Covering the latest results at BSkyB, a sister operation within the Murdoch empire, Friday’s Sun comes up with the kind of cheerleading disguised as reporting that Private Eye loves to mock – “11% surge in profits … sales rose 6% with Sky Go Extra especially popular … Sky’s drama shows including The Walking Dead have proved a big hit … more TV customers and broadband customers ...” But what’s this? The puff piece ends with a quote from “BSkyB chief Jeremy Darrock” (really Darroch), and just below it is an equally disastrous small panel saying the paper “adheres to the system of self-regulation overseen by the Press Complaints Commission” (which is defunct – News UK titles are now regulated by Ipso). With two stonking blunders on the single tabloid page he oversees – and Darroch, Sun editor David Dinsmore and News UK boss Mike Darcey unlikely to be thrilled – business editor Simon English showed uncanny foresight in choosing today to sport a tin hat in his picture byline. Let’s hope he’s never required to write a similarly sycophantic effort about Rupert Murdock.
