LEVESON INQUIRY:CULTURE, PRACTICE AND ETHICS OF THE PRESS
"I want this inquiry to mean something", not end up as "footnote in some professor of journalism's analysis of 21 century history." LJ Leveson in reply to A Rusbridger's submission to Inquiry. |
| Lord Justice Leveson |
Here's a quick reminder of the four modules within this first year of the inquiry.
Module 1: The relationship between the press and the public and looks at phone-hacking and other potentially illegal behaviourModule 2: The relationships between the press and police and the extent to which that has operated in the public interest
Module 3: The relationship between press and politiciansModule 4: Recommendations for a more effective policy and regulation that supports the integrity and freedom of the press while encouraging the highest ethical standards.
Leveson Inquiry Witness Statements HERE
Witness list for this week (6th - 9th February) to be found HERE
Video Recordings of each day's proceedings HERE
Live Feed From Leveson Inquiry Site HERE
BBC Democracy Live Feed HERE
Guardian Leveson Inquiry Live Blog
Telegraph Live Blog
BBC News Leveson Inquiry Page
#Leveson Twitter Feed
Dan Sabbagh (Guardian Journalist) Twitter timeline
Ben Fenton (Journalist FT) live Leveson tweets and comments
Live Blog - Hacking Inquiry - Hacked Off
Telegraph Live Blog
BBC News Leveson Inquiry Page
#Leveson Twitter Feed
Dan Sabbagh (Guardian Journalist) Twitter timeline
Ben Fenton (Journalist FT) live Leveson tweets and comments
Live Blog - Hacking Inquiry - Hacked Off
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Today's links to articles, info and comments relevant to the Leveson Inquiry (frequently updated) :
- Abell Stands Down As Director of PCC - Press Gazette
- Hacking Victim Nightjack to Sue The Times - Telegraph
- Journalists Who Break the Law to Expose Injustice Will Not Be Prosecuted - Keir Starmer - Telegraph
- PCC Director Stephen Abell Departs - Roy Greenslade - Guardian Media
- Profile of Michael McManus (to join PCC) from Bell Pottinger website (via @smurray48 )
- Hugh Grant Levels New Accusations Against the Daily Mail - Guardian
- BBC News - Leveson Inquiry: Picture Agency Boss 'Follows PCC Code'
- Morgan and Trinity Mirror Journalist Implicated By Mills Hacking Evidence - Press Gazette
- Ian Edmondson Contradicts Colin Myler Evidence - Guardian
- Transcript of Edmondson's Contradiction of C Myler's Evidence on Guardian Live Blog
- Rupert Murdoch Still a Nightmare For David Cameron - Telegraph
- Video of Will Moy from Full Fact, Giving Evidence at Leveson Inquiry Yesterday
- Dinner at Rupert's - Businessweek
- BBC News - Leveson Inquiry: Heather Mills Denies Allowing Voicemail Access
- In Praise of...Stig Abell and Scott Langham of the PCC - Full Fact
- Edmondson: 'Bullying' at NoW Under Coulson and Myler - Press Gazette
- Second Witness Statement of James Harding, Editor of The Times
- Tabloid Watch: Savaged to Death By a Dog...Or Natural Causes?
- NUJ Chief: Paul Dacre Press Card Proposal is 'Ridiculous' - Journalism.co.uk
- PCC Rules Front-page Death Report Was 'Gratuitous' - Journalism.co.uk
- Heather Mills Records 65 Hours of 'Harassment' - Journalism.co.uk
- Phone-hacking Costs News Corp £55m in Three Months - Journalism.co.uk
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Thursday 9th February 2012
( Link to Hearing Day 39 HERE )
MaxClifford
Ian Edmondson
Darryn Lyons ( Big Pictures )
Paul Dacre ( Associated Newspapers )
Heather Mills
Michelle Stanistreet ( NUJ )
Witness Statements taken as read:
Mark Thompson (2nd Witness Statement)
Max Clifford
[Clifford, of course, is a very well-known public relations consultant].
Clifford was contacted in 2006 by mobile phone company and the Met and told phone hacked.
Clifford negotiated his NoW hacking settlement directly with Rebekah Brooks.
Rebekah Brooks agreed to pay Max Clifford »220k a year for 3 years plus legal costs tips for stories in hacking settlement (»1m+)
Max Clifford deal with Rebekah Brooks after phone hacked: £220,000 a year for 3 years plus 300k legal costs.
Clifford: Methods became more and more creative, what mattered was getting a result.
Clifford says he became "increasingly aware" of phone hacking "over the years".
Clifford: In past "bugs" would be put in hotel rooms, long before cell phone
Clifford: I's a public backlash. British public got angry about Milly Dowler and the McCanns. #leveson
Clifford: The inquiry has frightened editors and potentially headline-dominating stories are being held back.
