Another classic case shows why press councils and TV regulators are toothless tigers:

In Australia-the land where many News Ltd and 'journalists' hone their craft before a stint in the worldwide empire, comes the case of politician Pauline Hanson who was standing in this week's QLD state electons. She lost.

A week ago the Sunday Telegraph published nude snaps reputed to be of Ms Hanson taken 30 years ago. Why they thought this should be public knowledge is a mystery but upon examination most experts are saying the pics are not her..and she denies they are.

She is suing and now claiming the snaps cost her a seat at the weekend election.

The editor Peter Breen says 'his job was on the line" beorehand if the pics were't genine.

Now the backflip has begun. And what do they do ?. They attack the source..an aging cancer ridden pensioner who never claimed they were Hanson..just a "Pauline" he met 30 years ago and had a fling with.
They are attacking the agent who negotiated the sale of the pics. It's a 'win win' situation-There is weeks of life in this tale.

In a classic "when did you stop beating your wife" case they are pondering why Ms Hanson didn't return their original query about the snaps.

Will the editor resign ?. Not likely. As in Rebeccah Wade's example with the sordid "Alfie" matter he will probably get a pat on the back. Everyone else will be pulled to shreds. The pensioner is being mocked for for living in government housing and called a 'conman'. (when will expensive libel laws be made available for ordinary citizens ?)

Other News Ltd titles are 'tut tuting'.Very amusing.

Vanity Fair writer Michael Wolff's fascinating biography of Rupert Murdoch (he interviewed Murdoch) describes him as deeply conservative man with high morals.

There is an often quoted description of the difference between 'morality' and 'ethical' behaviour.

A married 'moral' man will sleep with another woman and worry about the consequences later. An 'ethcal' man may want to sleep with another woman but will know the consequence aren't worth it.

Departing executive and power behind News Ltd Peter Chernin describes the Murdoch heirs as 'the cretins" (according to Wolf).

Murdoch's QLD newspaper Courier Mail(state's only tabloid) conducted a ruthless election campaign against the incumbent Labor government. It was returned.

When will politicians world-wide begin to stand up to tabloids and stop taking their guide from them ?

www.news.com.au/

gutless..cowards..bullies..completely lacking in morals and ethics.

This puke making attack on a man who sold photographs to Murdoch's Sunday Telegraph, and his agent are as low is it gets.

Not once does the editor (who fibs..he didn't say he "would be the first to aplogise "..he said "my neck and job are on the line") give an explanation why he felt the need to purchase and publish privately taken photographs reputed to be of a politician and run them a week ahead of an election.

Laughingly, they say of the man who sold the pics :

"Normally, Johnson would be described as a classic battler.

But he has lost the right to be considered one. He has also lost any integrity he may have had."

Oh Yeh ? says who ?

And they continue to lie-not once did this man say..and I watched every interview closely-that these were pictures of Pauline Hanson..he said the woman was named "Pauline" and "looks like Hanson" (true).

They even have the cheek to question why the real woman in the pics hasn't come forward..what a hoot ! Why ?..to be ripped to shreds by them ?

This is like the infamous McCarthyism in the 1950's in the USA. Someone in power must come forward and say "enough is enough!"

News Ltd attempted to derail the election campaign of PM Kevin Rudd in 2007 when Murdoch favourite, New York Daily News editor Col Allan told of taking Rudd to a lap-top dancing club in NY when Rudd was a diplomat.

(unkind conspiracists claim it was a classic Mafia style set-up for future use..completely untrue of course.)

It backfired badly..Rudd's approval figures soared and he was swept into power as Murdoch favourite John Howard was dumped.