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}}</ref> The current scandal is not a consideration in the upcoming decision, according to Culture Secretary [[Jeremy Hunt (politician)|Jeremy Hunt]].<ref>Oliver Poole [http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23967382-prescott-calls-for-block-on-bskyb-takeover.do "Prescott calls for block on BSkyB takeover",] ''Evening Standard'', 5 July 2011</ref> Newspaper reports suggest that the takeover, if ratified, is likely to be delayed due to the ongoing situation.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2011932/News-World-phone-hacking-scandal-Murdoch-BSkyB-takeover-certain-delayed.html |title=Government delays decision on Rupert Murdoch £10bn BSkyB takeover until September &#124; Mail Online |work=Daily Mail |location=UK |date=14 June 2011 |accessdate=7 July 2011}}</ref>
}}</ref> The current scandal is not a consideration in the upcoming decision, according to Culture Secretary [[Jeremy Hunt (politician)|Jeremy Hunt]].<ref>Oliver Poole [http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23967382-prescott-calls-for-block-on-bskyb-takeover.do "Prescott calls for block on BSkyB takeover",] ''Evening Standard'', 5 July 2011</ref> Newspaper reports suggest that the takeover, if ratified, is likely to be delayed due to the ongoing situation.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2011932/News-World-phone-hacking-scandal-Murdoch-BSkyB-takeover-certain-delayed.html |title=Government delays decision on Rupert Murdoch £10bn BSkyB takeover until September &#124; Mail Online |work=Daily Mail |location=UK |date=14 June 2011 |accessdate=7 July 2011}}</ref>


===Soldiers' relatives===
===UK Soldiers' relatives===
On 6 July 2011 ''The Daily Telegraph'' reported that phones belonging to relatives of dead British soldiers may have been intercepted by the ''News of the World''. It said that personal details and phone numbers belonging to relations of dead service personnel were found in the files of the private investigator Glenn Mulcaire.<ref name="soldiers">{{Cite news
On 6 July 2011 ''The Daily Telegraph'' reported that phones belonging to relatives of dead British soldiers may have been intercepted by the ''News of the World''. It said that personal details and phone numbers belonging to relations of dead service personnel were found in the files of the private investigator Glenn Mulcaire.<ref name="soldiers">{{Cite news
| title = Phone hacking: families of war dead 'targeted' by News of the World
| title = Phone hacking: families of war dead 'targeted' by News of the World

Revision as of 14:07, 14 July 2011

The front and back pages of the final issue of the News of the World

The News of the World phone hacking scandal is a controversy involving the News of the World, a now-defunct British tabloid newspaper published by News Group Newspapers of News International, a subsidiary of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation, and the allegations that individuals working for the newspaper engaged in phone hacking.

The controversy began in 2006, when the Metropolitan Police Service laid charges against Clive Goodman, the News of the World's royal editor, and Glenn Mulcaire, a private investigator, alleging that they intercepted voicemail messages left for members of the British Royal Family. Both men were jailed in 2007. Allegations against the News of the World in relation to illegal voicemail interceptions continued in subsequent years, implicating other journalists and staff at the paper; numerous public figures, including politicians and celebrities, were found to have been targeted by the interceptions.

The Metropolitan Police began a new investigation into phone hacking allegations in February 2011, at which time more than twenty civil cases against the News of the World were also active. Lawyers for the victims allege that as many as 7,000 people had their phones accessed by the News of the World, and have estimated that litigation over the paper's actions may cost News Corporation £40 million.[1]

In July 2011, further allegations were made that the News of the World hacked into the voicemail of the murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler, as well as victims of the 7/7 London bombings and relatives of deceased British soldiers. The news was met with great public outrage in the United Kingdom. Advertisers withdrew from the News of the World and other News Corporation holdings, and the company's proposed acquisition of the broadcaster BSkyB was shelved.[2][3]

On 6 July, British prime minister David Cameron announced to parliament that a public government inquiry would convene to further investigate the affair. The following day, James Murdoch announced that the News of the World would close and publish its last edition on 10 July after 168 years of publication.[4] On 13 July, Cameron named Lord Justice Leveson as chairman of the inquiry, with a remit to look into the specific claims about phone hacking at the News of the World, the initial police inquiry, allegations of illicit payments to police by the press, and the culture and ethics of the British media.[5]

Rupert Murdoch

Overview

The affair concerns the News of the World's use of private investigators to gain access to the mobile phone messages of a variety of celebrities and public figures of interest to the newspaper, by using phone hacking.

