What’s a fit punishment for the Murdochs?

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In a normal situation, the highest-ranking executives involved in a scandal like this would be fired.

In the case of Fox, however, Rupert Murdoch and his sons — who control a minority of the stock but a disproportionate share of voting stock — were the main culprits, who along with O’Reilly’s attorney did their best to make certain the public, including other women, were kept in the dark about O’Reilly’s alleged predatory conduct.

It may turn out that the worst thing the Murdochs did was not the creation of an anti-news cesspool of conspiracy theories that has polluted our politics and dumbed down the Republican Party. The intentional coverup of someone who allegedly subjected so many women on a regular basis to such horrific conduct forces one to ask: Shouldn’t someone go to jail for this? And I don’t mean just O’Reilly, if the conduct rises to the level of assault or extortion (i.e., “You need to sleep with me or you’ll never work in this town”).

So what can be done when the ownership of a company (or those that effectively control the company) engages in such behavior? …

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In the case of 21st Century Fox, we find the perfect test for all the stars outraged over Harvey Weinstein and the culture of sexual abuse in Hollywood: Do not make films or TV shows with 21st Century Fox until the Murdochs relinquish day-to-day control of the company. C’mon, stars, you said you wanted to end predatory behavior, so now’s your chance. (Whatever contracts have been entered into would need to be honored, but no new ones should be made.) …

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Jennifer Rubin, Opinion, The Washington Post