Clifford: It has gone from one extreme to another. #leveson asks is that a good thing or a bad thing. "Good. They are being responsible"
Clifford: We must have a free press, it’s the best chance anyone has got, otherwise we’ll be slaves to the system
Clifford: I was contacted by one of the women from Mosley case and stopped NoW printing photographs and info.
Clifford: Injunctions protected the rich and famous. Hopefully that's on the way out after Ryan Giggs.
Clifford: I couldn't ever justify "Freddie Starr ate my hamster" as in the public interest.
Clifford says about one-fifth of stories he places are in the public interest.
"Freddie Starr ate my hamster" is raising laughs in courtroom and in annex
Freddie Starr denied eating a hamster but I told McKenzie to run the story anyway because it was good PR! - Max Clifford
Clifford was happy for the story to go ahead even though he knew it was untrue because it helped get Star publicity prior to a tour
[Max Clifford is relishing his role as the grand old man of media management at #leveson ]
Clifford: "I'd rather enjoy my sex life than read about other peoples' sex lives". Leveson removes glasses and rubs his face.
Clifford: I think it's unhealthy that celebrities have so much influence over young people.
Clifford : PCC was nowhere on the horizon for Robert Murat
Clifford: You have to have a strong and independent PCC. Members of the public have no protection.
"I f one good thing comes out of this inquiry, I hope that is what will happen," Clifford tells #leveson
Clifford: Press mustn't have a controlling interest financially or in any other way in new regulatory body.
Clifford: "I wouldn't want to see Kelvin MacKenzie on the board".
Clifford doesn't want to see Kelvin on a new press body. [I doubt Kelvin wants that, either.]
Clifford: Most of my clients pay me in the region of £200-250,000 a year.
Clifford says he introduced client Simon Cowell to the Murdochs through contacts including Rebekah Brooks.
Clifford: Most of the journalists I deal with are trustworthy. Those that aren't are in the minority and often deeply unhappy.
Clifford: The biggest part of stopping damaging stories is anticipation.
Clifford: I told Imogen Thomas the Sun didn't have enough on her affair and to call footballer. She did and the rest is history...
Clifford: I told Imogen Thomas the Sun didn't have enough on her affair and to call footballer. She did and the rest is history...
...he contacted lawyers. Sometimes I can protect things, sometimes I can't.
Clifford: Cherie Blair's pregnancy did not come out as a result of hacking. I gave story to Piers Morgan when a source came to me.
Clifford says he calls in favours as much as he possibly can to help his clients.
Guardian Live Blog:
The inquiry has resumed an Clifford is asked about politicians and the media.
He says the UK has followed the US model where "image is everything", noting that "David Cameron was a PR man I believe years ago and it shows".
Clifford adds that the media have became far more intrusive over the past 20 years; "the kind of things Winston Churchill might have got away with, you wouldn't today".
He adds that politicians are guided by the PR people behind the parties.
Clifford says Rupert Murdoch's support does make a difference to politicians, unlike Lord Patten who told the inquiry last month politicians were "kidding themselves" that the mogul had the power to swing elections.
Common sense would tell you Rupert Murdoch supporting David Cameron in the last election made a difference.
Clifford - Alastair Campbell got a bit carried away with the power Blair had
Clifford: Alastair [Campbell] got a bit carried away with the power Tony Blair had. He was telling rather than asking the press.
Guardian Live Blog:
Clifford says Daily Mail editor Paul Dacre is "a law unto himself".
Clifford: Corrections need to be seen by the people who read the story. Wouldn't work for papers paying to print in other papers.
Clifford being told about Heather Mills claim he threatened to destroy her
Says its not true. "there's a lot of things I could say about Heather Mills but I won't".
Clifford: if you come out with a front page splash which is shown to be untrue, the apology should be indicated on the front page
Clifford: Public increasingly disenchanted. This might restore trust. Cd help in the circulation battle as well.
Clifford: New body with statutory power would restore the confidence of the British public in press.
A responsible body would help their chances of survival in the long time, Clifford tells
Clifford: I don't think a responsible body protecting against excesses of the press would be damaging to press freedom.
Clifford: I believe I spoke to Ian Edmondson, he would have been right at the heart of what was going on.
Ian Edmondson
 |
| Ian Edmondson, Neville Thurlbeck |
Full Witness Statement
Edmondson was arrested last year in connection with Operation Weeting.
Ian Edmondson is up. Of course, he can't speak about phone hacking, but I suspect he'll be asked about Max Mosley
Jay asks Edmondson about emails sent from Thurlbeck to women involved in the Max Mosley case.
Thurlbeck told #Leveson that Edmondson had drafted the threatening email
In his evidence, Thurlbeck said Edmondson had drafted the emails he sent out. Edmondson says he doesn't recall them being sent.
