The hacking plot thickens...

[Sussex Nomad]

I don't believe any intelligent person would have thought this was the exclusive domain of News international. Apparently there are now links to the Sunday Mirror doing it. Surprised? Not me. So how far will we dig down into the bucket of corrupt slime? Probably to the point where all media groups have done it. Makes me wonder who will be the first top politician and/or policeman who is indicted.

No wonder Diana is turning in her alleged grave, she isn't dead, the Express told you first!

 

[Gully]

Wasn't someone fired from the Sun for a similar offence?

 

[Sussex Nomad]

Sackings and resignations, as well as prison sentences are very much on the cards in the near future.

Edit: Resignations have obviously already started as the guilty jump ship.

 

[South Stand Bonfire]

Phone hacking will have been undertaken by every newspaper and other "reputable" news organisations (BBC, ITV, SKY) and the comeuppence is only now happening. There is a big difference however between a news item being in the public interest and one being interesting to the public which the NOTW pursued. The problem now though is that "proper" investigative journalists seeking stories that are genuinely in the public interest may think twice before using underhand means to expose worse criminal acts.

 

[Sussex Nomad]

Investigative journalists will probably be investigating themselves now and revealing their working practises!

But in all honesty, let's be quite certain about this, all tabloids have probably been practising this since the invention of mobile phones and whatever means before that. News International were stupid enough to be caught, and because of it, this will blow the whole world of sleazy journalism out of the water. Can you imagine that Murdoch and his cronies didn't know what other outlets were up to? If he goes down he'll take the lot with him, politicians and police included.

 

[Albumen]

Sky? That's Murdoch! Of course it's up to it's neck in it.

 

[South Stand Bonfire]

Murdoch didn't own the majority shareholding in Sky, contrary to popular belief, and he has now withdrawn his takeover bid over the phone hacking scandal.

 

[beorhthelm]

Phone hacking will have been undertaken by every newspaper and other "reputable" news organisations (BBC, ITV, SKY) and the comeuppence is only now happening.

since it came up i thought it unlikly only one paper was involved. when you consider how easy it is and that they believe thousands have been "hacked" by NotW, and hundreds known for sure, it seems a common practice. however, saying that, its tended towards the sensationalist end of the news spectrum, so i think the TV news media whould be less inclinded to do so, along with the broadsheets who probably have a bit more ethics (yes, even the Times) than the tabloids, who only want to fill pages with jeremy kyle style, human wreckage stories.

and if the broadsheets are involved, i'd expect them to be tad more subtle and use the info as research background, not give the game away.

 

[KZNSeagull]

An ex journo reviewing the papers on Sky 2 weeks ago said that it was standard practice and that it was only a matter of time before other organisations are implicated.

My major concern is that there is a knee-jerk reaction to this and that press freedoms are eroded. That cannot be allowed to happen.

 

[Mtoto]

It's important to realise the kind of stories that hacking is likely to produce. Anyone with something serious to hide is going to change their voicemail PIN as soon as they get their phone, so you're not, as a general rule, going to get stories about criminals and corruption.

What you will get, in huge volume, is tittle-tattle about who is - quite legally - shagging who etc, which is exactly what reporters on the classic tabloids in particular are under huge pressure to get on a daily basis.

My own experience is limited to two papers at the other end of the market, but I'd be quite surprised if hacking was standard practice - in fact, practice at all - at the Guardian, Telegraph, Times or Indy. As for the rest, and on the red-tops especially, it was almost certainly a complete free-for-all, though whether any of them employed someone as devoted both to hacking and, more importantly, keeping written records of it all as Glenn Mulcaire clearly was is another matter.

 

[Gully]

My major concern is that there is a knee-jerk reaction to this and that press freedoms are eroded. That cannot be allowed to happen.

I would agree with this, but when self-regulation has so clearly failed then some form of censure is inevitable. I find it hard to believe that at no stage anyone asked whether what they were doing was wrong. Freedom of the press is a vital part of any developed society, but at the same time it should not be so clearly and roundly abused.

 

[KZNSeagull]

I would agree with this, but when self-regulation has so clearly failed then some form of censure is inevitable. I find it hard to believe that at no stage anyone asked whether what they were doing was wrong. Freedom of the press is a vital part of any developed society, but at the same time it should not be so clearly and roundly abused.

Absolutely. The press have every right to investigate stuff within the law - what must not happen is that the law changes to stop them investigating. There have been moves afoot here to do this exact thing but whilst we still have a strong constitution and court system in SA, it will not be allowed to happen.

 

[glasfryn]

they are all at it
media
government
private dicks
councils
any more for any more its just that the media are not quite so good at it ....................yet

 

[Uncle Spielberg]

It would be quite amusing if it is found out Cameron hired Coulson to hack Ed Millibands mobile.

 

[Braders]

this is it , I don't think anyone was naive enough to this that Murdochs lot were the only one doing it - all it highlights is the need for stricter penalties for those caught doing so.

 

[Comedy Steve]

It's important to realise the kind of stories that hacking is likely to produce. Anyone with something serious to hide is going to change their voicemail PIN as soon as they get their phone, so you're not, as a general rule, going to get stories about criminals and corruption.

This was a backdoor hack that made no difference if you'd changed your pin or not. ANYONE could do the default password hack; this one allowed you to hear it regardless of password.

 

[Not Andy Naylor]

The New York Times link below includes a recording of Glenn Mulcaire telling a journalist named Raoul Simons how to hack Gordon Taylor's phone. Simons was then working for the Evening Standard and later became deputy football editor at The Times, who put him on gardening leave when this tape came out.

Part of the reason it did come out is that Simon Greenberg, News International's spokesman, got it out there in an attempt to deflect attention from the News of the World. Greenberg, by the way, used to be Chelsea's press officer and head of communications for the failed England 2018 World Cup bid. Oh, and sports editor of the Evening Standard.

Mulcaire was freelance, therefore out to maximise his income, ergo selling his services to as many papers as possible.

Having said that, he scored a couple of fantastic goals when he played for AFC Wimbledon - available on YouTube.

The British Tabloid Phone-Hacking Scandal - NYTimes.com

 

[KZNSeagull]

One also has to wonder whether any "good" stories have come from phone hacking - the MPs expenses scandal perhaps? Although of course scandals were found long before mobile phones came along, I guess it is just an easier way to find a story.

 

[Acker79]

Isn't this much like the gun laws in america, in that we need to start enforcing the laws that are already on the books before introducing more that don't get applied?

 

[tubaman]

Phone hacking isn't exactly world shattering news and it happens. It's all over hyped in the press and It's all out of proportion. It's not right but really................who does it effect. You.... me .... no.

Boring.