ATV Reports: Piers Morgan on Rupert Murdoch

ATV Reports with Mike Watkins takes a look at how Morgan backs ‘regulator adherent’ Murdoch.

As reported earlier Piers Morgan, the former newspaper editor, who quit The Mirror in shame after apparently allowing a fake a story concerning the British Army has defended his old boss Rupert Murdoch. Speaking on television this week he said the boss of News International upholds press standards, however previous comments seem to contradict previous statements on the media mogul.

Morgan, who despite his at best dubious time with the British press, has become a star of ITV as well as appearing on America’s CNN. The former tabloid editor spoke on Monday’s instalment of Piers Morgan Tonight about his ex-boss Murdoch.

“Having been one of his editors, I know that whenever we tripped up over what are, by these standards, relatively minor indiscretions, in terms of breaching the Press Complaints Commission Code or whatever, he was always incredibly quick to be publicly censorious of me or whoever the editor was…and remind us forcefully, personally, ‘You’ve got to abide by the rules of the game.’”

However this television testimony to the mighty Murdoch, is a far cry from his previous comments on the man who gave us The Sun newspaper. Noting in The Insider, Morgan’s memoirs of his time on Fleet Street, Rupert Murdoch is shown to be a man who doesn’t care less about abiding by the rules of, for example the Press Complaints Commission, or any thing else for that matter.

The book notes that the mogul had in public taken Morgan to task over a story, however in private he told Piers;

 “I’m sorry about all that press complaining thingamajig.” Morgan adding that Murdoch, “doesn’t really give a toss about it.”

The only moment on CNN where any reference to his previous views were noted was with a brief comment,

“I wouldn’t want this to become a valedictory ‘he’s perfect’ kind of segment because the reality is, of course, he’s not. He’s a ruthless, tough businessman.”

While defending some of News International’s senior stars Morgan failed to give any support on air to his mate Rebekah Brooks, the recently departed chief executive of News International. Morgan spent nearly five years working for The Sun, and a year with The News of the World before switching to The Mirror, which isn’t part of Murdoch’s empire.