Edmondson can't remember drafting the emails to the women who were at Max Mosley's orgy. He denies he might have drafted the emails
Jay: Might you have drafted these emails? Edmondson: No, not at all. Not written in the type of language I would use.
Guardian Live Blog:
Leveson says "it's not just the particular email, it's the thinking behind the email" – which may be constituted as blackmail – that he wants to get at.
The emails were sent after the News of the World published its Max Mosley orgy story, and asked the women to tell their side of the story for the next Sunday's follow-up.
"There is no doubt that Neville, or a number of reporters would have been trying to get hold of the women. That [the email] would have been a small part of it," says Edmondson.
"I have got no doubt whatsoever I would have asked him to contact the women. In fact with his experience I would have had no need to … it's more likely that I would have asked him."
Jay says the point of the email is clear – the paper will guarantee anonymity to the women if they tell their story, but if they don't they will lose it.
Edmondson says it is "very very unlikely" that he would have written tthat.
"For a number of reasons: that's not the language I would have used. It wouldn't be my responsiblity or decision … It's not his decision to make those statements. What goes into the paper is down to the editor … these sorts of decisions aren't made by a news editor, or head of news or a chief reporter."
Edmondson: I've got no doubt whatsoever that I would have asked him to contact the women.
Edmondson: Unlikely that I would have issued instructions given his seniority (as a reporter).
Edmondson, asked for his view on this type of email, replies: I don't like it's tone
Edmondson: emails to women involved in Mosley case were nothing to do with him. Considers they were a threat
Edmondson: I think [the emails] are a threat. #Leveson: I think we can probably agree about that.
Edmondson witness statement says he instructed Derek Webb once or twice a week on surveillance
Edmondson: Fair to say monitoring affairs majority of Webb's work. Also looked an drug dealers and criminal issues.
Edmondson: False public image would be a pub interest reason for going with a story. We would judge subjects on how they'd behaved.
Edmondson: Post-Mosley you had to be very careful about who you looked at.
[Jay tried to differentiate between express and implied statements regarding portrayals of public image].
Edmondson: before Derek Webb we used reporters and photographers "to carry our surveillance"
Guardian Live Blog:
Edmondson is asked what factors would be taken into account by teh News of the World when deciding the public interest in relation to celebrities' affairs.Edmondson says there would be a public interest if the celebrity has promoted a "false public image" as "wholesome" and they are doing something else in private.
It might be a celebrity inviting cameras into their home, being photographed with their family, talking about their wife, saying "they would never do such a thing" and then it is revealed that they are having an affair, he adds.
Jay takes Edmondson through Webb's statement, concerning his NUJ membership and changing email address from "Shadow Watch".
Guardian Live Blog:
Edmondson is asked more about private investigator Derek Webb.
Edmondson argues Webb was a journalist because he carried out "journalistic tasks". Reporters would carry out surveillance and they might not have been particularly good at it, but Webb was.
"His skills were very useful," adds Edmondson.
Edmondson: I don't think Webb was pretending to be a journalist. Jay: This was all just a sham wasn't it? Ed: I think it was, yes.
Edmondson: Crone, Myler and Kuttner aware of the pretence over Webb's employment.
Edmondson: Surveillance of Mark Lewis+ Charlotte Harris wasn't a story for the newspaper. Crone said to give leverage against them.
Edmondson claims he was uncomfortable about surveillance of claimants lawyer Mark Lewis
Jay asks Edmondson about the McCann diary story.
Edmondson: Acceptable to record interviews without subject knowing for accuracy. People might not talk freely.
Edmondson says he was instructed by Myler not to make clear to Mitchell about publishing diaries
Ian Edmondson former News Editor at NoftW -- standard practice to record phone conv and not tell the other person.
Edmondson: Gave impression to Mitchell we were running a story but not specific and didn't tell him we had complete diaries.
Edmondson: Purpose of woolly conversation was in order to blame Mitchell at a later date. That was Myler's thinking.
Edmondson's now contradicting Myler's evidence on Kate McCann's diaries
Edmondson: Myler had Gerry McCann's mobile no and good relationship with him. I tried to argue we could collaborate. He said no.
Edmondson: I liked Mitchell a lot, I felt uneasy, but I did what I was told.
Guardian Live Blog:
Edmondson says the paper deceived the McCanns.
"I can't remember an occasion of this ilk," he adds. "I'm sure there were occasions when an editor would want you to effectively deceive someone, yes."
Asked by Jay if there were other occasions an editor would want to deceive someone, but this was a particularly egregious example, he replies: "I think so, yes."
Edmondson: Culture changed when Myler took over + throughout the industry for obvious reasons. Had seminars on PCC+legal briefings
IE:Myler was there to correct mistakes made in past. J:Did he succeed? IE:Certainly. J:My questions not directed to phone hacking.
