Leveson Inquiry

After news broke in 2011 that some employees at News of the World had been hacking phones, including that of murdered school girl Milly Dowler, Prime Minister David Cameron announced that a public inquiry would be set up once the police investigation had finished. On the 13^th July 2011, Lord Justice Leveson was named chairman of the inquiry, looking at the culture, practices and ethics of the British press as well as allegations of phone hacking and police bribery by the News of the World. After initial discussions, briefings and seminars in September and October 2011, the hearings were opened on the 14^th November and concluded on the 24^th July 2012.

In November 2005, complaints from royal court officials about voicemail messages being intercepted by News of the world sparked the first inquiry into phone hacking. This came after the paper published a story about Prince William suffering a knee injury and led to the arrest of Clive Goodman, the then Royal Affairs editor, and private investigator Glenn Mulcaire in 2006, who were sentenced, in 2007, to 4 and 6 months respectively.

In February 2010, a report from the House of Commons Culture, Media and Sports Committee said it was "inconceivable" that managers at the News of the World did not know about the practice of phone hacking, then, in September that year, the New York Times published an article claiming Mr. Coulson knew his staff were carrying out illegal phone hacking and raised questions about the depth Scotland Yard’s investigation into the case. He was interviewed as a witness by police investigating phone tapping in November but was not cautioned or arrested.

At the beginning of 2011, police opened a fresh investigation into phone hacking after accusations from several celebrities and politicians from which they identified more potential victims of hacking whilst reviewing files relating to the original 2006 case. News of the World admitted, in April, it had a role in phone hacking after two of its journalists and a former editor, Ian Edmondson, were arrested on suspicion of conspiring to intercept voice messages. In June, it was confirmed that the police investigation would also look at allegations of computer hacking by News of the World. July witnessed the revelation that several crime victims’ phones had been hacked, most notably that of Milly Dowler who was murdered in 2002 – the deletion of her messages misled her family and police to believe she was still alive. It also saw the announcement by David Cameron of two inquiries, one to be led by Lord Justice Leveson into news ethics and another into phone hacking and unlawful conduct which will commence after the police investigation concludes.

After the opening remarks for the inquiry on the 28^th July 2011 and several briefings and seminars throughout September and October, hearings began on the 14^th November with the first witnesses being called on the 21^st. Lord Justice Leveson and his panel of six assessors, each a media expert, heard from a variety celebrities, crime victims, politicians, journalists, newspaper executives and the police over the course of the 8 months of interviews which examined the presses relation with the public, the police and with politicians. Arguably the most compelling interview was with the parents of Milly Dowler recalling their relief and hope when they thought she had accessed and deleted some of her voicemail messages. Other interesting discoveries from these interviews included the revelation that a former official who investigated potential breaches of privacy by newspapers for the Information Commissioner being told to back off because the press was 'too big' to take on and the frequency of text messaging between Rebecca Brookes and David Cameron and his confusion over the acronym “L.O.L.”

Leveson concluded the inquiry on the 24^th July stating he would have his report, including his recommendations for press regulation, finished “as soon as I reasonably can”. During the inquiry, several journalists have been arrested, and many subsequently charged, in relation to phone or e-mail hacking in conjunction with police inquiries. Once these have concluded, the second inquiry into the extent of illegal or improper practices at News International can commence.

Despite the Leveson inquiry having only just concluded, the effects are already being seen within the press. A media commentator, Professor Roy Greenslade, has suggested that ‘kiss and tell’ stories have almost entirely vanished since the inquiry began which shows that the style and type of story within papers have already started to change. As well as this, Lord Hunt, the Chairman of the Press Complaints Commission (PCC), has announced that he plans to replace the PCC with a new regulatory body which could impact on the way journalists work.

Despite Lord Hunt’s announcement, it has yet to be decided how the PCC will be changed. It has been criticised for being funded and regulated by the corporations it is supposed to control. However, many of the suggestions for an alternative system include the use of government legislation which could hinder the press’s freedom to report on political and legal failings or scandals. This could mean that news such as the politicians’ expenses and the cash for influence scandals are less likely to be investigated as political figures would have greater control over the types of stories in the press. The system being backed by papers, however, would continue self-regulation but involve new powers to investigate wrongdoing and fine papers up to £1 million. It would not help those who fall victim to the improper conduct from the press as the fine is likely to only apply to “systematic errors” meaning victims who deserve compensation would still have to take their own action against newspapers which, according to Max Mosley whilst giving evidence, only the richest one per cent of the population can afford. What is unlikely to happen is the imposition of a new Ofcom-style regulator for the press, which would force papers to provide balance in all of their stories forcing them to be impartial and therefore ending their ability to back political parties and potentially hindering them in starting campaigns for justice or legislation, as Lord Justice Leveson has revealed he would be “surprised” if this route was taken and Prime minister David Cameron said whilst giving evidence that he felt that newspaper campaigns can be “extraordinarily important and powerful.” Any new regulations are, however, likely to ensure that blogs and web casts are policed more thoroughly so that online content meets the same standards and follows the same laws as newspapers and are held accountable when this is not the case.