
The latest phase of investigations into News Corp.’s British papers deals with the illicit connections, including alleged bribery, between journalists and public officials, particularly the Metropolitan Police. The government agency and publishing division News International were quite cozy indeed: In addition to the police horse fostered by former Sun and News of the World editor Rebekah Brooks, a former Scotland Yard chief testified today that his son gained “work experience” at Rupert Murdoch’s company, likely with an unpaid internship, as did the son of his predecessor. “It was a perfectly normal process,” he said, calling it “the kind of thing that would excite most 15-year-olds.” Presumably the boys’ tea-fetching earned only the highest marks.