Murdochs Testify Before British Lawmakers

During three hours of testimony, Rupert and James Murdoch responded to questions by UK parliamentary committee members. Questions focused on the phone-hacking scandal at a subsidiary of News Corp, the Murdochs' media empire. The questioning became tense at times, with lawmakers repeatedly asking the senior Murdoch questions, while his son attempted to respond, saying that he was more familiar with the situation.

At the beginning of the hearing, Mr. Murdoch senior said, "This is the most humble day of my life." Toward the end, the questioning was interrupted by a protester who threw a pie of shaving cream in Mr. Murdoch's face. (His wife sprung into action!) Clearly this is a difficult time for the chief executive.

Discussion Starters:

• After watching a few minutes of the hearings, what is your impression of the Murdochs' responses to questions? Compare and contrast the father's and the son's responses. How do you account for the differences?
• Read one analyst's perspective of the testimony (LA Times). After doing your own analysis, do you agree with this writer's summary?