Normally I'm sensitive to criticizing others. I think that Jesus had this well covered when he told people not to consider the speck(of dirt) in their brother's eye when they had a bloody great log in their own. Bloody is my insertion, incidentally. And I have a few logs of various sizes inserted from time to time.

But when the speck is in the eye of one Rupert Murdoch (aka The Dirty Digger), then all bets are off. In my estimation, Murdoch has been one of the most baleful influences upon the mass media in the last 40 years. His reputation for dumbing down or sleazing up newspapers is well established. His notoriety as a 'kingmaker' in politics is almost legendary. His influence in public policy has been pervasive and corrosive. And of course, we now know that some of his employees have acted corruptly in circumstances that are morally repugnant. And perhaps criminally so too. Where the various inquiries will lead is anyone's guess but the demise of the appalling News of the World may presage greater calamity for the Murdoch empire.

I hope News Limited (aptly named as the news is often a construct of it's masters) is investigated thoroughly. It is perhaps, a one-off chance to clean up the monopolistic and sychophantic media culture that presents a danger to democratic governance.
On a personal level, there are a number of us who remember Murdoch's interference in the 1975 Australian Federal Election. Now may be time of reckoning. Now is high noon.