Category Archives: media

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Elm Guest House – “Mary Moss” files

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This is another significant post from Chris Fay, who has campaigned tirelessly to bring sexual abusers of children to justice, about a document on Elm Guest House in Barnes which has led to fevered speculation on the internet about a cover up of prominent figures who could have sexually abused children there. What he is saying here is that the victims are genuine but do not automatically assume that all the adults who are alleged to have stayed there are abusers. This does not mean that on going investigations under Operation Fernbridge will not lead to further arrests.

chris46's avatartheneedleblog

In the interests of accuracy, and to protect the reputations of innocent people, I would like to set the record straight about certain things contained in the “Mary Moss” files placed online last year.

These were mostly handwritten notes made on a daily basis concerning NAYPIC’s investigation into complaints from young people in the care of Richmond of abuse at Grafton Close Children’s Home, and elsewhere, including the Elm Guest House in Barnes from 1977 to 1982.

Unfortunately, being just notes, they have no real context.  I will try to provide that.  Amongst the documents is a list of boys names. These are VICTIMS not abusers.  These were the names of young people who had complained to us, were strictly confidential and should never have been made public.  Due to the unfortunate circumstances around the police raid on Mary Moss’s home, these were released online.

Also included was a list…

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Exaro News: Pay wall scrapped – It’s all free

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You can now read all my stories and many other good scoops on the Exaro website free of charge.
Just like my old employer The Guardian and unlike Rupert Murdoch’s Sun and Times there is no longer a pay wall between you and the story.
So go to the site and see and hear the full private Murdoch ” tape”; all the stories about Ed Lester, the former head of the Student Loans Company now at the Land Registry and his tax avoidance; all the stories on the Operation Fernbridge historic paedophile investigation; the government’s flawed plan to abolish the Audit Commission and embarrassing disclosures about the activities of the Serious Fraud Office.
Exaro is now funding its activities with a big expansion in data journalism -aimed at business.
Go on indulge yourself!

Government’s barmy and complex plan to tackle defamation on the web

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The Ministry of Justice has just excelled itself with a daft plan to try and tackle libellous and abusive comments on websites.
A splendid blog on the Inforrm website by media lawyer Ashley Hurst from Olswang reveals that a so-called simple system to provide redress to force web operators to take down posts is anything but that.
As he himself states the ministry claimed it “designed to be as straightforward as possible for people to use” but there are in excess of 20 cross-references in a procedure spanning over four pages with 47 FAQs and 10 pages of guidance.”
Worse it looks as though it will do the opposite that it intends by encouraging more people to blog anonymously as people might have to get court orders to find out who is behind the post.
He points out “People blog and comment on websites anonymously for a reason: because they do not want to be identified. Why would an anonymous blogger suddenly identify himself without a court order because a website operator tells him that a legal complaint has been received? There is absolutely no incentive, especially for a whistleblower, someone intent on causing damage, or someone who cannot afford to be sued, to come forward and identify themself voluntarily as a potential defendant.”
There is also a 48 hour fast track application to get someone’s post down – but make one mistake in the form and web operator can ignore. I can’t imagine WordPress, based in the US with a tradition of free speech, being over impressed by these new UK regulations.
For those who want to study it further he supplies a flow diagram, which almost rates in complexity ( but not quite) with Andrew Lansley’s re-organisation of the NHS.
In my view the planned regulations look hardly worth the paper they are written on. They seem a waste of cyberspace.

Crosby Textor reaction: You’re just a two bit blog

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managing director and business partner of Lynton Crosby

managing director and business partner of Lynton Crosby

Swift  and arrogant reaction to a rather critical piece today on Lynton Crosby’s  forthcoming libel action in Australia against Labor defence material minister, Mike Kelly.

A splendid exchange between Tom Watson and Mark Textor on Twitter followed publication.

  2. .@tom_watson pity about gross factual errors herein. Quoting 2 bit blogs now Tom? Poor old thing. Nite!

    3:04 PM – 21 Jul 13 ·

  3. @markatextor Oh, and if you don’t know the author of the blog, he’s @davidhencke. He’s very well known in the UK. Have a nice day now.

  4. @tom_watson @davidhencke couldn’t even get the name right. Lolz!

     3:11 PM – 21 Jul 13 ·
    Tweet text

  5. @markatextor I’ll let you get some sleep. It sounds like you need it.

Evidently Mark Textor’s sole objection to the piece was an error I made – which I am happy to apologise and have already corrected – mispelling his name –  substituting an e for an o.

The managing director modestly describes himself on the Crosby Textor website “As Australia ‘s most successful pollster and campaign strategist, Mark Textor is acknowledged as the most astute judge of public sentiment in Australia today.”

Indeed he may well be but I hope his clients who pay him millions get better advice than he gives himself. All I would say is beware of two bit blogs they sometimes can bite.

Murdoch eats humble pie over private comments at the Sun

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Rupert Murdoch yesterday rowed back from his private comments seen and heard by Exaro News and on this site  condemning the police, the judiciary and his admission that he knew all along about payments to police and officials.

In two letters to John Whittingdale, Tory chair of the culture, media and sport committee, and Keith Vaz, Labour chair of the home affairs committee, his strident comments became strangely muted.

The full quotes are in an updated piece on the Exaro News website and Channel Four News.

No doubt the media mogul, advised by his lawyer,realised that the leaking of his comments to arrested journalists had attracted too much attention, particularly after  the Met Police Operation Elveden  asked Exaro for a tape with his views.

