#PhoneHackingScandal
The Fall of a British Tabloid
#PhoneHackingScandal
The Fall of a British Tabloid
The News of the World phone hacking scandal was a major media and political controversy in the United Kingdom that came to light in the early 2000s and peaked in 2011. Journalists and private investigators working for the British tabloid were found to have illegally accessed the voicemails of celebrities, politicians, members of the royal family, and even victims of crime, most notably murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler. The revelation that the tabloid had deleted voicemails from Dowler’s phone sparked public outrage and led to the closure of the 168-year-old newspaper in July 2011. The scandal prompted multiple police investigations, high-profile arrests, and the Leveson Inquiry—a public investigation into press ethics and regulation. It exposed deep ethical failures within parts of the British press and raised serious concerns about media power and accountability.
PM Demands New Press Watchdog Amid Phone Hacking Scandal Fallout
- Friday, 08 July 2011
David Cameron, Ed Miliband, and Nick Clegg have called for the Press Complaints Commission (PCC) to be scrapped due to its handling of the News of the World phone hacking scandal. The PCC has been criticized for being "ineffective" and "lacking in rigour", with Cameron stating that it failed to get to the bottom of allegations made against News International in 2009. Miliband called the PCC a "toothless poodle" and demanded fundamental change, while Clegg described it as a "busted flush". The government has announced an inquiry into phone hacking, and Cameron said any new press regulatory body should be truly independent.
Ofcom Investigates News Corp's Fit and Proper Status Amid Phone Hacking Allegations
- Friday, 08 July 2011
Ofcom, the UK media regulator, will consider whether News Corporation is a "fit and proper" owner of BSkyB after allegations of illegal activities at the News of the World. The regulator has written to authorities asking for information that would help it make a decision on the bid. This move could further delay News Corp's £10bn-plus bid for BSkyB, as the police investigation could take many months.
Paisley Demands Probe into NI Newspapers' Phone Hacking Allegations
- Friday, 08 July 2011
Ian Paisley Jnr has asked the Metropolitan Police to investigate if newspapers in Northern Ireland used phone hacking to obtain stories. He suspects that local newsrooms may have been involved in cross-contamination with the News of the World's hacking practices, citing concerns for his own possible involvement as one of the alleged 4,000 victims. The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) has responded by cautioning against implying unethical behavior and calling for a debate on media ownership and control rather than rushing to introduce new legislation or restrictions.
News of the World Closes: Shock and Devastation as UK's Best-Selling Sunday Paper Bites the Dust
- Friday, 08 July 2011
Staff at the News of the World are stunned by the closure of the newspaper after this Sunday's edition, following allegations that phones of murder victims and relatives of dead soldiers, politicians, and celebrities may have been hacked. Over 200 people will lose their jobs due to the closure. Journalists from the paper expressed collective devastation, pride in the paper, and shock at the sudden announcement by Rebekah Brooks, CEO of News International.
