Can James Murdoch survive the hacking scandal?

Complicit in illegal activity or guilty of gross dereliction of duty: the unenviable verdicts James Murdoch is facing.

Rupert Murdoch's son James was recalled by parliament this week to explain "inconsistencies" in his earlier testimony over the phone-hacking scandal, which has already led to the closure of the News of the World tabloid. It is certainly clear that so far the Murdoch empire has treated parliament with little more than "contempt", says Philip Stephens in the Financial Times. Yet the truth is that the exact detail of "who knew what and when" is almost a sideshow now "the damage has been done".

The original crimes and subsequent cover ups reveal a family "out of control". Whether innocent or not, the Murdochs, both junior and senior, were clearly culpable. Either they were fully aware of the hacking taking place on their watch, in which case they were complicit in illegal activity, or they didn't and so are guilty of a gross dereliction of duty as the heads of a global media empire.

Subscribe to MoneyWeek

Subscribe to MoneyWeek today and get your first six magazine issues absolutely FREE

Get 6 issues free
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/mw70aro6gl1676370748.jpg

Sign up to Money Morning

Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter

Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter

Sign up
MoneyWeek

MoneyWeek is written by a team of experienced and award-winning journalists, plus expert columnists. As well as daily digital news and features, MoneyWeek also publishes a weekly magazine, covering investing and personal finance. From share tips, pensions, gold to practical investment tips - we provide a round-up to help you make money and keep it.