Murdoch ‘Not Fit’ to Head Media Company

 　　A British parliament committee said Tuesday newspaper and television magnate Rupert Murdoch is “not a fit person” to head a media company, part of an unexpectedly strong rebuke¹ to one of the world's most powerful media moguls.

　　The multy-party committee said Murdoch “turned a blind eye and exhibited willful blindness” while members of his staff electronically broke into telephone voice-mail systems and allegedly bribed² policemen to gather information for their stories.

　　The report says there were “huge failings of corporate³ governance” that allowed tolerance⁴ for law-breaking to permeate⁵ his organization. It also says Murdoch’s company misled parliament and tried to cover up the wrongdoing.

　　The head of the journalism⁶ department at City University London, Professor George Brock, said the strong words in the report were not expected.

　　“I think the report has taken one or two people, including me, a bit by surprise because you can be declared unfit to hold a broadcasting license⁷ if you are, in the phrase in the law, ‘a not fit and proper person,’” he said.

　　The parliamentary committee does not have the power to make that decision, but its report likely will be taken into consideration by Britain’s broadcasting authority. The authority said Tuesday it is “continuing to assess the evidence.”

　　Murdoch’s News Corporation owns 40 percent of British Sky Broadcasting, the country’s largest cable-TV channel, and it owns the U.S.-based, politically conservative Fox News network. It also owns several British newspapers, including the Times and the Sunday Times, and the most popular daily paper, The Sun.

　　The phone-hacking allegations forced the closure of Britain’s largest Sunday newspaper, The News of the World, and the resignation of several top Murdoch executives.

1 rebuke   

v.指责，非难，斥责 [反]praise

参考例句：

• He had to put up with a smart rebuke from the teacher.他不得不忍受老师的严厉指责。
• Even one minute's lateness would earn a stern rebuke.哪怕迟到一分钟也将受到严厉的斥责。

2 bribed   

v.贿赂( bribe的过去式和过去分词 )；向（某人）行贿，贿赂

参考例句：

• They bribed him with costly presents. 他们用贵重的礼物贿赂他。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• He bribed himself onto the committee. 他暗通关节，钻营投机挤进了委员会。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

3 corporate   

adj.共同的，全体的；公司的，企业的

参考例句：

• This is our corporate responsibility.这是我们共同的责任。
• His corporate's life will be as short as a rabbit's tail.他的公司的寿命是兔子尾巴长不了。

4 tolerance   

n.宽容；容忍，忍受；耐药力；公差

参考例句：

• Tolerance is one of his strengths.宽容是他的一个优点。
• Human beings have limited tolerance of noise.人类对噪音的忍耐力有限。

5 permeate   

v.弥漫，遍布，散布；渗入，渗透

参考例句：

• Water will easily permeate a cotton dress.水很容易渗透棉布衣服。
• After a while it begins to permeate through your skin.过了一会，它会开始渗入你的皮肤。

6 journalism   

n.新闻工作，报业

参考例句：

• He's a teacher but he does some journalism on the side.他是教师，可还兼职做一些新闻工作。
• He had an aptitude for journalism.他有从事新闻工作的才能。

7 license   

n.执照，许可证，特许；v.许可，特许

参考例句：

• The foreign guest has a license on the person.这个外国客人随身携带执照。
• The driver was arrested for having false license plates on his car.司机由于使用假车牌而被捕。