The News of the World's royal editor Clive Goodman and his associates, investigator Glenn Mulcaire and Davy Craig (Editor of the Weekly News), were arrested on 8 August 2006 due to phone hacking allegations made by the British monarchy in 2005. Goodman and Mulcaire were subsequently charged. In 2007 Goodman was jailed for four months, Mulcaire for six; the paper's then editor, Andy Coulson, had resigned two weeks earlier.

In 2009 and 2010, further revelations emerged regarding the extent of the phone hacking and the number of News of the World employees who may have been aware of the practices. By March 2010, the paper had spent over £2 million settling court cases with victims of phone hacking. In July 2009,[6] The Guardian made a series[7] of allegations of wider phone hacking activities at the News of the World newspaper, that were aimed at other people like the TV host Chris Tarrant.

This led to several prominent figures who were covertly snooped upon bringing legal action against the News of the World's owner and the private investigator Glenn Mulcaire. Amongst those who began legal action were football agent Sky Andrew, the actors Sienna Miller and Steve Coogan, the television presenter Chris Tarrant and ex-Sky Sports presenter, Andy Gray.[8]

2006: Royal phone hacking scandal

The News of the World's royal editor Clive Goodman and two associates were arrested on 8 August 2006. Goodman and investigator Glenn Mulcaire were charged with hacking the phones of members of the royal household by accessing mobile phone voicemail messages, an offence under section 79 of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000.[9] The arrests were the result of a seven-month investigation by Scotland Yard. The News of the World's London office was searched by the police during their investigations. Goodman was also suspended by the newspaper.[10]

The investigation began as a result of an article published on 13 November 2005 by Goodman. The article claimed that Prince William was in the process of borrowing a portable editing suite from ITV royal correspondent Tom Bradby. Following the publication, the Prince and Bradby met to try to figure out how the details of their arrangement had leaked out, as only two other people were aware of the situation. Prince William noted that another equally improbable leak had recently taken place regarding an appointment he had made with a knee surgeon.[11] After some discussion, the Prince and Bradby concluded someone was breaking into mobile phone answering machine messages.[12] The compromised voice mail accounts were found to belong to his aides, and not the Prince himself.[13]

Their concerns were passed along to the police, whose investigation began as a localised incident involving staff at Clarence House. The list of possible victims broadened to include ministers, a Member of Parliament, military chiefs, a leading media figure, top footballers and celebrities,[14] but the only NOTW journalist to be charged was Royal correspondent Goodman.

On 26 January 2007, Clive Goodman was jailed for four months,[15] having pleaded guilty to the phone message interception charges. His associate private investigator Glenn Mulcaire, whom the newspaper had paid for his work, was imprisoned for six months.[16] On the same day, it was announced that Andy Coulson had resigned as the editor of the News of the World, having given in his notice a fortnight earlier. He was immediately replaced by Colin Myler. Goodman and Mulcaire subsequently both won unfair dismissal claims.

The officer in charge of the investigation, Andy Hayman, subsequently left the Metropolitan Police to work for News International as a columnist.[17]

2009–2010: further revelations

Number of victims

Beginning on 8 July 2009,[6] The Guardian made a series of allegations that the phone hacking activities at the News of the World newspaper went far beyond the activities for which the NOTW's royal editor Clive Goodman was jailed in 2007, those activities being limited to members of the Royal household.[7] The paper alleged that the hacking included public figures such as politician John Prescott[18] and the Manchester United F.C. manager Sir Alex Ferguson, Tessa Jowell when she was Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport, Boris Johnson when he was the Opposition spokesman on higher education,[19] public relations guru Max Clifford and even Rebekah Wade, the editor of the News of the World's sister-paper The Sun, were among the alleged victims.[20] Prescott in particular was outraged at the fact that the police did not inform him of the phone tapping, but Assistant Commissioner John Yates stated that there was no actual evidence that Prescott's phone had been tapped.[21]

