Larry Flynt Blasts Rupert Murdoch in Washington Post Op-Ed Piece

WASHINGTON — Hustler founder Larry Flynt blasted News Corp. owner Rupert Murdoch over the recent News of the World phone hacking scandal in a Washington Post op-ed piece.

Although Flynt said that he and Murdoch share free speech values, he took Murdoch to task concerning how they each push the boundaries.

“I test limits by publishing controversial material and paying people who are willing to step forward and expose political hypocrisy. Murdoch’s minions, on the other hand, pushed limits by allegedly engaging in unethical or criminal activity: phone hacking, bribery, coercing criminal behavior and betraying the trust of their readership,” Flynt wrote.

The Hustler boss went on to compare News Corp. publications to Hustler magazine noting that no matter how distasteful some people find his publication, no one has appeared unwittingly in its pages. “I do not create sensationalism at the expense of people living private lives,” Flynt said.

The piece blasted Murdoch for getting information regardless of the methods, citing unscrupulous actions like hiring a known criminal to obtain private information on former British prime minister Gordon Brown when his son was diagnosed as having cystic fibrosis, hackng into 9/11 attack victims’ phones and paying paid police officers for illegal dirt about the queen.

Flynt said the heads of publishing conglomerates have a responsibility to maintain the respect of individuals’ privacy. “If News Corp.’s reported wrongdoings are true, what Murdoch’s company has been up to does not just brush against boundaries — it blows right past them.”

Exposing holier-than-thou politicians has been a hallmark of Hustler’s brand of journalism and Flynt did not apologize for his magazine’s stance.

“Yes, I have offered money to those willing to expose hypocritical politicians — one of those offers, in 1998, resulted in the resignation of Bob Livingston, a Republican congressman from Louisiana who voted to impeach President Bill Clinton despite his own extramarital affairs. I focus not on those who are innocent, but rather on those who practice the opposite of what they very publicly preach. This may be considered an extreme or controversial practice in getting a story, but it is far from criminal.”

Flynt also took on Google and Facebook as hijacking personal rights to privacy. He said the general public doesn’t realize that the social networking and search engine giants are data mines that sell information and that Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has actually stated that he doesn’t believe in privacy.

Flynt called on the government to get back to its roots by protecting the privacy of its citizens while encouraging individual freedoms.

“Freedom of the press and the right to privacy do not have to be combatants. The people have tasked members of the news media with the duty and the responsibility to provide information. As publishers, we must find the boundary, push it, but refuse to cross it — never selling out our readers and never publishing what we cannot verify.”

Related:  

Copyright © 2025 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

Michigan Legislators Propose Online Porn Ban

Michigan lawmakers have introduced a bill that would make it illegal to distribute pornography via the internet in the state.

Florida AG Sues Aylo, Segpay Over State AV Law

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier filed lawsuits against Aylo and Segpay on Monday with the 12th Judicial Circuit Court of Florida for noncompliance with HB3, the state's age verification law.

Colombian Court Sides with Performer Esperanza Goméz Over IG Suspensions

Colombia’s Constitutional Court last week ruled in favor of adult performer Esperanza Gómez in her legal battle against Meta over repeated suspensions of her Instagram account.

Missouri AG Announces Age Verification Rule to Take Effect Nov. 30

Newly appointed Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway announced Friday that the state's recently approved age verification regulation for adult websites will go into effect on Nov. 30.

Aylo, Woodhull Freedom Foundation to Host 'Online Censorship' Event

Aylo and Woodhull Freedom Foundation will co-host a virtual panel addressing online censorship on Sept. 30.

Judge Awards Plaintiffs Over $400K in Attorneys Fees in Derek Hay Civil Case

California Superior Court Judge Gail Killefer has awarded former clients of LA Direct Models over $400,000 in attorneys fees and court costs, to be paid by agency founder Derek Hay.

Former Backpage CEO Carl Ferrer Sentenced to 3 Years Probation, $40,000 Fine

Former Backpage.com CEO Carl Ferrer was sentenced in federal court today to three years' probation and a $40,000 restitution fine for a conspiracy conviction related to money laundering through the defunct website.

Playboy Wins $81 Million Judgment in Chinese Licensing Arbitration

Playboy Inc. was awarded $81 million in damages on Monday by the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre, in a licensing dispute with former partner New Handong Investment (Guangdong) Co. Ltd.

GirlsDoPorn Owner Michael Pratt Sentenced to 27 Years

Michael Pratt, former owner of the website GirlsDoPorn, has been sentenced to 27 years in federal prison.

Aylo Fined $5 Million as FTC, Utah Settle Safety Practices Complaint

The Federal Trade Commission and the state of Utah on Wednesday settled a complaint against Aylo, requiring the company to pay a $5 million penalty and implement measures to prevent illegal content from appearing on its sites.

Show More