Jay explains he cannot question Edmondson (arrested last year) on phone hacking
IE has employment tribunal claim, so reluctant to talk about bullying culture at NotW. J says it's alright.
Edmondson: Every part of the paper is dictated and controlled by the editors. Culture of bullying emanated from them.
IE: You don't do anything unless you are told to do it. I don't want to go into specifics. #leveson asks about Driscoll evidence.
IE I can only think of what I went through, but there are aspects of [Driscoll bullying case] that chime with me, yes.
Edmondson says culture of bullying at NoTW emanated from the editor pre 2007 (Andy Coulson).
Edmondson: Colin Myler was part of the culture of bullying [not just Coulson].
Sunday People was much less of an extent. None in regional papers.
IE: It's a case of you will do what you are told and you live with that environment. #leveson: Even if you are news editor. IE: Absolutely
IE: It's not a democracy in a newspaper it's autocratic.
Edmondson: You will do as you are told and you live in that environment. "It's not a democracy at a newspaper - autocratic."
"True dat" - a mutter in #Leveson press annex when Edmondson says newspapers are not a democracy.
[Like the army or navy, it is doubtful any business could compete if it was a democracy though. #leveson]
[ I wonder if Myler will be recalled. Edmondson contradicted his evidence on the McCann diary.
[A reminder. Mr Myler left the UK to work as editor of NY Daily News last month.]
Edmondson at #Leveson was the most uncomfortable thing to watch since the sex scene between Gere and Foster in Sommersby.
Guardian Live Blog:
Here is a summary of this morning's evidence so far:• The former News of the World head of news, Ian Edmondson, has said that the culture of bullying at the paper came from the editor.
• He said he did not draft emails to women in the Max Mosley case, contradicting chief reporter Neville Thurlbeck's evidence.
• He said the editor told him not to tell Kate McCann's PR the paper had her diary.
Darryn Lyons
Darryn Lyons is founder of the Big Pictures agency. He appeared on Channel 5's Celebrity Big Brother last year.
Lyons worked at the Daily Mail as a freelance photographer before starting Big Pictures.
Lyons witness statement describes himself as "the man in the know and on the go with all things to do with celebrity"
Big Pictures has 29 members of staff including 10-12 photographers, and 152 casual workers.
Lyons: Big Pictures turns over 3,000-3,500 a day. Each picture that comes in is dealt with on its merits.
Lyons: Wouldn't accept pictures featuring extreme nudity, taken on private property or where a photographer has crossed a line.
Lyons: Photographers have to make their own judgement with regard to who and what they photograph & in what circumstances
Darryn Lyons' book, now being discussed at #Leveson: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mr-Paparazzi-Darryn-Lyons/dp/1844547876
Reading from Lyons book "Mr Paparazzi" in relation to practice of photographers chasing people in vehicles to get pictures
Carine Patry-Hoskins asks about practices described in Lyons' book "Mr Paparazzi". He says chasing subjects OK if not breaking law.
Says he can't be held responsibly for other agencies
Guardian Live Blog:
There is "no Big Pictures code of practice, no manual governing employees", says Lyons.
"The employed photographers know … exactly what is expected of them," he says, adding that they work to "PCC guidelines". He says he hasn't had much time to "look over the documentation" but photographers have to make a judgment, guided by the management back at HQ.
He says he has no reason to believe his photographers breach the PCC code.
a very defensive lyons is being absolutely torn apart, quite brilliant
Leveson tells Lyons he's not looking to "get at" him, just wants to understand cultures and practices of the industry
[Oh dear, Darryn Lyons' witness statement has not been properly redacted. Celeb name blocked out appears later in text].
Counsel asks about 2009 action brought by Sienna Miller (harassment and invasion of privacy) against Big Pictures.
Miller was awarded £53,000 damages and costs and photographers were forbidden from chasing her.
From Guardian Live Blog:
Lyons says he "wasn't in charge of that particular action". He remembers a claim but not that specific claim, he says.
Lyons: Celebrities court publicity when they want to and then all of a sudden they want to switch off very soon after.
Lyons: We have a free press and it should be able to work in public places. I'm avid about it.
From Guardian Live Blog:
Patry Hoskins refers to another article in May 2009 about Amy Winehouse winning a case against photographers."As for Sienna Miller now, I don't go near her now, and we throw away photographs of her," Lyons is quoted as saying in the article, but he goes on to question why he should not be able to snap a shot of Miller on a boat in the Mediterranean when she was allegedly involved with a married man.
The articles and images which Miller sued over included coverage of the actor's alleged relationship with Balthazar Getty soon after she broke off a relationship with Welsh actor Rhys Ifans.
Lyons is asked about a time when he was outside the Portland Hospital in London after the Duchess of York arrived to give birth to her first child. he explains in his book that he didn't know the "car technique" and got a quick lesson from a colleague.
The technique, he said was to "run at the car" and then "crash bang wallop" with a lens.
