Category Archives: media

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Victim’s Code – More Window-Dressing???

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This is an important blog and worth following. If you are either concerned or interested in the issues surrounding the treatment of child abuse survivors it provides a valuable insight. I cannot reveal the identity of the person who is behind it for legal reasons but I can assure anyone following my blog that the person knows what he is talking about.

Second Nature's avatarSupport for Survivors of Childhood Abuse

The Police clearly have a difficult job in investigating allegations of historical abuse.

These people are specialists in this area, and spend much of their time wading through the filth of our society. Their focus is on apprehending criminals, but they are human beings, and generally trying to make the world a better place. The time spent working in this area is limited, mainly due to the huge personal impact on them. Spare a thought for the officers who pursue allegations, aware that there is insufficient support for victims, but who do their utmost to make the best of a bad situation. Like a tanker, they leave a huge wake, and they know this but try to control this as best they can.

The Police do not have access to proper support for victims – and they know this! They understand that this is a force-wide issue, and people within…

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Phone Hacking Trial: Rebekah Brooks wanted to blame Les Hinton and Colin Myler for phone hacking scandal – Martin Hickman

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Interesting memo.This seems to reveal the desperation Rebekah Brooks felt as her Empire at the News of the World crumbled after the Milly Dowler hacking disclosure by The Guardian.

INFORRM's avatarInforrm's Blog

Les-HintonNew York Daily News editor Colin MylerDay 54, Part 2:    Rebekah Brooks wanted to blame News International’s former chairman Les Hinton and the News of the World’s editor Colin Myler for the phone hacking scandal, according to a document disclosed today.

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The Brooks “Plan B” and “Blair Unofficial Advisor” emails

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These are amazing emails released by the Crown prosecution Service today. First a resume of what Blair told her and then admission that the News of the World was looking to close!
Finally an extraordinary email suggesting that after the paper closed it should be blamed on the former chief e3xecutive Les Hinton and Colin Myler, then the editor of the News of the World. Extraordinary

peterjukes's avatarThe Criminal Media Nexus

Picture courtesy of Prix Pics Copyright Prixpics – used with kind permission

A clearer copy of email evidence submitted in the jury bundles on the last part of the prosecution case has been released by the CPS. The first email, from 11th of July 2011 shows an exchange between Rebekah Brooks and James Murdoch, which starts with a discussion of the sales for the last edition on the News of the World.

James Murdoch replies, querying why Brooks would put such things on email. The Daily Telegraph had reported that day on the ‘smoking emails’ which caused the closure of the News of the World. It was also the day that The Times led on reports that the police wanted to interview Brooks. 

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Phone Hacking Trial: Tony Blair ‘privately advised’ Rebekah Brooks on phone hacking scandal, court hears – Martin Hickman

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This comes as complete bombshell and given recent tensions between Murdoch and Blair – it shows how close Rebekah Brooks thought she was to Tony Blair at the time. Blair’s office has dismissed this as informal advice!

INFORRM's avatarInforrm's Blog

SOCIAL Newspaper 2 Day 54, Part 1:  Tony Blair was privately advising Rupert Murdoch’s newspapers on the phone hacking scandal days after learning its best-selling Sunday title, the News of the World, had intercepted the messages of a missing girl, the Old Bailey heard today.

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Phone Hacking Trial: Defence to begin on 19 February 2014 with Rebekah Brooks’ case

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A good comprehensive guide to what will happen next in the phone hacking trial – and also a heads up on two new trials fixed for later this year.

INFORRM's avatarInforrm's Blog

The defence case in the phone hacking trial will begin on Wednesday 19 February 2014, which is week 14 of the trial.  Each of defendants presents his or her case in the order that their names are on the indictment: Rebekah Brooks, Andy Coulson, Stuart Kuttner, Clive Goodman, Cheryl Carter, Mark Hanna and finally Charlie Brooks.

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Phone Hacking Trial: Brooks chatted to ex-husband, Editors voicemails accessed by Mulcaire – Martin Hickman

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Fascinating that Mulcaire accessed Brooks’ and Coulson’s emails. Should learn to spell name properly though.

INFORRM's avatarInforrm's Blog

Rebekah Brooks at Leveson inquiryDay 53, Part 1: Rebekah Brooks asked to chat to her former husband about phone hacking a fortnight before the scandal about the interception of Milly Dowler’s voicemail hit the headlines.

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Phone Hacking Trial: Brooks agreed £200,000 deal with Max Clifford to settle hacking lawsuit – Martin Hickman

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An amazing insight into insider wheeler dealing when you are facing a legal suit from a very powerful figure

INFORRM's avatarInforrm's Blog

Max CliffordDay 52, Part 2:  Rupert Murdoch’s newspaper group considered dispatching one of his favourite executives with a bundle of cash to settle a lawsuit for phone hacking, the Old Bailey heard today.

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Phone Hacking Trial: Police evidence of more than 6,000 NOTW “hacking calls”, trial hears – Martin Hickman

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An extraordinary statistic from the Metropolitan Police. If correct it shows a truly industrial hacking operation.

INFORRM's avatarInforrm's Blog

News of the WorldDay 52: News International staff or contractors made more than 6,000 calls to voicemail inboxes before police smashed the phone hacking operation at the News of the World, the phone hacking trial heard today.

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Phone Hacking Trial: Glenn Mulcaire notes during Brooks editorship re-examined – Martin Hickman

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Remember according to CPS files released at the trial hacker Glenn Mulcaire made £1m from News International over the years. This is some of his work from 11,000 pages of notes.

INFORRM's avatarInforrm's Blog

Glenn MulcaireDay 51:  Glenn Mulcaire carried out only a dozen hacks or attempted phone hacks during Rebekah Brooks’s editorship of the News of the World, the phone hacking trial heard today.

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Misusing deregulation to smash journalists’ freedom

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One of the most precious freedoms for journalists is the protection of their sources. Now it appears the Cabinet Office is using an obscure bill – as part of the government’s drive to cut “red tape”- as cover to erode that freedom.
By changing the rules to allow the police to go to court to obtain reporter’s notebooks, pictures and computer files- without facing an open challenge from newspapers, TV, or even individual freelance journalists themselves – they are placing that protection in serious danger.
No wonder the Newspaper Society is up in arms and media lawyers are raising very serious questions. There is an excellent and elegant argument on the Inforrm blog by Gill Phillips,the Director of Editorial Legal Services at Guardian News and Media, about the dangers.
She rightly concludes: “This appears to be yet another backdoor attempt to limit and restrict essential and hard-fought journalistic protections.”
Bloggers should also be aware of this as it could affect them – and they will be much more vulnerable to a police raid- as they would be in a weak position to defend themselves. It is worth reading Vox Political’s blog on this point and taking action.

The official response according to my former colleague Owen Bowcott in the Guardian has been muted.
He reports :A Cabinet Office spokesman said: “Every measure in the deregulation bill is intended to remove unnecessary bureaucracy. Clause 47 would bring the Police and Criminal Evidence Act into line with other legislation in this area and would allow the criminal procedure rules committee to make procedure rules that are consistent and fair.

” However, the government has noted the concerns raised about this issue and Oliver Letwin is happy to meet with media organisations about this before the bill goes to committee.”
I think the government should go further and drop this now. It can hardly save much money and I think their motives in introducing this are questionable and undo good work under the Defamation act and by the Information Commissioners’ Office to protect journalists from interference by the police and the state.