Rupert Murdoch's flagship Sunday tabloid in Britain, News of the World, is firing back in response to a damaging New York Times report about the newspaper's alleged illegal "phone-hacking" of political and celebrity voicemail accounts. News of the World managing editor Bill Akass, in a letter to The Times, accused it of breaching its own ethics guidelines by publishing "unsubstantiated rumor" to punish a key rival, Murdoch's Wall Street Journal. Does Team Murdoch have a case? (Watch Rupert Murdoch refuse to discuss the scandal)
Team Murdoch "has no case": Let's review News of the World's "recent ethical conduct," says Jack Shafer in Slate: One reporter jailed for illegal wiretapping, two 2009 out-of-court phone-hacking settlements worth $1.6 million, and apparent collusion with the police. And this tabloid wants to preach ethics to The Times? That's "a little like walking in on a guy shtupping your wife and having him lecture you on the evils of adultery."
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