He says this incident was 25 years ago; if he hadn't got the car shot he wouldn't have been employed by a newspaper again. He says things are different now.
Lyons asked about injunction taken out by Lily Allen to restrict the paparazzi.
Lyons: After Allen got injunction she walked out in front of photographers and said "you can't photograph me anymore, can you?"
Says he apologised to Amy Winehouse's management then she invited them into their house to do a "set-up" in her home
Says people from other agencies give false names and say they're from Big Pictures
Lyons: Injunction taken out by Amy Winehouse result of other paps using Big Pictures name. PR apologised and we went to her house.
Lyons: We often work with celebrities and they get a high cut of pictures sold.
Lyons says he is rarely in the office but trusts management to take action if needed (says currently filming show in Australia).
Counsel raises Grant and Hurley privacy case (£58,000 damages) and JK Rowling case over pictures taken of her child in 2004.
Lyons: JK Rowling case was first legal situation we ever had. We didn't feel she had a problem at the time.
Lyons: JK Rowling image only downloaded from archive and bought several years later. Was a stock image.
Lyons: One day we're doing a set up with Naomi Campbell through PR and next she's sending through legal action for privacy
Lyons: The problem with the industry is for photographerss, picture agencies, and publishers, we don’t know where we stand
Patry-Hoskins quotes from his book: "if you can't hack the job, don't wear the hat"
Lyons stands by it, says "being a celebrity is the choice of the person"
Darryn Lyons , Big Picture Agency: we live in a world of voyeurism.
He says 50% of celebs love being snapped, while others pick and choose the times they want publicity
"Picture agencies and picture people who are recording history of celebrity don't know what is right any more"
Lyons: It's an ambiguous situation, Mariah Carey and Paris Hilton's PRs call us up all the time, they want the publicity.
Lyons says he also has a "no-shoot" list of people they don't snap
Lyons' book says he thinks his website (mrpaparazzi dot com)is the future and could be much bigger than Big Pictures.
http://MrPaparazi.com disclaimer:"a celeb gossip site which publishes rumours & conjecture in addition to accurately reported facts"
Guardian Live Blog:
Lyons says the atittude of celebrities is "a great worry for the industry" and that many of the celebrities will "regularly take money" for the photographs. He adds:From Guardian Live blog:
Paparazzi in America is regularly used by managemennt and publicity agents to boost someone's profile.Where we are here in the UK is all over the place in terms of what can't we do what we can do … I think celebrities use these situations for their own self gain on a regular basis. There's two sides to every story which i hope this inquiry looks into in great detail.
The Guardian's head of media and technology, Dan Sabbagh, asked Lily Allen on Twitter what she thought of Darry Lyons's evidence:Paul Dacre
Would love to know what the likes of Sienna Miller, @mrslrcooper and others think of this Big Pictures shambles.She replied:
— Dan Sabbagh (@dansabbagh) February 9, 2012
@dansabbagh not much
— lilyrosecooper (@MrsLRCooper) February 9, 2012
- See HERE for previous appearance
Witness Statement of Tricia Owen (Plummy Voiced Woman)
Leveson apologises to Dacre if he's been "inconvenienced"
Sherborne is interrupted by Caplan, Associated News. #Leveson tells Sherborne to "crack on".
Dacre is being questioned over the "plummy-voiced woman" Mail 2007 article.
Sherborne was keen to tell Dacre this is not a personal spat between Hugh Grant and the Daily Mail
[...a story that resulted from a phone hack. Something vigorously denied by Dacre's Associated Newspapers].
Sherborne: Repeated reference to Grant's use of mobile phones and fact the woman sounded "posh" or "plummy".
Dacre: I'm not going to characterise key features of the article in your words.
[Caplan interrupts, Sherborne rolls eyes. Caplan complains Dacre has not seen a letter Sherborne now refers to.]
Caplan (Assoc'd QC) says Dacre is being shown documents he hasn't seen. #leveson smoothes over.
Guardian Live Blog:
Sherborne says he is not going to ask about the birth of Hugh Grant's child.
He is beginning with a 2007 Mail on Sunday story referring to late night calls Grant was allegedly having with a "plummy voiced" Warner studios executive.
Grant had suggested that the information could only have come from listening to his voicemails.
Sherborne says there are eight references to "phones" or "phoning" in the article and three or four references to her voice.
Hugh Grant's letter before action in Feb 2007 shows he was aware of the woman with a plummy voice who phoned him.
Dacre and Sherborne debating "plummy-voiced woman". Lawyer says didn't exist but Patricia Owens (WB) had left messages for Grant.
Why are Katie Nicholl & Sharon Feinstein not swearing on oath that the source wasn't hacking. Strange. Grant gave evidence on oath.
Dacre says he has a major newspaper group to run although he has done some homework on it today.
