Rupert Murdoch was forced to scrap O J Simpson’s sickening “hypothetical” confession on Fox TV to the brutal murders of his former wife and her friend.
But what were his real motives? It is clear he caved in to outraged 
public protests, and even apologised to the families of Nicole Simpson and Ron Goldman, describing Simpson’s book entitled “If I Did It”, and an accompanying two-part television interview, as “an ill-considered project”.
I suspect he could also have been under considerable pressure from advertisers who also found it sickening and tasteless to cash in like this, it may not have been done purely out of sympathy for the families.
Murdoch has gagged his staff from talking about this shameful deal, which they regard as “an internal disaster” and certainly took the Huff Post by surprise, saying: “It’s hard to imagine that there’s anything that could possibly make Rupert Murdoch lose his tabloid nerve or apologize for causing pain to anyone.”
It seems this has taken its toll on the woman who planned it. The media have all but called for her death for interviewing him and publishing his book.
Judith Regan, the head of one of News Corp’s publishing arms, Regan Books, said she had also been physically abused by her ex-husband. Her motive was that she wanted to talk Simpson into making a real confession.
Simpson was paid $3.5m (£1.8m) for the book and interviews, but Regan insists that the money had gone to a “third party” and she had been told it would go to OJ and Nicole Simpson’s children. I don’t see how Simpson will keep the money now the deal has been scrapped. And this seems a very unconvincing explanation, it was a business deal which Regan badly misjudged. I don’t expect she will remain in her job much longer.
Americans are regarding this decision as a major triumph, hoping it will make greedy publishers and others show more consideration to a society that is far more decent and compassionate than they realise, a society that has standards and found the whole idea of elaborating in detail about the deaths of two innocent people too repulsive and sickening. It sends a clear message to tasteless tabloid journalism, at home and abroad. And everyone believes O. J. Simpson was guilty anyway.
feeling sick with himself for shooting himself in the foot, but he has graciously congratulated her, acknowledging it as a bright day for the Conservative Party and indicative of progress.