My Business Logic

“Terrible slur” … John Hartigan. Photo: Dallas Kilponen

News Corp’s Australian boss, John Hartigan, has moved to distance its operations here from the deepening scandal in Britain, saying the behaviour uncovered at the News of the World was “an affront to all of us who value the integrity and credibility of good journalism”.

The News Ltd chairman and chief executive said phone hacking was “the antithesis of everything we stand for” and a “terrible slur on our craft”.

In an email to staff this morning, he said: “Everyone here at News Limited knows that the events in the UK in no way reflect who we are, what we do and what we believe in as a media organisation.”

After reminding News Ltd staff that “unethical and immoral behaviour is not tolerated”, he said: “I am confident that the practices that have been uncovered in the UK do not exist in Australia, at News or any other respectable media outlet.

“We have obligations to do the right thing by ourselves, our colleagues, our readers and advertisers, and, more broadly, to the communities we serve in an ethical and moral way,” he wrote.

“The decision to close the News of the World acknowledges that once the contract of trust between the newspaper and its readers had been breached it was damaged beyond repair.

“Given the wider reputational impact on all journalists as a result of the events in the UK, I want to remind everyone that adherence to our ethical code is fundamental to our right to publish and a fundamental requirement of our work, every day.

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British lawmakers will hold an emergency debate later today over a phone-hacking scandal at a top-selling newspaper that has prompted calls for the resignation of a well-connected Rupert Murdoch executive and provoked a public outcry that could damage the paper’s sales.

Revelations that the News of the World may have accessed the voicemail messages of crime victims – including an abducted 13-year-old girl later found murdered – have caused outrage in Britain and brought to a head a long-running saga previously thought to have targeted only celebrities and other high-profile figures.

At least one company, car maker Ford, said it would pull adverts from the News of the World until it saw how it deals with the affair.

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The launch of a new motoring body today spells the latest chapter in the ongoing saga involving one of the country’s biggest super funds, MTAA Super.

The new body, the Australian Motor Industry Federation, was launched in Melbourne today and includes MTAA.

The next step is for the motoring industry to find a solution to its ongoing issues with MTAA Super, which has been in the spotlight in the past few weeks after media reports that financial regulator APRA was investigating it.

MTAA Super has been under scrutiny from APRA since 2004 when APRA raised concerns about the trustee’s organisational structure and potential for conflicts of interest.

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The company, with roughly 130 workers, listed debts of $19.8 million and assets of only $9.1 million.

Manatee County-based Teltronics listed more than 200 creditors in a federal bankruptcy filing. Its three largest are Delco Electrical Corp. in New York, owed $480,000; GHT Co. Ltd. in Guangzhou Science City, China, owed $437,000; and Arrow Electronics in Dallas, owed $395,000.

It also owes Bradenton’s Gulfcoast Property $121,000 and the Manatee County tax collector $60,000.

Teltronics said it hopes to emerge from a reorganization of its finances as a “healthier, more profitable company.”

The company, whose shares traded over the counter, last reported its quarterly results in the third quarter of 2010, showing a $355,000 loss, or 3 cents per share, on revenues that were down 44 percent to $7.96 million.

Teltronics was unable to find financing and was in default on $2.9 million in loans from Wells Fargo Capital Finance, according to court filings.

The company has since obtained court permission to draw upon a $2.5 million bankruptcy loan from Wells Fargo to keep operating during the Chapter 11 proceedings.

Teltronics has hired Michael J.

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Stocks wobble after Dow has best week in 2 years

Netflix to stream movies, shows in Latin America

Borrowers sue over apparent loan mod mishaps

Energy Transfer in new $5.1B Southern Union deal

Western Union to buy Travelex unit for nearly $1B

TPG Capital buying Immucor for $1.97B in cash

Merkel rebuffs rating agencies on Greece

Oil climbs above $96 per barrel

China’s Baidu, Microsoft to cooperate in search

Earlier:

Oil up past $96 on higher price forecast

Borrowers sue over apparent loan mod mishaps

Energy Transfer in new $5.1B Southern Union deal

GOP uses budget, other tools to sap financial law

Stocks futures get a lift ahead of factory orders

TPG Capital buying Immucor for $1.97B in cash

China’s Baidu, Microsoft to cooperate in search

Hacking into slain girl’s phone shocks UK leader

Eurozone retail sales slump in May

US airlines take EU to court over emissions cap

Ed. note: This post is a part of our continuing blog series featuring our employees. Here, we hear from our very own Barbara Sanchez – a Sales Development specialist at LinkedIn’s office in Dublin, Ireland who is also a new mom, and (as if that’s not enough) 2012 Olympic hopeful.

You don’t run 100 miles a week without a little motivation.

For me, that motivation comes from a love of sport. I’ve always been involved in running, cycling or swimming. I’ve competed in triathlons and marathons across Europe; it’s a great way to do something I enjoy and meet new people.

Last October, I earned the national title as the first Irish woman to cross the finish line at the Dublin Marathon, in 2 hours, 39 minutes and 39 seconds (2:39:39).  I finished the race just one year after my son, Benjamin, was born.

Now, I’m training with the goal of qualifying for the marathon for the 2012 Olympic Games, representing Ireland. I’m just two minutes away from the qualifying time (2:37).  I’m also in the process of getting an Irish passport.

As a new mom with a full-time job, balancing work with motherhood isn’t easy. LinkedIns perks at our Dublin office on site showers and free food for employees makes it easier for me to fit in a 6 to 7 mile run on my way to work, and again on my way home when commuting to and from the office here in Dublin. I’m never in the car—I’m typically running, swimming or cycling. When I’m tired, I don’t think about it; I’m never lazy because I can’t be lazy.

I joined LinkedIn’s Sales Development team about three months ago because it was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up. Since LinkedIn has a growing presence in Dublin, I can be involved in big decisions and put my language skills to good use (I speak English, French and Spanish).

Just about everyone in Dublin wants to work for LinkedIn. The atmosphere is electric —there are people here from all nationalities, and we’re adding about 15 new employees every two weeks. In fact, LinkedIn is growing so fast (with nearly 100 employees just in our Dublin office) that we’re moving offices here in a few months to relocate to a bigger space within the city center.

Our office is often bustling with events like Family Day, InDays, when I can bring my husband and son to work with me. When you’re very busy, it’s the little things like this at work that make a huge difference. Training for the 2012 Olympic marathon is the opportunity of a lifetime.  I’m fortunate to work in a place that allows me to both pursue my professional dream in sales and my personal passion.