OJ book cancellation - People power wins out over greed

IN a world dominated by corporate wealth, people power is a scarce commodity.

If anything, the sense of rarity is underscored by media tycoon Rupert Murdoch’s decision to cancel OJ Simpson’s controversial book entitled If I Did It, Here’s How It Happened.

It’s hard to conceive of a more offensive, tasteless or despicable media stunt than a book chronicling how he would have murdered his ex-wife and her friend in 1994. Naturally, there would be a television interview on global divisions of the Murdoch-owned News Corp.

Facing a torrent of popular opposition, the Australian media baron now describes the concept as “ill-considered”. He has apologised to the families of the former American football star’s alleged victims, Ron Goldman and Nicole Brown-Simpson.

After a racially charged trial in 1995, Simpson was acquitted of the brutal slayings, a verdict greeted with outrage across America.

However, two years later he was found liable for the deaths in a civil suit.

Though he was ordered to pay over $33 million in damages to the victims’ families, Simpson has not paid a cent.

Embarrassed by widespread condemnation and a deafening chorus of disgust led by the families of the victims, ‘the dirty digger’, as Murdoch is nick-named, backed down.

Due to be published by Regan, a division of News Corp’s Harper Collins publishing arm, the book will now be pulped. A rare victory for people power over corporate greed!