Sherborne is getting a bit confrontational, some might say
Dacre: I don't know what you're trying to get at. I know this may astonish you but I am editor in chief of a major newspaper.
Is Dacre being sensible or foolish in only grudgingly answering any questions.
"I deeply resent your comparison [of the Sun] to my paper" - Dacre at #Leveson
Dacre: I didn't hear Mohan's evidence and I deeply resent the comparison to my paper.
Been of filing, now back in court 73 for Dacre vs Sherborne. Dacre says he "deeply resents" a comparison between The Sun and Mail
Sherborne: Isn't it a bit of coincidence that at time of article there WAS a plummy-voiced woman leaving messages?
Sherborne gets to nub of it: it's a coincidence that there was a plummy-voiced woman as described in MoS. Dacre not playing ball.
Phone hacking was not practiced by Daily Mail or Mail on Sunday - I gave unequivocal assurances -- Dacre
Dacre: The journalists in question are journalists of integrity.
Dominic Mohan was asked on Tues 11 times whether his Bizarre articles which mention phone calls was down to hacking.
Dacre: I will not speak for other papers. Our group did not hack phones and I rather resent your continued insinuation that we did
Associated lawyer Liz Hartley continually shaking her head at Sherborne's probing.
Robert Jay QC said to Mohan "Isn't it the truth that your article came from hacking". Mohan did not call Jay a mendacious smearer.
Dacre: I’m not going to speculate. I’ve made clear my position and I’m not going to deviate from that
Dacre: We'd tried to explain to Grant that this wasn't true but we needed to fight fire with fire.
I was at that meeting with the Prime Minister. So was my boss Martin Moore and Craig Oliver. Hugh Grant didn't say that. Lies
[Dacre continues to explain "mendacious smears" statement. #Leveson stops him.]
"...if we'd been accused of fucki..hacking phones" - another trip from Dacre. Water to court 73.
Grant slandered the Daily Mail on 4 occasions, Dacre tells
Sherborne asks Dacre why the MoS did not contact either Grant or Jemima Khan before publishing.
Sherborne: Do you know why Ms Khan and Mr Grant were not contacted prior to the action?
Associated lawyers leafing through press cuttings to help out their man in the corner. Sherborne descending into microdetail.
Dacre: Mr Caplan has just read out relevant "no comment" statement in article.I'm happy correct journalistic procedures carried out.
Dacre: I think Mr Grant was obsessed by dragging the daily Mail into another papers scandal [
Sherborne says Grant not attacking Associated but was explaining to Jay what his speculation was. Dacre says it is disingenuous.
Sherborne says Dacre's answers reveal a great deal about the practice.. #Leveson says what he is to say will not cause him pleasure !!
Dacre after very tense session makes interesting point about UK restrictions on Mail Online compared to US sites
Heather Mills
- Heather Mills Official Website (with article about Piers Morgan's accusations)
Witness Statement in Full
Supplemental Witness Statement in Full
Hunting Heather Mills - Her Video (YouTube)
Jay starts with the voicemail @piersmorgan was questioned about earlier in #leveson
Mills called to answer questions over Piers Morgan claims (on voicemail messages left for her by then-husband Sir Paul McCartney).
Heather, this is not the opportunity for you to tell us even more about your charideee work!
Mills: One of messages he sang a little ditty. All was forgiven later. Never recorded these and they were all deleted.
Mills says there were about 25 messages - all saved - from Sir Paul asking for forgiveness
Mills says she never recorded the messages, they were all deleted
Mills was contacted by former Trinity Mirror employee later that day who said had heard the message. Story never reported.
Jay has been asked to point out TMG employee not a Daily Mirror journo or anybody working under Morgan.
Mills: Morgan had absolutely nothing to do with the introduction [between Mills and McCartney].
Jay asks about Mail article
Jay: Did you authorise Mr Morgan to access your voicemail? Mills: Never.
Mills on Morgan: I can't believe someone who's only written awful things about me wld even insinuate I'd played voicemail msg 2 him
Mills was shown evidence by hacking cops proving voicemail of her and sister were hacked by someone whose name is redacted in
Mills shown evidence by officers of Operation Weeting proving her voicemail messages, and those of sister, had been hacked into.
Mills now telling #leveson about her experiences with paparazzi. Police said she needed to have evidence of harassment. I started to film
Mills says she has 64 hours of video of press harassment of her and her family
Mills: Paps drove over pavements when mothers were pushing prams and things like that. Offers to show #leveson the videos.
[Slight technical error getting sound for the video.]
Hunting Heather Mills - Her Video (YouTube)
Heather Mills video being played at #Leveson entitled 'hunting Heather becomes a national sport'
Paps driving through red lights, following her and her daughter to school, one followed her from London to Dorset to the seaside
Same car that has "followed us everywhere" has a "huge crash" They drive while holding their cameras. It's just madness, she says.
