James Murdoch's annus horribilis just keeps getting worse...and worse. The News of the World's former legal boss yesterday claimed he held up a front page email to Murdoch in 2008 showing phone hacking was systemic at the paper.

He still flies into Australia to sack his right-hand man, rip apart the front pages and terrify his editors, and they hang on every word, in case they should fail to catch a passing wish.

The basic problem with the media's business model is that they've been giving their products away for free for so long the market price of most journalism has been reduced to zero.

As the man in charge of our national broadcaster, ABC boss Mark Scott has tremendous power over one of Australia's most loved and important national institutions. And we reckon he's doing a fine job.

Tony Jones and Sarah Ferguson are Australia's pre-eminent journalistic power couple – and 2011 has seen their influence soar to even greater heights.

Kim Williams is the new boss of Rupert Murdoch's News Ltd. But we reckon playing second fiddle to Murdoch will be a tough gig for this one-time composer.

Kim Williams had better watch out. The word around Holt Street is that domineering New York Post editor Col Allan, best known for taking Kevin Rudd to a New York strip club, could be heading back to Australia to run News Limited's print division.

With controlling stakes in Australia's highest rating TV network, Channel Seven, the nation's second-biggest magazine group, Pacific Magazines and The West Australian, the 71-year old tycoon should be a real power in the land.

David Leckie would be a wonderful media mogul if he owned his own TV network. The man who made Channel Nine No. 1 for the Packers and Seven No. 1 for Kerry Stokes is loud, colourful, rude, aggressive, and ideal for the role.

Everybody loves a bit of schadenfreude, so here we present seven of the most memorable power fails of 2011. Think names like Thomson, Forrest and Overland.