For Murdoch, media has often been about friends and influence

Though Rupert Murdoch considers himself a political conservative, when it comes to his business dealings he is a pragmatist. He's willing to befriend a liberal democrat who can help his business agenda and he's not afraid to use his media properties as weapons to further his vast -– and politically connected –- empire.

The practices used by Murdoch and his companies are coming under closer scrutiny in the wake of the phone hacking scandal that led to News Corp. closing its British tabloid News of the World. Britain has been rocked by the revelation that News of the World had broken into the voice mails of celebrities, the royal family and crime victims. The debacle has also called into question the cozy relationships the paper and its parent company have with politicians and law enforcement there. A former News of the World editor, Andy Coulson, who was arrested last month as part of the hacking investigation, had gone on to serve as a communications specialist for British Prime Minister David Cameron. Paul Stephenson, the head of Scotland Yard, also resigned as a result of the ethics scandal. Scotland Yard is also under fire for its role in the News of the World mess. It has been accused of not conducting a thorough investigation into the hacking allegations when they first surfaced to protect its relationship with News Corp. media outlets. (Aug 24)