Video clip over. Showed paps trying to get a shot of Mills' house through a fence and chasing her when driving.
Mills: Press coverage post-1999 became offensive and abusive. Become "one-legged bitch" after meeting my husband.
Until there is an incentive to write so many lies with abusive comments, it will continue. Front page apologies the same size.
[Earlier I did actually misquote Mills when I sd she wanted "incentive to write so many lies". Obviously that was missing a "NOT"
Heather Mills #Leveson evidence implicates Piers Morgan and un-named Trinity Mirror journalist in hacking row
Mills: I have complained to PCC many times. Initially I was unaware of them and always went down the libel route.
Mills: over 12 years there were 5,000 headlines about me
Mills: Stephen Abell tried to be a mediator for stopping libel cases. It would push editors to give me an apology.
Mills: Weaver rang Phil Hall (Hello) asking if story about charity money was true. He said I didn't touch that £, she ran anyway.
Mills: PCC needs to be "absolutely 100 percent changed". Should be individual informed members of public who can't be influenced.
All photographers should be licensed, Heather Mills tells #leveson. They could be struck off if they harass people.
Michelle Stanistreet
Copy of NUJ Code of Conduct
NUJ asked members if they wanted to give evidence anonymously to the inquiry about ethics and working culture.
About 40 members of the union got in touch. Stanistreet interviewed all of them, some gave written evidence.
Stanistreet: It's vital that journalists have the protection of an independent trade union within their workplace
Stanistreet: Have been contacted by 40 journalists wanting to raise issues anonymously. Have reported what 12 have said.
NUJ sent in the evidence of 12 of those people to
Sadly I haven't had a queue of journalists wanting to share news of great experiences in the newsroom, NUJ tells #leveson
CPH saw nothing that would undermine the witnesses evidence. Was asked to verify them as much as she could by newspapers at #leveson
From Guardian Live Blog:
Stanistreet says she does not believe any of these individuals colluded in their evidence; she did not ask any of them if they had spoken to the Guardian's investigative journalist Nick Davies.
Contemporaneous notes were taken of all interviews, she says, and she typed them up immediately afterwards. She did not record the interviews.
Says its not an option for journos to come to inquiry and talk openly about their experiences
Stanistreet says these are not individual journalists with gripes, but their evidence gives a consistent picture.
Some were petrified by what might happen to them if they were identified, she tells #leveson
Guardian Live Blog:
The inquiry has resumed and Michelle Stanistreet, general secretary of the National Union of Journalists, is asked about anonymous evidence from members.
She explains none of the 40 or so journalists she spoke to wanted to give evidence publicly.
"Sadly that's not an option [to give evidence publicly]," she says.
In her written submission, she says this was for fear of punishment, being "thrashed" by others in the industry and the fear of not being employed.
Says the 12 anonymous testimonies are examples of widespread situation in journalism
Patry-Hoskins is taking Stanistreet through a series of anonymous testimonies from journalists.
All of these journalists are active in the industry. Newspapers names redacted except NotW (on #leveson's own instructions)
First one is journo with 30 yrs experience across various titles, including NOTW
Testimony says there was a "real military chain of command" at NOTW
People had to "shut up and keep quiet"
NotW is not an exception. Macho culture pervades industry. Worked like dogs. Unrealistic demands.
"News editors throw reporters onto the same story, everyone's terrified of putting a foot wrong"
MOney terrible, expenses often unpaid.Have to use own laptop and car. Staff reporters treated much better.
"If you do what Sean Hoare did or Paul McMullan, you don't work in the industry again"
Ex-NoTW journalist told NUJ anonymously that Sean Hoare and Paul McMullen were "being honest" about practices at the paper.
Stanistreet says media organisations and bosses have tried to pin the blame on individual journos
To any working journalist that is fanciful, untrue. Editors are very hands-on. There is a real sense of betrayal.
LJ #Leveson: "The great majority of journalism, from all areas, is very much in the public interest and a very great credit"
"We've all been brutalised by that organisation but doesn't mean we're not telling truth" - ex-NoTW hack anonymous statement
Second statement from another ex-NoW journalist. Describes constantly bullying, inc. emails sent about his weight.
2nd journalist decided he doesn't want to do it any more. Also spent time at NotW. Agrees pretty much constant bullying.
Young reporters made to wear ridiculous costumes and parade round office. One made to go out dressed entirely in meat.
"The atmosphere was poisonous. It was unchecked bullying" - another ex-NoTW journalist anonymous statement
The third journalist another ex-NoW. Says 3-4 staff collapsed in office over stress.
3rd anon statement says Clive Goodman was under "intense pressure to deliver" and was often publicly lambasted for lack of stories.
Journo No.4 had 32 years in newspapers, still working. Gives detail of "dark arts" practised on mid-market, broadsheet, tabloid.
