Emmy The Great has launched a one woman campaign against News International.
The recent revelations about the practices of journalists working for the News Of The World almost defy belief. Astonishing intrusions into the lives of ordinary people have left the public disgusted, with much of that anger aimed at parent company News International.
Feeling that she had to act, London singer Emmy The Great began phoning up companies who advertised in the News Of The World. Demanding that they stop, the campaign was only halted when Rupert Murdoch took the unprecedented step of pulling the plug on Britain’s best-selling newspaper.
Since then, events have taken some dramatic twists with today (July 15th) bringing the resignation of Rebekah Brooks. Still not satisfied, Emmy The Great is continuing to campaign against News International. Speaking to ClashMusic, the singer revealed just why she feels unable to turn a blind eye…
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I followed the instructions on websites like Avaaz, the Guardian, Twitter etc and wrote to companies asking if they would be suspending their advertising in the News of the World. After I got a dissatisfactory response from Tesco I called up their car insurance company, of which I’m a customer, and talked to the customer service about it there. I said I wouldn’t renew my insurance. It was a funny conversation actually, the guy on the other end had to Google his company’s official position.
I didn’t have to do much because as we all know the News of the World shut down very soon after all these Internet campaigns began. I don’t feel like it’s the end. But I am excited. As my friend said last night, it’s like watching the Death Star blow up. I’d say, it’s *almost* like that. We need to be careful. This Death Star (NI) could just be waiting for the Ewoks (us) to get distracted by all the celebrating and then covertly buy some other space station and then etc etc…
I’ve heard people say this is our Arab Spring, and I have thought that myself. We knew that Murdoch had a hand in our government, that he controlled people’s opinions with his freaky ultra-conservatism, but I don’t think anyone though there was anything a normal person could do. I know that the moment the NOTW story broke I felt like I had one chance to try and make a difference, after feeling completely powerless over things like the BSkyB deal. I don’t think anyone could have imagined what’s happened to that deal. I can’t quite believe that I’m on David Cameron’s side right now. But that’s how awful the Murdoch monopoly is. It’s actually makes Tories look like the good guys in comparison.
It’s not just Murdoch, it’s the tabloids. I actually don’t want to read about any celebrity’s three in a bed whatever, and I don’t want the medical details of my Prime Minister’s children either. Tabloid culture is an embarrassment to humanity, and I’d love to see it end. Especially now that we know how they some of them get their information. I was properly shocked by that. I still am. And it keeps getting worse. If these latest allegations, that they hacked 9-11victims’ phones, turn out to be true, I can’t imagine what the reaction will be in America.
The only thing I hope is that now we have some of this dreadful stuff out in the open, we need to work hard to make something good come out of it, for the future.
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Of course, Emmy The Great is by no means alone in her disgust. For more than twenty years people in the city of Liverpool have been fighting against News International and specifically The Sun newspaper.
Read about their struggle HERE.
