News Corporation: time to go

These were not isolated acts by rogue reporters. Senior News of the World's staff were arrested and charged in April. Other charges are likely. Ever since hacking allegations at the News of the World were first made in 2004 senior management has blatantly lied about what happened and what they knew.

Systematic lying by top management seems just as rife Downunder. Last year, Justice Stephen Kaye in the Victorian Supreme Court slammed Murdoch executives for lying to the court.

In his judgment on the wrongful dismissal of Bruce Guthrie the judge said he 'had reservations about a number of features' of the evidence of News Limited chief executive John Hartigan. 'In my view Hartigan was an unreliable witness in respect of the negotiations that proceeded the formation of the contract.'

Kaye was even more scathing of Herald and Weekly Times chief Peter Blunden. 'The explanations given by Mr Blunden in evidence,' the judge said, 'do not survive scrutiny'.

Following this year's admissions of criminal conduct in the UK, a video has emerged of Rupert Murdoch refusing to answer and an employee backing down. (First aired in 2009, it has circulated widely since Andy Coulson resigned in January as media instructor to the UK Prime Minister. Coulson had changed desks from senior editor at News of the World to head of Conservative Party media in July 2007.)

The hapless anchor at Murdoch's Fox News begins enthusiastically: 'The story that is really buzzing all around the country and certainly here in New York is that the News of the World, a News Corporation newspaper in Britain, used …' 'Ah, I'm not talking about that issue at all today. Sorry,' Murdoch interrupted.'Okay. No worries, Mr Chairman. That's fine with me.'

The message was clear. News bulletins are to advance specific interests, not to inform citizens about issues 'buzzing all around the country'. And that's fine with Murdoch's people.

For those who value integrity and the free flow of information, courses of actions are available. According to Bruce Guthrie, defeating News Corp – which he did in court in 2010 – is not impossible.

We can refuse to buy News Corp publications. Writers and other staff can withdraw their services. Advertisers can withdraw custom. Consumers can contact those who advertise in News Corp publications and tell them we will boycott their products or services as long as they do so.

And we can tell our MPs we will not vote for parties which in government or opposition advertise in Murdoch outlets. The current federal Government has strong grounds to do just this, but needs a nudge.

This is a campaign well worth joining by those who recall democracy and free enterprise as it once was. We might even win.