What do you get the faithful executive who has everything?
For Tom Mockridge, CEO of News International, the U.K. newspaper, the gift he cannot re-gift this season is the memo stating he was passed-over for his big career promotion. Some people are so hard to buy for. The winner of Tom’s Got Screwed is Dow Jones editor-in-chief, Robert Thomson who is Mockridge’s upcoming boss and the new reported head of News Corp.’s publishing company. The provider of such an elaborate gift was his master and Satan’s little brother – Ruper Murdoch.
Mockridge, a long-time Murdoch lieutenant who was born in New Zealand, was seen as a favorite for the job, but on Saturday Mockridge was out and Thomson is like Flynn. It goes to show you that at News Corp what hard work and dedication can do. It would seem, to get ahead, you must either give it or lose it.
Mockridge previously ran the Sky Italia pay TV business (at a profit I may add) before replacing the eves dropping and random dialer Rebekah Brooks as head of News International following her highly public phone hacking scandal, last summer.
On a similar but related note, our Miss Brooks and former News of the World editor Andy Coulson and an assortment of guilty others made a brief court appearance on Thursday to formally face corruption charges.
Earlier this month, U.K. prosecutors state that they had enough evidence of illegal payments to public officials to bring criminal charges against at least five people, including the two former top journalists at the U.K. newspaper unit of Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp. and at least one public official. You see, there is a Santa Clause.
Oh but wait, for keeping her mouth shut Santa Murdock gave Miss Brooks more than £7 million ($11.2 million) in the form of a golden muzzle. Golden bits close lips.
Minus the ringleader, the crazy gang of nutty journalist played to a packed house as they were facing charges followed by a long police probe (oh my) into payments by journalists to officials in exchange for information, such as phone numbers for Britain’s Royal Family and news for publication in tabloids. The defendants will return to court on Dec. 6. Tickets are on sale now.
So a good commander must address the troops, and no one needs a good dressing like this old tired salad. Lets take a memo.
TVFishbowl has obtained a copy of that little known e-mail from:
News Int. CEO’s personal email from our Major Tom Mockridge to News International staff on Saturday after five senior Sun journalists were arrested.
Dear colleagues,
I am very saddened that a further five colleagues from The Sun, have been arrested this morning by the Police. It has already been widely reported the individuals involved are Geoff Webster, John Edwards, John Kay, John Sturgis and Nick Parker.
This news is difficult for everyone on The Sun and particularly for those of you who work closely with those involved. Some of the individuals arrested have been instrumental in breaking important stories about public bodies, for example the scandal of our under resourced troops in Iraq.
We must take care not to pre-judge the outcome of the police interviews. It is vitally important for all those involved that proper due process should take its course. The company has provided legal support to those interviewed today.
I remind you that, News Corporation has empowered an independent body, the MSC, to cooperate fully with the Police. The MSC has reiterated to me that this is being carried out with regard to the protection of legitimate journalistic sources.
In light of these further developments, I have today written to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) to seek clarification from them about the process of independent oversight of the Police investigation.
I understand the pressure many of you are under and have the greatest admiration for everyone’s continued professionalism. The Sun has a proud history of delivering ground-breaking journalism.
You should know that I have had a personal assurance today from Rupert Murdoch about his total commitment to continue to own and publish The Sun newspaper.
Today we are facing our greatest challenge. Dominic is committed to leading the paper through this difficult period and, while today’s arrests are shocking, we need to support him and his team to serve the loyal readers of The Sun and produce a great paper for Monday.
Thank you,
T
Mockridge gives pep talk to the troops with solace as he admits his greatest challenge is his commitment to leading the paper through its difficult period and little did he know he was about to get rogered but good from the very people who he has been faithfully defending and supporting; his departure is scheduled to be effective at the end of the year. Thomson will take over the media giant according to sources at the beginning of 2013 as soon as his journalism ethics have been successfully removed.
News Corp. is planning to separate the publishing company from its entertainment assets, including its film studio, the Fox broadcast network and its cable networks. The company has always said that Murdoch would remain chairman and CEO of the entertainment company, as well as chairman of the publishing group.
Need more Tom? Well, feast on this my sweets.
Tom Mockridge was born 1955.
Mockridge began his career in his native New Zealand starting in 1977 as a reporter for the New Plymouth-based Taranaki Daily News in the central North Island.
He moved to Australia in 1980, working first for the Sydney Morning Herald as economics editor, then as an adviser for the Australian Treasurer Paul Keating. He also worked for The Australian and later joined News Limited in January 1991, where he was assistant CEO to Ken Cowley (One of Australia’s most successful businessman, whose career has spanned nearly 50 years) until 1996. He then became CEO of Foxtel, an Australian pay television company, a post that he held for three years.
Mockridge was appointed managing director of Independent Newspapers in 2001, New Zealand’s largest newspaper publisher and a subsidiary of News Corp. He was also appointed President of pay TV group Sky New Zealand.
In 2002, Mockridge led the merger between Stream TV and Tele+ which resulted in the creation of Sky Italia. On completion of the merger, he was appointed CEO of Sky Italia. In 2008, Mockridge was appointed Managing Director of European Television (all News Corps TV assets outside the UK), reporting to James Murdoch. He was later appointed to the board of British Sky Broadcasting, a position he still holds.
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