Here is a full transcript from our exchanges with Rupert Murdoch at the News Corp AGM in New York on October 15, 2010, and click here for the audio. Also, check out this special package of our coverage and commentary across the media on the hacking scandal.
Snipped from article
Stephen Mayne: what's your personal view of the phone bugging issue in the UK involving Andy Coulson and Clive Goodson the former Royals reporter. There has been a lot of press about it.
Rupert Murdoch: we have very very strict rules. There was an an incident more than 5 years ago. The person who bought a bugged phone conversation was immediately fired and in fact he subsequently went to jail. There has been two parliamentary inquiries, which have found no further evidence or any other thing at all. If anything was to come to light, we challenge people to give us evidence, and no-one has been able to. If any evidence comes to light, we will take immediate action like we took before.
Stephen Mayne: did you read the 5000-word piece in the New York Times claiming they had spoken to no less than 12 former editors and reporters for the News of the World, confirming that the practice was wide spread?
Rupert: No.
Stephen Mayne: you haven't read that New York Times piece?
Rupert Murdoch: No.
Stephen Mayne: The actual committee said in it's report, there was "deliberate obfuscation" by our executives, there was "collective amnesia" by the executives and you've just demonstrated this again, and this point ....
Rupert Murdoch: I'm sorry. Journalists who have been fired, who are unhappy, or work for other organisations - I don't take them as an authority, and least of all I don't take The New York Times as authority which is the most motivated of all.
Stephen Mayne: I would like to refer to page 16 of the proxy statement, where you say "directors are encouraged to attend and participate" in the company's annual meeting to stockholders. I would like to direct a couple of questions now to both Viet Dinh and Sir Rod Eddington. Sir Rod is our lead independent director and Viet Dinh as chair of our nomination and corporate governance committee. Gentlemen, could you please tell shareholders what steps you've taken to ensure that the code of ethics that this company has on its website and claims to adhere to, has been followed in relation to the phone hacking issue in the UK.....read more
Rupert Murdoch: we have very very strict rules. There was an an incident more than 5 years ago. The person who bought a bugged phone conversation was immediately fired and in fact he subsequently went to jail. There has been two parliamentary inquiries, which have found no further evidence or any other thing at all. If anything was to come to light, we challenge people to give us evidence, and no-one has been able to. If any evidence comes to light, we will take immediate action like we took before.
Stephen Mayne: did you read the 5000-word piece in the New York Times claiming they had spoken to no less than 12 former editors and reporters for the News of the World, confirming that the practice was wide spread?
Rupert: No.
Stephen Mayne: you haven't read that New York Times piece?
Rupert Murdoch: No.
Stephen Mayne: The actual committee said in it's report, there was "deliberate obfuscation" by our executives, there was "collective amnesia" by the executives and you've just demonstrated this again, and this point ....
Rupert Murdoch: I'm sorry. Journalists who have been fired, who are unhappy, or work for other organisations - I don't take them as an authority, and least of all I don't take The New York Times as authority which is the most motivated of all.
Stephen Mayne: I would like to refer to page 16 of the proxy statement, where you say "directors are encouraged to attend and participate" in the company's annual meeting to stockholders. I would like to direct a couple of questions now to both Viet Dinh and Sir Rod Eddington. Sir Rod is our lead independent director and Viet Dinh as chair of our nomination and corporate governance committee. Gentlemen, could you please tell shareholders what steps you've taken to ensure that the code of ethics that this company has on its website and claims to adhere to, has been followed in relation to the phone hacking issue in the UK.....read more