The NOTW denied these claims[22] and its parent company, News Corporation, invited The Guardian to share any evidence it had with the Metropolitan Police.[23] The Metropolitan Police had declined to reopen their inquiry in response to The Guardian's reports stating that "no additional evidence has come to light" and it "therefore consider[ed] that no further investigation is required".[24] In December 2009 a parliamentary question was tabled about the possible tapping of then-minister Tessa Jowell's phone, and footballer Sol Campbell instructed his solicitor to contact the police.[25]

In February 2010 The Guardian reported that three mobile phone companies had discovered that over a hundred of their customers had had their answerphone messages hacked. The companies identified the customers in 2007 after Scotland Yard disclosed numbers that had been accessed by Goodman and his private investigator, Glenn Mulcaire. A Freedom of Information request by The Guardian found that the police had recovered 91 PIN codes for accessing other people's voicemails in material seized from Mulcaire and Goodman.[19] In April 2010 it was revealed from Crown Prosecution Service documents that although police had named only 8 individuals in court, the Scotland Yard enquiry had actually uncovered over 4,000 names or partial names and nearly 3,000 full or partial telephone numbers from the materials seized from Mulcaire and Goodman.[17]

Wider knowledge of the affair

In addition, contrary to the News of the World claims in 2007, The Guardian in July 2009 stated that the activities were known to a range of persons at the paper including then editor, Andy Coulson. At the time The Guardian made these claims, Coulson had left NOTW and become director of Conservative Party communications and planning. Due to this, some claimed that the reporting was politically motivated.[26] The Conservative Party was quick to stand by Coulson.[27]

The Guardian revealed in July 2009 that NOTW had made payments in excess of £1 million to three people subject to phone-hacking, including Professional Footballers' Association chairman Gordon Taylor, with the out-of-court settlements subject to secrecy clauses.[28] In July 2009, Private Eye revealed that The Guardian had, in order to avoid "all out war" with the NOTW, chosen not to tell the Commons committee that the £700,000 payment to Gordon Taylor, one of the three people with whom the NOTW reached out-of-court settlements, was signed off in June 2008 by the directors of News Group Newspapers Ltd, the News International subsidiary owning the NOTW — thus showing awareness of the matter at the highest levels.[29] The reports led the Press Complaints Commission to re-open its inquiry into the matter (finding that it had not been "materially misled",[30] leading Guardian editor Alan Rusbridger to resign from the PCC),[28] and the House of Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee to reopen its inquiry.[28]

Select Committee report

In February 2010 the House of Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee, under the chairmanship of Conservative MP John Whittingdale, reported on the phone hacking affair as part of a wide-ranging report into privacy and libel issues.[31] The report condemned the testimony of the NOTW witnesses that had appeared before the Committee, referring to "collective amnesia" and "deliberate obfuscation", and noted News International chief executive Rebekah Brooks' refusal to appear at all. The Committee concluded, "We strongly condemn this behaviour which reinforces the widely held impression that the press generally regard themselves as unaccountable and that News International in particular has sought to conceal the truth about what really occurred."[32]

Other News International newspapers (The Sun, The Times) downplayed the report, devoting minimal coverage to it and emphasising the News of the World's response.[33]

Max Clifford case

In March 2010 the News of the World settled a case brought against it by publicist Max Clifford for intercepting his voice mail. After lunch with former editor and News International executive Rebekah Brooks, the paper agreed to pay Clifford's legal fees and an undisclosed "personal payment" not described as damages, with the sum exceeding £1m. The £1m was paid in exchange for Clifford giving the News of the World exclusive stories over the next several years.[34]

The case had been expected to reveal the details of previous settlements the paper had made, including the £1 million spent in 2009 settling with three phone hacking victims, and the unfair dismissal claim won by Clive Goodman.[35] Clifford had won court rulings in February 2010 that meant that News of the World would have had to disclose previously secret information regarding which journalists were involved in hacking voicemail messages.

The judge ruled that Mulcaire had to disclose the names of all the journalists who targeted Clifford and also those who received transcripts of the messages.[36] With the settlement, this information would not be made public.