Now he does not doubt the police’s professionalism and says any interpretation on his words that he knew about bribing official is ” wholly false”. This is after he called the police operation totally incompetent and said the Met Police inquiry was about ” next to nothing.”

Really. He was obviously not wanting to row back too much from the words he gave to his journalists – still complaining the investigation had taken too long and was ” disproportionate ” and admitting to raw emotion at the meeting.

But will this be  enough to get him off the hook. Will people really believe him?  It was definitely a repentant Rupe, but I suspect the humbling was only skin deep and I am not sure that it will get him entirely off the hook from the Met.

More seriously how will people in the US and Australia take this explanation. I think there is more to come.

Murdoch: I am hurt and betrayed by the leak at The Sun

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Rupert Murdoch: crying into his American beer

Rupert Murdoch: crying into his American beer

Rupert Murdoch has told  David Dinsmore the new editor of the Sun, that he has been hurt and betrayed by the leaking of his private comments to arrested journos at The Sun.

A report today on  Exaro News reveals that the man is devastated by the disclosures that he knew about the payments to officials which have now led to a string of his reporters and executives being arrested under the Met police Operation Elveden investigation.

Probably more devastating is the fact the disclosure of the audio recording has now led to the American media mogul being summoned to appear before Parliament and the police being sent the tape of his words by Exaro News. And pressure is expected in his adopted homeland the United States as the new liberated Tom Watson gets going again.

One is tempted as a fellow pensioner Rupert Murdoch to feel sympathy for the disclosure of one’s private thoughts when you reach the ripe old age of 82 and you can’t have any privacy at all.

But then one thinks of all the  distress faced by the Dowler family  after the hacking into Milly’s phone or  the feeling politicians and other celebs had when their private phones and e-mails were tapped. Perhaps the angst you are going through now might just give you a glimmer of what it is like for other people who have found themselves in this situation. There is still time to repent, Rupe!

Murdoch: The Full Monty

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Rupert Murdoch: has he broken the law?

Rupert Murdoch: has he broken the law?

Exaro News have put up the last six minutes of the audio of Rupert Murdoch talking at the  meeting with arrested Sun journalists – bringing to 24 minutes the audio of the  private comments of  the News UK owner.

You can listen here – http://www.exaronews.com/articles/5033/audio-rupert-murdoch-fumes-rails-and-bangs-meeting-table .

It comes as officers from Operation Elveden  have requested Exaro News for the audio recording. Operation Elveden say they want the recording because ” We believe this meeting  may contain evidence of conspiring to commit misconduct in public office and we need to secure the best evidence.”

Exaro have said they are happy to supply these audio clips but they are now publicly available and the police can listen to them on Exaro’s website.

News UK the successor to News Corporation have denied these recordings reveal that Murdoch knew about the payments before the police investigation.

You can judge that for yourself.

The Murdoch Tapes: Fleet Street, Hypocrisy and the Police

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Are the Met Police on Operation Elveden interested in Rupert Murdoch’s comments? This seems to be the point of this blog which is highlighting that the audio ( there is no actual tape) has re-opened the whole issue of payments to police officers and public officials By Fleet Street for stories. I have also put this up as a summary of all the latest development and links to blogs and articles for those keen to follow events.

INFORRM's avatarInforrm's Blog

MurdochLast month, Private Eye reported that Sun journalists had taped a meeting with Rupert Murdoch in March 2013.   The Executive Chairman of News Corporation was quoted as taking a supportive view of the position of arrested journalists.  This story was not followed up at the time.  It broke again this week when the investigative journalism website, Exaro and Channel 4 News claimed an exclusive on the story and released a transcript of the recording.

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How Rupert Murdoch’s practices bought a Sun executive to tears

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Rupert Murdoch: Did he look that at the end of the Sun meeting

Rupert Murdoch: Did he look that at the end of the Sun meeting

Exaro have today released the final section of the 45 minute audio of Rupert Murdoch’s meeting with arrested Sun journalists. It is a very poignant moment when Deidre  Sanders, the Sun’s agony aunt, reads out a  damning letter from the wife of a senior executive.

You can hear it at http://www.exaronews.com/articles/5035/audio-dear-deidre-rupert-murdoch-betrayed-us-the-sun . The feeling among Sun journalists that they have been betrayed  by a decision of the Management and Standards Committee to hand over mountains of material  to the Met Police and face a life with criminal convictions could not be more emphasised.

The meeting closes with a former Sun executive sobbing as Rupert Murdoch promises to stuff the letter down a lawyer’s throat. It makes awful listening. A tale of betrayal for people who have been loyal to the company for years while the Murdoch employee who sanctioned the release of the information and gave evidence to Leveson has been promoted to ” some fancy job ”  in the United States.

The audio recording serves as a warning to Murdoch staffers world wide, in Australia, the United States as  well as Britain. If he allows people on his beloved Sun to be treated like this, what chance will you have if anything goes  badly wrong  on your paper, radio or TV station in your country.

The real Rupert Murdoch addresses The Sun: 13 minute recording of his words

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Extracts from the full digital recording of Rupert Murdoch’s astonishing views on  the police investigation Operation Eleveden is now available on Exaro’s website. The link is http://www.exaronews.com/articles/5032/audio-rupert-murdoch-was-aware-of-payments-to-officials. For those who have never heard Rupert  in private you will notice the huge  difference between ” This is the humblest day of my life” approach to MPs in 2011  and his  aggressive and angry response to the ” total incompetence” of the police this year. There is also a contrast between this and his appearance before Lord Leveson.