How Murdoch's Humbling Day Turned In To A Humiliating Day For Britain
I have never seen someone’s slip of tongue turn real so dramatically, on live TV, being watched by the whole world.
The questioning of the Murdoch senior and his son James and Rebekah Brooks, on the phone hacking allegations being faced by Murdoch’s media company News International, by the British Parliamentary committee, conducted in a hall open to the public and broadcast live was without doubt a historic event for democracy, freedom of speech and human rights.
I can't recollect watching Murdoch or Rebekah Brooks on the TV before or have any knowledge of the spectacular growth of his media empire other than his reputation as being ruthless.
I had a feeling that the questioning and the TV broadcast were going to be historic and something not to be missed because like most people I too expected more shocking revelations and admissions from the ruthless ruler of a nefarious empire dangerous to the humanity and his trusted aide Rebekah Brooks. However, like most people, I was not expecting such a riveting show and a wonderful climax!
Surely there was a lot of scepticism in the media around the appearance of the Murdochs in front of the committee, stemming from the recent appointment of the
PR giants, Edelman and one of the UK's leading media lawyers Steven Rubenstein and Dan Tench, Murdoch drafted in ahead of yesterday's appearance.
However, it was clear that the 80 year old father or his son surely didn't need any of the PR service their company has hired, to give a riveting performance which came out as most genuine and natural and surely won over a lot of people around the world including members of the committee.
What started in a tense atmosphere of animosity and mistrust, punctuated by the refusal of the committee chairman to allow Murdoch to read out a statement, soon turned in to a gripping session of probing questions and candid and well thought and iterated replies from the eighty year tycoon, which seemed slowly but surely turn the table. In fact the trust and sympathy building towards the old man was even palpable in the room and in the body language of everyone in front of the cameras.
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