The original Metropolitan Police investigation attracted renewed attention in April 2010, when it emerged that Andy Hayman, an assistant commissioner and the officer responsible for overseeing the Scotland Yard inquiry, had left the police to work for News International as a columnist.[17]

The following month, reports of further legal action against the News of the World emerged. Those considering litigation against the paper included a football agent and ten MPs. The legal action reopened the possibility of details emerging that the settlement with Clifford had kept secret.[37]

2010–2011: renewed investigations

New York Times story

In September 2010, The New York Times published the results of an investigation it had begun in March, which revealed further details about the extent of the News of the World's phone hacking, and about Andy Coulson's alleged knowledge of it.[38] The investigation also revealed that a journalist at the News of the World had been attempting to hack in to the answer phone messages of a "television personality" in 2010. The journalist was suspended from reporting, and is facing legal action by the personality.[39]

The Times piece cited Sean Hoare, a former colleague, as saying that Coulson had "actively encouraged" phone hacking.[38] Coulson denied the claims, and indicated that he would allow himself to be questioned by the Metropolitan Police regarding the phone hacking affair.[40]

In the wake of the renewed allegations, the Home Affairs Select Committee opened a new inquiry into phone hacking.[41] The Metropolitan Police has also indicated its intention to re-examine the allegations regarding the News of the World, saying that it would consider new information that it had received.[40]

Two days after the Home Affairs Select Committee announced its inquiry, the House of Commons voted to refer allegations of phone-hacking against politicians to the Standards and Privileges Committee, with the power to compel witnesses to give evidence.[42][43]

A report aired on Channel 4's Dispatches in October included remarks made by an unnamed source, said to have been a former senior journalist at the News of the World who worked alongside Andy Coulson. The source alleged that Coulson had personally listened to messages obtained through phone-hacking.[44][45]

In December 2010, Coulson – while under oath as a witness in HM Advocate v Sheridan and Sheridan – denied any knowledge of phone hacking at the News of the World or that he knew the private investigator Glenn Mulcaire.[46] The following day, the Crown Prosecution Service said that it had determined that there was insufficient evidence to charge Coulson over allegations that he was aware of phone-hacking at the publication. The CPS said that witnesses interviewed by Metropolitan Police – including those who had previously made allegations through media outlets – had not been willing to provide admissible evidence.[47]

Allegations from litigation proceedings

In lieu of criminal proceedings, several public figures commenced litigation against the News of the World's owner and the private investigator Glenn Mulcaire. Those who began legal action included the football agent Sky Andrew, the actress Sienna Miller and actor Steve Coogan, and the television presenter Chris Tarrant and ex-employee of Sky Sports, Andy Gray.[8]

New allegations about the conduct of News of the World executives emerged in December 2010. Papers lodged in the High Court by lawyers acting for Sienna Miller claimed to have uncovered evidence of the involvement of Ian Edmondson, a senior editor at the publication, in work undertaken by the convicted private investigator Glenn Mulcaire.[48]

The following month, the News of the World disclosed that it had suspended Edmondson, saying that it would take "appropriate action" if the litigation or the paper's own internal investigation found evidence of wrongdoing by News of the World staff.[49]

The Crown Prosecution Service subsequently announced a review of the evidence collected during the Metropolitan Police's original investigation into phone hacking at the News of the World.[50] The director of public prosecutions, Keir Starmer QC, said that the decision was motivated in part by developments in the civil courts.[51]

Andy Coulson's second resignation

Andy Coulson, the former editor of the News of the World, resigned from his position as David Cameron's communications director on 21 January 2011, citing "continued coverage of events connected to my old job at the News of the World".[52] He had joined Cameron's communications team in 2007 after his resignation from the News of the World.