Journo 4- the "dark arts" were going on in tabloids, mid markets and broadsheets
Journo 4 Learnt in the 80s that a journo used a private investigator, then went on to use the investigator themselves
In another paper, it was known by all staff which journalist could get criminal records etc by dark arts methods.
From Guardian Live Blog:
Clive Goodman, the former royal editor of the News of the World, said he was well paid and senior but still "came under a lot of flak" in front of 20 to 25 people at the paper's news conference."There was no doubt in my mind, he was under intense pressure to deliver," said the anonymous witness.
Stanistreet heard from a fourth journalist, who had 32 years' experience in local and regional newspapers and broadsheet and tabloid and broadcasting. This journalist is still working in newspapers and TV.
They became aware of "dark arts" practised on newspapers in the 1980s. They learned journalists regularly used private investigators, met the PI and worked with him on several stories.
The PI was able to furnish the journalists with Police National Computer checks, social security records and frequently provided the most up to date addresses for people which was "invaluable".
The journalist said they have no reason to believe things have changed. Executives talked openly about them on a newspaper they worked on; "those who objected were rebuked publicly," they added.Some of those who practised the dark arts have been promoted to senior positions, even to the most senior position on a newspaper, they claimed.
Moved to another title where Newsdesk talked openly about the use of such methods
Says NOTW used Trojan programmes to get into computers
Fifth journalists worked at NoW and several other nationals. Describes "ritual humiliation" at the paper.
Stanistreet says testimony underlines "dysfunctional" atmosphere in the newsroom
Journalists who've requested anonymity having statements read out at #Leveson - one admits having hacked into computers..
Journo No.7 complains of 1 newspaper's xenophobic coverage of Islam.
'I readily admit that I stole, bribed and cheated to obtain information' unnamed journalist's statement to
Journalist complaining about anti-Muslim stories was "portrayed as the token lefty" and made to write even more.
Was told to put in quotes from "an onlooker" and added in substantiating quotes that were made up
Another journalist talks about making up quotes under instruction or just to sensationalise a story. I was not the only one.
Journo 9 says proprietor cared little for journalistic ethics
Journo 9 says one particular proprietor had least possible interest in ethics.Interfered brazenly and repeatedly.
No 7: targeted to produce anti islam stories. Describes being in tears at being asked to do this but it continued
Guardian Live Blog:
Another testimony came from a freelancer working on casual shifts for the past four years.
"The culture in most newsrooms can be really intimidating especially if you are a young journalist," they said.
As a shift worker, they did the same job as others, but didn't get the same benefits and felt unable to speak out as they couldn't afford to lose their job.
They said newsrooms also use a huge number of interns to work for free which undermines the journalist's chances of getting on even more.
They said they haven't hacked phones "but there is someone in every newsroom who can turn round ex-directory numbers".
Stantistreet says this is common in newsrooms. Some papers force shifters to take unpaid leave when they come to the end of their 12-month contract before they can employ them again.
Another journalist complains about a proprietor demanding anti-asylum stories etc., either in person or through the editor.
From Guardian Live Blog:
Former News of the World showbiz editor Dan Wootton has just tweeted:
@benfenton This anon evidence. I was there from 2007 to 2011 and don't recognise it.Fact they don't give dates or any context is silly.
— Dan Wootton (@danwootton) February 9, 2012A fifth journalist has worked at the NoW and several other nationals over 25 years. They described "ritual humiliation" at the paper.
The Guardian's Josh Halliday has just tweeted:Another ex-NoTW journalist claims in NUJ evidence that hacking was "endemic" in industry and "tip of the iceberg" at that paper #Leveson
— Josh Halliday (@JoshHalliday) February 9, 2012
Anon journalist: "You're just supposed to pull the rabbit out of the hat. It's no wonder shortcuts are taken".
Patry-Hoskins moves away from statements to ask about Derek Webb.
We heard earlier that Webb was asked to join NUJ
Stanistreet on NISA: There is no perception that they offer that independent voice and are genuine representative body.
On Webb's application form he described himself as a "researcher" and says he works for NI on a freelance basis
Webb described as "freelance researcher" on his NUJ application form.
Stanistreet: NUJ can't hire a private detective to investigate anyone who applies, goes on good faith to a certain extent
But there's a proposer and seconder who are members of excellent standing in the union
Stanistreet: Most freelance applications are asked to supply examples of their work. Researchers don't have bylined material.
Can't believe the conceit of it from an organization that won't allow the NUJ through its doors
Stanistreet: Derek Webb has been asked to return his press card.
Stanistreet:Dacre's press card system is a "ridiculous notion". Does absolutely nothing to move us forward from where we are today.
Stanistreet: Will submit NUJ's proposals for future regulation in writing
Stainstreet says grateful to appear before inquiry after "tussling". Associated News made application against anon evidence.
