done as much to identify what went wrong, compensate the victims and ensure the same mistakes do not happen again,” it said.
“Rupert Murdoch has shown understandable empathy with the staff and families affected and will assume they are innocent until and unless proven guilty.”