The Metropolitan Police's Operation Weeting begins

Main article: Operation Weeting

The Metropolitan Police announced on 26 January 2011 that it would begin a new investigation into the phone hacking affair, following the receipt of "significant new information" regarding the conduct of News of the World employees. The probe will take place alongside the previously-announced review of phone hacking evidence by the Crown Prosecution Service.[53]

On the same day, News International announced that it had fired one of the paper's senior executives, Ian Edmondson, based on evidence that it had subsequently given to the police.[53] The BBC's Robert Peston said that the publisher had discovered four emails allegedly showing that Edmondson had knowledge of phone hacking, contrary to his previous denials.[54]

The first arrests as part of the new investigation, codenamed Operation Weeting, took place on 5 April 2011. Edmondson and the News of the World's chief reporter Neville Thurlbeck were arrested on suspicion of unlawfully intercepting voicemail messages.[55][56] Both men had denied participating in illegal activities. A third journalist on the paper, James Weatherup, was arrested on 14 April 2011.[57]

The Guardian has queried why the Metropolitan Police chose to exclude a very large quantity of material relating to Jonathan Rees[who?] from the scope of its Operation Weeting inquiry.[58] The News of the World made extensive use of Rees's investigative services, including phone hacking, paying him up to £150,000 a year.[59] On the basis of evidence obtained during one of several police inquiries into the murder of Daniel Morgan, Rees's partner in Southern Investigations Ltd., Rees was found guilty in December 2000 of conspiring to plant cocaine on an innocent woman to discredit her in a child custody dispute. He received a seven years prison sentence for attempting to pervert the course of justice.[60] After he was released from prison the News of the World, under the editorship of Andy Coulson, began commissioning Rees's services again.[59]

The Guardian journalist Nick Davies described commissions from the News of the World as the "golden source" of income for Rees's "empire of corruption" which involved a network of contacts with corrupt police officers and a pattern of illegal behaviour extending far beyond phone hacking.[61] Despite detailed evidence the Metropolitan Police failed to pursue effective in-depth investigations into Rees's corrupt relationship with the News of the World over more than a decade.[59]

On July 12 Metropolitan police officer Sue Akers told MPs and the Home Affairs committee chairman, Keith Vaz MP that police have contacted only 170 of the 3,870 people named in Glenn Mulcaire's files to date.[62] There were 11,000 pages of the evidence[62] with 5,000 landline phone numbers and 4,000 mobile phone [63] on them inside the so called Glenn Mulcaire files. [62]

2011: Admission of liability and new allegations

Apology and compensation

Tessa Jowell MP brought a breach of privacy case in relation to phone hacking.
Sports commentator Andy Gray brought a breach of privacy case in relation to phone hacking.

News International, the publisher of the News of the World, announced on 8 April 2011 that it would admit liability in some of the breach of privacy cases being brought in relation to phone hacking. The company offered an unreserved apology and compensation to eight claimants, but will continue to contest allegations made by other litigants.[64][65]

The eight claimants were identified in media reports as:[65]

At the time of News International's announcement, twenty-four individuals were in the process of taking legal action against the News of the World on breach of privacy grounds.[64]

Hoppen has lodged a further claim against the News of the World and one of its reporters, Dan Evans, for "accessing or attempting to access her voicemail messages between June 2009 and March 2010".[66] News International has not admitted liability in relation to the claim.[65]

On 10 April, both Tessa Jowell and her estranged husband, David Mills; former footballer and broadcaster Andy Gray; football agent Sky Andrew; publicist Nicola Phillips; Joan Hammell, a former special adviser to Lord Prescott; and designer Kelly Hoppen received the official apology and compensation, but neither the actor Leslie Ash nor Lord Prescott received either from the News of the World.[67]

George Galloway said the apology was a cynical attempt to protect Rebekah Brooks, while Danny Alexander predicted further arrests would be made. The shadow Welsh secretary, Peter Hain MP also called on the legal authorities to conduct a "full and proper public investigation" and then claimed the police investigation had been "tardy".[67]

The first individual to accept the News of the World's apology and compensation was the actor Sienna Miller, who received £100,000 plus legal costs.[68] The sports broadcaster Andy Gray followed suit in June, accepting a payout of £20,000 plus legal costs.[69] Prior to the settlements, both individuals' litigation claims had been identified as phone hacking "test cases" to be heard in January 2012.

In April, The Observer reported claims from a former minister that Rupert Murdoch tried to persuade PM Gordon Brown early in 2010 to help in resisting attempts by Labour MPs and peers to investigate the affair, and to go easy on News of the World in the run up to the UK's general election of May 2010.[70] News International described the report as "total rubbish"; a spoksperson for Brown declined to comment.

