Prince Harry May Deliver the Next Huge Blow to Murdoch's Empire

[Zorro]

In the ongoing hacking lawsuit, Murdoch’s newspaper kingdom “cannot allow some of those documents to see the light of day”—but Prince Harry seems hellbent on making sure they do.

The two tracks of Rupert Murdoch’s debasement of journalism have converged into one extremely costly crisis for him. It’s clear that Murdoch’s last years as a media tycoon will be spent paying for his criminalizing of print journalism and his primetime television assault on truth.

Prince Harry’s onslaught in a London court on Murdoch’s British tabloids exposes the long and unstinting drain on the Murdoch purse of 16 years of litigation to settle claims by many thousands of victims of phone hacking. Coming on the heels of the $787.5-million payout by Fox News to settle the Dominion defamation case it means that what were once viewed as cash cows have turned into fiscal black holes—more cases against Fox are in the pipeline and paying off hacking victims could still take years.

This may not resemble repentance but it’s surely not the way he wanted to end a life building a world-straddling media empire.

Moreover, Harry’s attack on the “grotesque and sadistic” London tabloids is likely to bring more reputational harm. Murdoch’s lawyers know this. Harry’s refusal to settle out of court—as thousands of other hacking victims have done because they lack his kind of wealth to support protracted litigation—means that damning documents uncovered during discovery would suddenly be made public in court.

“News Group Newspapers (NGN) cannot allow some of those documents to see the light of day” a person familiar with the case told the Daily Beast.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/prince-harry-may-deliver-the-next-huge-blow-to-murdochs-empire

[pwb]

1. Good

.

[MontanaMama]

2. Keep it going, Harry.

BREAK them.

[MLAA]

3. You go Prince Harry. Justice for many others as well as yourself.

[Hugh_Lebowski]

4. Give 'em Hell, Harry!!! (nt)

[Cha]

5. Goo on Prince Harry.. Mahalo!!

Moreover, Harry’s attack on the “grotesque and sadistic” London tabloids is likely to bring more reputational harm. Murdoch’s lawyers know this. Harry’s refusal to settle out of court—as thousands of other hacking victims have done because they lack his kind of wealth to support protracted litigation—means that damning documents uncovered during discovery would suddenly be made public in court.

Fucking Brit Tab Ghouls.

[kimbutgar]

6. My husband has been reading his book and Harry states in there that Murdoch's media was

Destructive to his life and that he got a settlement from them.

So I love the piling on right now of the Fox empire,

[2naSalit]

9. And they SOOO deserve it!

Go Harry!

[JohnnyRingo]

8. He's going to be a tough one to bribe or intimidate.

...To say the least.

[sarge43]

10. Indeed

Defending his wife and children, he takes no prisoners.

[Scrivener7]

11. A major news organization cannot allow some of it's documents to "see

the light of day."

I'm just going to sit with that for a minute...

[Catherine Vincent]

12. Right on, Prince Harry

Don't back down.

[Lucinda]

13. ❤️ ✿❧🌿❧✿ ❤️

[KPN]

14. Anytime a private organization cannot allow some documents

to see the light of day, those documents need to be released to the public via whatever means necessary because they most likely constitute a blatant and complete disregard for what is best and good for civil society as a whole.

[stopdiggin]

17. in this case - bears some weight, probably justification

In all cases .. ? That's an extremely broad statement.

(And, "by whatever means necessary"? Ummmm .. Think I would reconsider.)

[Hekate]

15. Reading Harry's book is tough in many places, but worthwhile. Last night I read the part about Diana

… how she was hounded to death by the ghouls. He was an adult (22?) before he got to visit Paris — on some charity event — and took time to pressure his ever-present bodyguards to take him through The Tunnel at 65 mph (the surviving driver said they were doing 65, the “paps” claimed 120). First, it was a straight shot through, no curves. Second, there was a little bump at the beginning — small, almost unnoticeable. He said, “That’s it?!” and asked for a second go. At a later date he found out his brother had the same experience. The Tunnel of their nightmares was nothing — unless — Unless you were being chased unmercifully, jostled, crowded, blinded by countless flashes.

Back home, he pressured his assigned private secretary to bring him the file on Diana’s death. Here’s what struck him about one photo (from one of the many in cameras confiscated by the police): she was still beautiful and un-maimed as she lay in the wrecked car, and seemed “haloed” everywhere. He had to analyze the photo to understand why that lighting-effect and then he saw it was countless flashbulbs going off. So many flashbulbs that you could detect the reflections of the photographers themselves. Flashing, flashing, and not a soul in any of the photos reached out to see if she was even still alive or needed a human touch.

This is not what we the public were told, is it?

He really hates the “paps” and the tabloids, and it’s not just about his mother. They hounded him everywhere — he wanted to take a gap year after high school and decided on an Australian cattle ranch owned by a dear friend of Diana’s. Their son, his age, was his trail boss, and they spent all day every day sweltering in the heat and rounding up and driving cattle from one place to the next. The only job he passed on was castration. Everything else he did, and joyfully. For 9 weeks. Then the first “pap” cut through the fence. Within the week there were 2 more. He knew the onslaught had begun and soon there would be helicopters. He reasoned that it would be poor thanks to this family to have their lives ruined that way, so he left. (He truly loved the Army, and to anyone interested in what the paps made of that, just read the book.)

Rupert Murdoch doesn’t employ the paparazzi directly any more, but he buys their product. A simple snap of Harry is worth $30,000 if Rupert uses it — down payment on a home in the city. Something juicier can translate into the down payment on a pretty nice place in the country.

I honest to gods don’t know if anyone has enough money or lawyers to bring the Murdoch empire to account, but both Meghan and Harry were active in charitable work before their marriage, and I think she is the one who figured out how to monetize the many causes they cared about, as she had substantial contacts and years of experience in the film and entertainment world. He had done the work assigned to him by his family, and created other charities such as the Invictus project for wounded warriors; he carried on his mother’s AIDS work — but he had never drawn a paycheck before he was fired from the royal family. Whatever money Harry and Meghan have now they are making on their own.

I seriously wish them all the best against the Murdochs, but most of all I wish them peace.

[Upthevibe]

16. Kick. n/t

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

18. Good for him.

I read his book and it's amazing.

It's also clear that William is not a nice person, and Kate is hardly better.

[Wild blueberry]

19. Good for Harry!

Best of luck!
And maybe a bit of justice for Diana, too.
Thanks for posting this.

[COL Mustard]

20. I'm an Anglophile and I admit it

I can't imagine what kind of screwed up childhood William and Harry had, being essentially tabloid fodder from birth. Growing up with all the inevitable tension between their mother and father (and Camilla), then losing their mother very publicly and very young (she and they)...it's no wonder Harry has been a bit of a hellion. He was created a Spare, and although his mother loved him (and I presume his father does), it's probably very difficult growing up being in the spotlight, with anyone and everyone looking to make money off you in one way or another.

I hope he finds happiness in his life...it won't be in the UK.

[Martin68]

21. Go get 'em, Harry!