Meanwhile, it's refreshing to have News Corp lecturing others on ethics, given what's happening at London's Old Bailey, where the News of the World phone hacking trial is finally getting close to a result after eight months of hearings.

ROBIN BRANT: This trial is now in its 130th day, truly a mammoth effort, but the jury has gone out to consider its verdict, and now the focus is on those eight women and those three men, and when they retired they went into the room and with them they took around 3,000 documents of evidence that they have seen. — BBC News Online, 11th June, 2014

Yes the media trial of the century at London's Central Criminal Court could reach a verdict this week or next.

And the big question it will answer is how far up News Corp's British papers did the culture of illegal activity extend?

Did it go as far as Rebekah Brooks, who was close to Rupert Murdoch and one of his most trusted journalists?

Brooks, who's on conspiracy charges of hacking, corruption and perverting the course of justice, edited the News of the World from 2000 to 2003, then ran Britain's best selling tabloid The Sun till 2009, before ending up as chief executive of all the Murdochs' British newspapers.

PHILIP WILLIAMS : When Rebekah Brooks ruled at News International, there were few doors she couldn't open. WOMAN: Can we just have it down for a bit now? Ok don't film that just for a bit. Thank you. PHILIP WILLIAMS: Prime ministers past and present were on the kiss list; members of the royal family no strangers either. — ABC1, Lateline, 28th October, 2013

Alongside Brooks in the dock is her former deputy, Andy Coulson, who was also close to Murdoch.

And who succeeded her as editor of the News of the World in 2003

ANDY DAVIES: He was the showbiz reporter who rose through the ranks to edit Britain's biggest selling newspaper. The tabloid boss who would eventually become a Prime Minister's spin doctor and then resign very publically as the paper he once edited became increasingly mired in allegations of phone hacking ... — Channel 4 News Online, 14th April, 2014

As these two former News executives await their fate, along with five other defendants including Brooks's husband, they are still required to attend the court each day .

The defendants have been told they can leave the building but must leave telephone numbers and be no more that fifteen minutes from the Old Bailey in case the jury suddenly return. — The Drum, 18th June, 2014

So what is the evidence against them?

Well, in relation to phone hacking, no one disputes that it was practised at the News of the World on an industrial scale.

More than 1000 celebrities, politicians, sports stars, members of the Royal Household and victims of crime had their voicemails intercepted over a six year period between 2000 and 2006.

As Mr Justice Saunders told the jury:

... "there was a great deal of hacking going on at the News of the World, you may think". — The Drum, 9th June, 2014

Three senior journalists at the News of the World who were to stand trial with Brooks and Coulson have already pleaded guilty to hacking and face possible jail.

The News of the World's chief reporter, Neville Thurlbeck, Investigations Editor, Greg Miskiw and Assistant News Editor, James Weatherup

Private eye Glenn Mulcaire, who was jailed in 2007, has also pleaded guilty.

And the court has heard that he complained in an email to a journalist in 2006 that hacking was weighing him down.

... "overload, no more please" — The Drum, 9th June, 2014

So the key question for the jury is did the bosses on the paper know what their underlings were doing?

The prosecution's answer to this is: 'How could they not have done?'

In support of this, Dan Evans, a former reporter on the paper, told the jury he had hacked phones more than 1000 times .

Dan Evans ... said his activities were "completely understood" by superiors. He said "even the office cat knew" ... — BBC News Online, 29th January, 2014

Evans testified that in 2006 he had read out to Andy Coulson voicemails hacked from actress Sienna Miller's mobile phone.

Coulson denies this. And the judge warned the jury that Evans has pleaded guilty to hacking and his evidence must be treated with great care.

But the prosecution also focused on two big stories in the paper.

Back in 2002, when Brooks was editor, the News of the World thought it had a scoop on a missing schoolgirl, Milly Dowler, who was later found murdered.

Quoting from voicemails hacked from her mobile, the News of the World suggested the teenager was still alive .

MILLY 'HOAX' RIDDLE Messages on mobile probed — News of the World, 14th April, 2002

So, did Brooks or Coulson know about these voicemails or how they'd been obtained?

Brooks was on holiday in Dubai at the time, but was in touch with the newsdesk and her close friend Coulson, who was editing the paper.

But both denied any knowledge.

VOICE OVER: It is agreed her phone was hacked, a message from an employment agency was discovered. Mr Coulson was asked, "was he aware of that?" His answer "No I was not"... — BBC News Online, 15th April, 2014

The second key story highlighted by the prosecution came in mid 2004 when the News of the World revealed that Britain's Home Secretary, David Blunkett, who was unmarried, was having an affair:

BLUNKETT'S AFFAIR WITH A MARRIED WOMAN — News of the World, 15th August, 2004

Coulson admitted that he knew at the time that Blunkett's voicemails had been hacked by the paper's chief reporter Neville Thurlbeck.

But despite being 'shocked' he went ahead with the story.

He told the court he did not sack Thurlbeck or caution him. Nor did he ask whether other journalists on the paper were hacking phones as well.

He says he didn't know hacking was illegal.

Tapes of the voicemails were later discovered in a lawyer's safe at News in a police raid.

At the time of the Blunkett expose, Rebekah Brooks was editing The Sun.

And the day after the News of the World's story, her paper named Blunkett's lover, which no one else had done.

The prosecution says she too must have known about the voicemails to know the lover's name and to take the risk.

Brooks denies this.

But even more serious than the hacking charges are charges of conspiracy to commit misconduct in public office.

Put simply, these involve Coulson and Brooks authorising corrupt payments to public officials for confidential information.

Both editors have denied the charges on the basis that they did not know who the money was being paid to.

But if either of them were to be found guilty, there could be knock-on effects for News Corp in Britain and/or America.

Under the UK Bribery Act 2010 and/or the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 197.

This could bring multi-million dollar penalties for News Corp.

And in addition, its BSkyB TV licence could be under threat.

But whatever happens at this trial, there are many more to come.

Another 15 senior News Corp journalists-mainly from The Sun-also face charges of paying public officials, and others from The Sun, News of the World and UK Mirror are still on bail.

So it's not just Brooks, Coulson and their fellow defendants who will be waiting nervously in the next few days to hear that verdict.

And one should add that if they are found guilty they are almost certain to face jail.