Is the hacking scandal the British establishment's 'Napster Moment'?

There are two new models of crisis: the 'Wikileaks Moment' and the 'Napster Moment'. They involve the technological freeing up of information, and the consequent delegitimisation of the elites who have controlled that information. The News of the World scandal relates to both

By Open democracy

/ 25 Jul 2011

A Brief History of Britain’s Power Elites: through Murdoch and beyond?

War with Hitler’s Germany spelled the end for Britain’s old power elite. A new political class emerged, including the media tycoon Rupert Murdoch. Now the Murdochs are revealed in their true colours: as aggressors at the head of a global empire. So what now for the collapsing British state?

By Open democracy

/ 25 Jul 2011

Phone hacking: an investigator, a journalist and a lawyer give their verdict at the Centre for Investigative Journalism summer school

A notable panel including Guardian head of investigations David Leigh, Bishop International investigations firm chief executive Jeff Katz, and media lawyer Gavin Millar QC gave their thoughts on the phone hacking scandal at the timely Centre for Investigative Journalism summer school. Daniel-Josep

By Open democracy

/ 25 Jul 2011

Journalists should be hackers - but target the open web, not private phones

The News of the World scandal has changed our perception of the term 'hacker'. But the technique of hacking is opening up a new future for online news and newsgathering that is in the public interest and is becoming increasingly vital for holding power to account

By Open democracy

/ 22 Jul 2011

Rupert, Rebekah and media 'effix'

Ethical journalism requires that the ends justify the means. The lesson of the phone hacking scandal, argues Richard Collins, shouldn't be to preclude certain investigative practices, but to ensure that the alignment of means and ends is open to scrutiny and adjudication.

By Open democracy

/ 19 Jul 2011

Hackgate, power elites and the limits of the “corruption” critique

The real significance of the "hackgate" scandal in the UK is in revealing an underlying truth about the governing classes and their mode of rule which anyone who’d been paying attention has known all along.

By Guy Aitchison

/ 18 Jul 2011

The BBC Investigates

The BBC has not covered itself in glory in its handling of the scandal at the News of the World in keeping with its poor record in investigative journalism.

By Dan Hind

/ 18 Jul 2011

After Murdoch

A potentially awesome shift in the UK’s power structure is taking place if the role and influence of Murdoch’s newspapers is really undermined. This is because the mess that Jeremy Hunt wishes to see sorted out is the very fusion of politicians, journalists and media owners that govern us - the po

By Anthony Barnett

/ 17 Jul 2011

A Different Kind of Plurality: Securing Diverse Media

While everyone claims to be for plurality in media and good journalism, this won't happen in the UK without serious regulatory reform and public investment.

By Open democracy

/ 16 Jul 2011

OurKingdom forum: The fall of Murdoch - What next?

An ongoing forum in which OurKingdom authors consider why the fall of Rupert Murdoch has taken place, what it tells us about the state of Britain and what the key lesson are for the media and government.

By James Curran, Suzanne Moore and Julian Sayarer

/ 15 Jul 2011

Anger at Murdoch must be built on swiftly

Anger at News International needs to be used, fast, and with firm goals in mind: to re-establish proper boundaries between corporation and state, to reform our laws on media ownership and to remove Murdoch from Britain.

By Open democracy

/ 14 Jul 2011

The End of the BSkyB Bid

Many are cheering Murdoch's demise but will they look back on the last twenty years as a paradise of pluralism?

By David Elstein

/ 13 Jul 2011

Power and the Media