As Prince Metternich mused, on hearing of the death of Talleyrand: “What did he mean by that?” Every move by Rupert Murdoch in response to the phone-hacking scandal that has rocked News Corp is treated to an intense form of Kremlinology. Yesterday’s announcement that James Murdoch had stepped down as executive chairman of News International leaves the UK newspaper business without a Murdoch at the helm for the first time. That obviously means something. But what, exactly?
正如梅特涅親王(Prince Metternich)在聽到塔列朗(Talleyrand)死訊時沉思自問“他這是什么意思”的那樣,對于重創了新聞集團(News Corporation)的電話竊聽丑聞,魯珀特?默多克(Rupert Murdoch)的每一項應對舉措,都受到了蘇俄政策研究(Kremlinology)式的解讀。新聞集團昨日宣布,詹姆斯?默多克(James Murdoch)將不再擔任新聞國際(News International)執行董事長一職,這讓這塊英國報紙業務首次不在默多克家族的控制之下。顯然,這意味著什么。但究竟是什么呢?