'My column at the News of the World' blog discussion

Torry_Quine · 6 July 2011 at 7:57PM

Zyyb wrote: »

Dear god, I hadn't realised the public was this angry. Has everyone forgotten this story has been around for years, but because it was a little girls phone, the sense of outrage has tipped boiling point, it's crazy what gets the public fired up.

I have no love for Murdoch, but come on, this is really down to a few people making bad decisions, it hasn't happened recently. Is any other tabloid any better? They all print false stories, bend the truth, hoping to get away with it to sell headlines. It'll all blow over in a few weeks.

Allegedy hacking into a dead girl's phone and deleting messages thereby giving false hope to her parents is lower than I thought even the NOTW could sink. It may not have happened recently but we have only just been told.

I really hope it doesn't blow over and this is the beginning of the end of the 'newspaper'.

Fifer · 6 July 2011 at 8:00PM

Zyyb wrote: »

Dear god, I hadn't realised the public was this angry. Has everyone forgotten this story has been around for years, but because it was a little girls phone, the sense of outrage has tipped boiling point, it's crazy what gets the public fired up.

Yes, fancy not caring about celebrity tittle-tattle but objecting to interference in a murder enquiry. How very odd.

Zyyb wrote: »

I have no love for Murdoch, but come on, this is really down to a few people making bad decisions, it hasn't happened recently. Is any other tabloid any better? They all print false stories, bend the truth, hoping to get away with it to sell headlines. It'll all blow over in a few weeks.

What makes you believe it wasn't happening at least until they were caught?

Shagg · 6 July 2011 at 8:07PM

The love of money as a possession — as distinguished from the love of money as a means to the enjoyments and realities of life — will be recognised for what it is, a somewhat disgusting morbidity, one of those semi-criminal, semi-pathological propensities which one hands over with a shudder to the specialists in mental disease ... But beware! The time for all this is not yet. For at least another hundred years we must pretend to ourselves and to everyone that fair is foul and foul is fair; for foul is useful and fair is not. Avarice and usury and precaution must be our gods for a little longer still. For only they can lead us out of the tunnel of economic necessity into daylight.

So wrote John Maynard Keynes. Could have been writing about you Martin.

Aberdeenangarse · 6 July 2011 at 8:07PM

!!!!!! Show some 'backbone' and move to another paper!

NantheCat · 6 July 2011 at 8:08PM

...and tying yourself in knots while dancing on the head of a pin to justify taking the Murdoch money. There are some good decent and honest newspapers out there. Go find one or stop writing for them altogether.

Anyone in bed with Murdoch shouldn't be trying to set themselves up as some sort of crusader, even in good causes. MoneySavingExpert will never look the same to me again.

adam2484 · 6 July 2011 at 8:14PM

Its a bit different to a bad ad during a tvshow you present.

You should quit the paper but you won't. Too much time and money involved for you...

oakhouse13 · 6 July 2011 at 8:15PM

http://mhapr.co.uk/clients/

"secured him columns in The News of the World"

Martin Lewis' PR who says he set up Martin's NOTW column seems to be lower than NOTW journalists apparently

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2001/oct/25/marketingandpr1

My view is Martin Lewis can use his column in the NOTW to educate if that's what he believes he does with no need to even include the name of this business. In fact, to plug this business when writing for an editorial fee commissioned by an editor I'm not sure it would be ethical to use that column as PR for your own business. Conflict of interest.

"Murray Harkin was exposed by an undercover News of the World reporter for offering to arrange sex parties for clients."

mzungu74 · 6 July 2011 at 8:19PM

Martin-
I completely respect what you have done for many money savers over the years. This website has been a revelation to me and I have passed on your name and that of the site to everyone I know.

It is my opinion that your values and that of MSE do not sit at all well with the NOTW. Infact the gap is insurmountable You stand up for the consumer, trying to help everyone make the best of their income in an ethical and moral way. You have taken on massive corporations, fought injustice and immoral procedures and won. In doing so, you have been an inspiration to many.

Regardless of the fact the NOTW has supported you it has shown itself to be morally corrupt, stooping to unimaginable depths to capture exclusive stories and, essentially make money. Indeed they will be delighted to have you on board as you have credibility and respect, two values that even an avid NOTW readers would admit is not their strong point.

Yes the focus of the story is from a few years ago but it has also been hidden, denied and covered up since then which is why we are only hearing about this now. And as the days go by the revelations continue to be more shocking.

I would expect many MSE'rs and fans of your column will follow the suit of the likes of the Co-op, Renault, Lloyds TSB etc and boycott the NOTW. To be blunt, if no one buys the NOTW this is no great outrage. Authorising and then (allegedly) covering up the hacking of innocent victims of awful crimes is. Bear in mind this is also an organisation whose current chief executive has openly admitted to paying police for stories.

I have some sympathy with NOTW journalists. This is their livelihood. But as you mentioned, you have other offers. You don’t need to work for an organisation who have seemingly lost all morality.

I guess what it comes down to is this: Is it that important that you have the NOTW as a platform to try and get across your very positive and helpful message that you would be willing to sacrifice your own beliefs and morals?

Or put it another way. If you left what is the worst that would happen? You may move to a publication with a lesser circulation, but you would do so with your head held high, credibility intact and, far more importantly, you would have stuck to your personal values.

Thanks
M74

MoneySavingUser · 6 July 2011 at 8:25PM

I agree that the Milly Dowler story has been the tipping point (and the families of 7/7 etc. victims) - it's no longer about celeb gossip and people like Sienna Miller (who would normally fall over themselves to get the media to publicise their movies) - the links to nazism and avarice in this topic may be ok to direct at the NOTW/News International but I don't think they should be directed at Martin personally

However the ultimate fact is that a) Murdoch doesn't really care how he makes his money/promotes his own interests through his companies b) Rebekka Brookes & Andy Coulson knew exactly what was going on - they can't be in charge of the newspaper for so long and claim to have no idea - and you are working for Rebekka Brookes

I don't read the NOTW and had forgotten that Martin had a column with them until I saw this - however I do not think he should he continue his relationship with them - I think the main difference between this and the PPI companies etc. sponsoring TV programmes is that Martin has direct control over this and he doesn't have that over tv advertising slots

Mallotum_X · 6 July 2011 at 8:25PM

Sorry but martin should have higher standards. Saying 'its a different paper now' just will not wash. By continuing the association you are condoning a dreadful series of crimes that are not all 9 years ago but many are more recent.

The only decent thing to do is to stop any association with this dreadful paper. Or does the fee for the column have a higher bearing than your personal morals or ethics....

'My column at the News of the World' blog discussion

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