The arrest of James Weatherup

News of the World reporter James Weatherup was taken into custody for questioning by the Metropolitan Police on 14 April 2011.[71][72]

The BBC reported on 20 May 2011 that a senior News of the World executive was implicated, according to actor Jude Law's barrister in the High Court. This report also said that the number of people whose phones may have been hacked may be much larger than previously thought. The High Court was said to have been told that "notebooks belonging to a private investigator hired by News Group Newspapers contained thousands of mobile phone numbers," and "Police also found 149 individual personal identification numbers and almost 400 unique voice mail numbers which can be used to access voice mail".[73]

The disappearance of Milly Dowler

On 4 July 2011, The Guardian reported that Scotland Yard had found evidence suggesting that the private investigator Glenn Mulcaire collected personal information about the family of the missing schoolgirl Milly Dowler following her disappearance in March 2002.[74] According to the paper, journalists working for the News of the World had hired private investigators to hack into Dowler's voicemail inbox. It was alleged that the journalists had deleted messages from the phone, giving false hope to Dowler's friends and family (who thought that she might have deleted those messages and therefore might still be alive) and potentially destroying valuable evidence about her abduction and murder by serial killer Levi Bellfield, who was convicted in June 2011.[74]

As of July 2011, the girl's parents were preparing a claim for damages against the News of the World, their solicitor said.[75] News Group Newspapers, the paper's publisher, described the allegation as "a development of great concern".[74]

Reacting to the revelation, Prime Minister David Cameron said that the alleged hacking, if true, was "truly dreadful". He added that police ought to pursue a "vigorous" investigation to ascertain what had taken place.[76][77] Labour's leader Ed Miliband called on Rebekah Brooks, the News of the World's editor in 2002 and now the chief executive of News International, to "consider her conscience and consider her position".[77] Brooks denies knowledge of phone hacking during her editorship.[78][79]

The former deputy prime minister John Prescott is one of a number of people who argue that the takeover of Sky by the newspaper's parent company News Corporation ought to be blocked.[80] The current scandal is not a consideration in the upcoming decision, according to Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt.[81] Newspaper reports suggest that the takeover, if ratified, is likely to be delayed due to the ongoing situation.[82]

UK Soldiers' relatives

On 6 July 2011 The Daily Telegraph reported that phones belonging to relatives of dead British soldiers may have been intercepted by the News of the World. It said that personal details and phone numbers belonging to relations of dead service personnel were found in the files of the private investigator Glenn Mulcaire.[83] In response to the allegations, The Royal British Legion announced that it would suspend all ties with the News of the World, dropping the newspaper as its campaigning partner.[84][2]

The Royal Family

Some email messages were found suggesting Jonathan Rees, a private investigator[85] made requests for sums of around £1,000 for contact details of senior members of the Royal Family and friends.[86]

John Prescott and Gordon Brown

John Prescott claimed he knew of "direct evidence" indicating it was involved in further illegal news gathering activities by The Sunday Times.[87]

Gordon Brown alleged his bank account was accessed by The Sunday Times in 2000 and that The Sun gained private medical records about his son, Fraser.[87] Rebekah Brooks called Brown to tell him that The Sun was going to reveal that his son had cystic fibrosis, and tried to persuade him not to spoil the newspaper's exclusive by announcing it himself first.[88]

John Yates

The Metropolitan Police’s Commissioner, John Yates revealed his phone was hacked between 2004 and 2005 on the 12th of January, 2011.[89]

Closure of the News of the World

Template:Wikinews2 News Corporation announced on 7 July 2011 that, after 168 years in print,[90] the News of the World would print its final edition on 10 July 2011 following revelations of the ongoing phone hacking scandal, with the loss of 200 jobs.[91][92] News Corp said that all proceeds from the final edition would go to good causes. Downing Street said it had no role in the decision.[93] News Corp executive James Murdoch conceded the paper was "sullied by behaviour that was wrong", saying "if recent allegations are true, it was inhuman and has no place in our company."[94]

Other executives of the company said the phone hacking was more widespread than previously believed and that they are cooperating with investigations into the allegations.[95][96][97] Rebekah Brooks has told staffers that other shoes would drop.[98]

