News International under fire and under pressure

Hacked off over the hacking!

Rupert Murdoch let his minions do what they wanted mostly. In the newspaper world if it sold papers then it didn't matter how the story was obtained. If it was largely untrue, so what. The News of the World started out by being a reasonably good read for gossipy news. Then Murdoch got his hands on it and the content became far more than gossip. It contained half-truths, innuendo and malice even. Now they are embroiled in a phone-hacking scandal that they cannot control or contain.

Max Clifford, the ubiquitous publicist, claimed his phone was hacked. As he puts it, "they listened to me!", and he got a £1 million plus settlement. Then others came forward and then two journalists got sent to jail and then.....it just goes on. We hear it's not just News International but the whole of Fleet Street involved.

Now News International has admitted there were at least eight victims and has put aside £20m for compensation. This after all their protestations that there was only one rogue reporter on the loose. Either they are incompetent at managing a newspaper business or they are actively involved in a cover-up and this is onion peeling time.

All types are involved. Tessa Jowell, former culture secretary, Andy Gray, erstwhile Sky Sports pundit, the designer Kelly Hoppen and actress Sienna Miller. More are emerging, no doubt emboldened by the revelations and believing that the authorities are taking their claims seriously.

Max Clifford said one good thing today. Journalism should be about exposing wrongdoing and hypocrisy. It most certainly is not about employing wrongdoing in order to obtain tittle-tattle and private conversations.

This is going to roll on until Murdoch rolls over.

Gordon Brown hacked off with hackers

Gordon Brown may not have been the best prime minister, but he did get to be in that office. Whatever one may think of the leadership of the country, it is no excuse to try to listen in on phone conversations. I have no clue what the News of the World got up to when trying to get stories. We do know someone went to jail for phonehacking. We do know that many famous people are rightly concerned that their phones may have been hacked into. We do know that Andy Coulson has resigned because he can't give 110% to the job. What we don't know and should is if there has been anything going on greater than that already prosecuted. The Metropolitan Police seem to have put this matter on a back burner.

Newspapers should investigate wrongdoing, report on all manner of issues and allow the publication of comment and opinion. It's called a free press. What they can't do is listen into private conversations in order to inflame passions in others. Do I want to know what goes on in a famous person's bedroom? I do not! However, should I know whether a policeman on duty is cavorting with a politician's wife whilst ostensibly protecting that polician from harm? Yes, because it tells me whether a lack of integrity exists where integrity should exist.

Why Scotland Yard is so cavalier about all this I do not know. But they should start turning over a few stones to see what crawls out from under. Something is going on and if it is not all sorted out soon, it will fester causing unnecessary trouble all round.

News Of The World in new phone hacking scandal

The BBC is reporting that The News of the World has suspended its news editor Ian Edmondson over allegations of phone-hacking at the paper in 2005-06. As this rag knows only too well, if you dig deep enough you'll find out where the real secrets are hidden.

Murdoch's red tops are a sorry excuse for journalism. This latest piece of news may be the tip of the iceberg or just an ice cube in the sea. It relates to allegations made by actress Sienna Miller that her phone was hacked. I hope she carries on because it is very much more than a whiff that the NOTW has not behaved impeccably. I suppose it's too much to expect impeccable behaviour in this quarter. But this story won't go away. Simply because most of us don't believe a word they say when they deny they knew about phonehacking.

David Cameron's spin doctor!

I'm just watching Andy Coulson and Stuart Kuttner giving evidence to the select committee. One might be excused for thinking a couple of double-glazing salesmen were being asked to justify their claims! Coulson keeps saying he doesn't recall this that and the other. Convenient! For the life of me I cannot understand what David Cameron sees in this guy. He looks and sounds dodgy, at least by this glaring example of testimony.

Maybe he's got something we don't know about. But a spin doctor that is the story is hardly an asset. It doesn't give me a feeling of total confidence in the Conservative leadership. Pity!

Prescott calls for hacking probe

John Prescott may have been a politician that I never much agreed with, but on this matter he is 100% right. The Murdoch press, a business empire rather that a journalistic medium, is now in the frame for bugging the phones of up to 3,000 public figures.

It is a scandalous affair, not just because Murdoch's minions went overboard on this, but because the police, the CPS and others appear to have colluded with this down-under snake. And David Cameron, whilst he is absolutely right to give people second chances, should really wonder a bit more whether it is right and proper to have such a man as Andy Coulson at his side.