Conventional regulatory debate is obliged to wrestle in the mud of the giant Ashley Madison hack, to decide which of the 37 million account holders and 1.2 million wandering Brits provides a “public interest defence” for naming names. Call Leveson, call Ofcom, call for a hot towel. But the real point of this archetypal embarrassment leaves codes, committees and privacy rules far, far behind. When 37 million names swill between dark and grey nets, when the whole roster of prospective sexual availability is out there, the essential business of publication has been achieved at the click of a button. Further debate is irrelevant. Life is short. Don’t have a migraine.
The Rupert-Jeremy axis
“Corbyn increasingly likely Labour winner,” tweets Rupert. “Seems only candidate who believes anything, right or wrong.” Which, as the Daily Record endorses Jeremy and columnists begin to throw in the towel, sets up a bizarre Murdoch dichotomy. He isn’t backing hated Trump, but may, after a teeth-grinding fashion, be backing Corbyn.