There is speculation that News International will launch a Sunday edition of The Sun to replace the News of the World.[99]

Advertisers’ boycott

As of 7 July, Virgin Holidays, the Co-operative Group, Vauxhall Motors, Ford Motor Company and General Motors all pulled out their advertisements from the News of the World.[100][101] Other major advertisers, including mobile operators Vodafone Group PLC, O2 UK, Everything Everywhere (T-Mobile & Orange), Deutsche Telekom, France Telecom, EasyJet, Lloyds Banking Group, German utility company RWE (owner of Npower), electricals retailer Dixons, and Tesco, considered doing likewise.[100][101] Kesa Electricals, owner of the Comet electricals chain, and Renault said they had no advertising plans scheduled in the foreseeable future and were also considering whether they should join any future boycott.[100]

BSkyB takeover bid

Rupert Murdoch announced that News International would not bid for full control of BSkyB on July the 13th due to concerns relating to the News of the World phone hacking affair.[102] This came before a planned vote in the House of Commons calling for the takeover to be dropped, which was passed unanimously by the house.[103]

Other News Corporation outlets

United Kingdom

With the unfolding scandal at the News of the World came allegations that another News Corporation-owned tabloid, The Sun, itself engaged in phone hacking. In February 2011, the Metropolitan Police investigated the claims of Scottish trade union leader Andy Gilchrist, who suspected The Sun of hacking into his mobile in order to run negative stories about him; the stories were published shortly after Rebekah Brooks was installed as the paper's editor.[104]

On 11 July, the day after the News of the World ceased publication, The Guardian reported that Scotland Yard was investigating both The Sun and The Sunday Times for illegally gaining access to the financial, phone, and legal records of former prime minister Gordon Brown. It was also reported that The Sun improperly obtained medical information on Brown's infant son, James Fraser, in order to publish stories about his battle with cystic fibrosis. Brown issued a statement saying that his family was "shocked by the level of criminality and the unethical means by which personal details have been obtained."[105]

United States

Outside of the UK, News Corporation owns a multitude of news outlets in the United States, including the New York Post, The Wall Street Journal, and the Fox News Channel. Even though none of News Corporation's U.S. outlets have yet been implicated in the scandal, several media critics have called for investigations into whether they too engaged in phone hacking activities. In addition to any possible illegal activities in the U.S., News Corporation and/or its executives might also face civil and criminal liability under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.

According to a former New York policeman, News of the World also attempted to retrieve private phone records of those who died in the September 11 terrorist attack.[106]

In light of the suspected hacking of the telephones of 9/11 victims, Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Jay Rockefeller has suggested that a U.S. investigation of News Corporation should be launched.[107]

Tom Watson and Lord Fowler

Labour MP for West Bromwich East, Tom Watson played a key role in bringing the truth about phone hacking by the News of the World into the open. He was concerned by alleged press misconduct as were his colleagues Khalid Mahmood, MP for Perry Barr, and Sion Simon, the now former MP for Erdington.[108]

Watson joined the Commons Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee, and was thus able to question the leading figures in News International about the ethics at both The Sun and the News of the World. He also grilled Andy Coulson, who was the director of communications for the Conservative party, about his role in the News of the World. [109][110][111][109]

The former Sutton Coldfield MP Lord Fowler demanded an independent inquiry into the phone hacking inquiry. He was also chairman of the Birmingham Post newspapers for five years and a member of Margaret Thatcher’s cabinet.[112]

Further arrests

The arrest of Andy Coulson

The Guardian reported on 7 July 2011 that Coulson was to be arrested the following day, along with a senior journalist the paper refused to name.[113] Sky News reported on 8 July 2011 that Coulson was formally arrested,[114] although the Metropolitan Police Service would only confirm that a "43 year old man" had been arrested for "conspiring to intercept communications." It was also noted that the MPS could hold Coulson for up to 96 hours without charge as allowed under the Greater Manchester Police v. Hookway court decision, but must be either charged or released after that time.[115]

The arrest of Neil Wallis

The News of the World executive editor, Neil Wallis, 60, was arested in in west London on July 14 [116].

See also

References

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