Hear Hear
Roy Greenslade was the editor of the Daily Mirror in the 'good old bad old days' when Robert Maxwell was still a big cheese in the newspaper industry and the Labour Party as well as I recall.
So Roy's been around for a while and knows what he's talking about if you ask me, which he uses to good effect here in his blog for The Guardian on the role of The Mirror in the great phone hacking scandal. !
So, after years of denials and double-speak, Trinity Mirror has been forced to come clean. Its announcement of legal settlements with 10 people confirms that its staff were responsible for intercepting voicemail messages.
When the phone hacking scandal first broke it was clear that the News of the World was not the only paper involved. But the publisher ignored claims that the practice had been common also on the Sunday Mirror.
In an extraordinary ostrich-like response to the allegations it even refused to hold an internal investigation.
Indeed, when the lawyer Mark Lewis filed four hacking claims against Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN) in October 2012 the company replied with a po-faced statement in merely noting "the allegations".
It had yet to receive them at the time, but even after having done so its responses were consistently indifferent. Its public statements became something of a mantra:
"As we have previously stated, all our journalists work within the criminal law and the Press Complaints Commission code of conduct."
Note that deliberate use of the present tense. At the time, I thought the Mirror response to Lewis's action was altogether too relaxed.
I concede that it was understandable in commercial terms, because the company's share price suffered an immediate reverse, but what about legality and ethics?
My mind went back to the stone-walling statements made by Trinity Mirror's former chief executive, Sly Bailey, who did not treat the hacking allegations with anything like the seriousness they deserved.
She even told the Leveson inquiry in January 2012: "I don't think it's a way to conduct a healthy organisation to go around conducting investigations when there's no evidence that our journalists have been involved in phone hacking.
"There was no evidence and we saw no reason to investigate. We have only seen unsubstantiated allegations and I have seen no evidence that phone hacking has ever taken place at Trinity Mirror."
They were, of course, unsubstantiated because she didn't make the necessary inquiries. Her successor, Simon Fox, also failed to hold a rigorous investigation when the claims were made.
Then there is the little matter of Trinity Mirror's legal director, Paul Vickers. Did he not tell the board to treat the allegations seriously? Did he not press for an investigation? If not, why not?
And isn't it ironic also that Vickers went on to be the architect of the new press regulator, the Independent Press Standards Organisation (Ipso)?
Lewis will, rightly, feel vindicated by the outcome of the cases he launched two years ago. All along, he knew his clients - Sven-Goran Eriksson, Shobna Gulati, Garry Flitcroft, and Abbie Gibson - were genuine hacking victims. But they should never have needed to wait so long for justice.
It was obvious that Trinity Mirror had discovered its culpability by July this year when it revealed that it had made a £4m provision for deal with the hacking claims.
At the time, there were 17 civil claims. By today, the total number - including the 10 settled cases - had risen to 29. I understand that there may be between 40 to 50 claims in the pipeline. The drama is far from over and that £4m provision will surely need to be increased.
Trinity Mirror emerges from this business just as badly as Rupert Murdoch's former newspaper business, News International. It obtained stories by illegal means and then sought to distance itself from any connection to journalism's "dark arts".
As a corporate entity, it has behaved disgracefully.
You Heard It Here First! (26 September 2014)
So the truth about phone hacking finally comes trickling out and as this report from The Guardian demonstrates, News of the World and News International were not the only offenders.
The Labour supporting Mirror group were 'at it' as well and more names are likely to come tumbling out into the open in the days and weeks ahead, the only difference being that Trinity Mirror does not have such deep pockets as the News International stable.
Now I think it's fair to say that a lot of people, Labour MPs and newspaper columnists for example, kept their heads down and said nothing much about the widespread use of phone hacking while the focus of attention was on the News of the World.
So I'm pleased to say that, not for the first time, you heard it here first.
Phone hacking: Trinity Mirror to pay out over 10 claims
Claimants include ex-England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson, actor Christopher Eccleston and the BBC’s Alan Yentob
By Mark Sweney and Jane Martinson - The Guardian
Trinity Mirror is to pay out to 10 victims of alleged phone hacking, including Sven-Goran Eriksson. Photograph: Claudio Bresciani/PA
The publisher of the Daily Mirror and Sunday Mirror has agreed to pay compensation to 10 victims of alleged phone hacking by its papers, including former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson, actor Christopher Eccleston and BBC executive Alan Yentob.
Trinity Mirror – which also publishes the Sunday People – said on Wednesday that the alleged phone hacking took place “many years ago”.
Until now, the UK phone-hacking scandal has centred on Rupert Murdoch’s News International and its now closed News of the World newspaper. Trinity Mirror’s announcement confirms that the practice was more widespread than ever before admitted on what used to be known as Fleet Street.
Trinity Mirror said it had admitted liability to four individuals, apologised to them and agreed to pay compensation.
They are Yentob, the BBC creative director, EastEnders stars Shane Richie and Lucy Benjamin, and Coronation Street actor Shobna Gulati.
It added that it had already settled six other alleged phone-hacking claims and has agreed compensation.
These claimants are Eriksson, ex-footballer Garry Flitcroft, former Doctor Who star Eccleston, Richie’s wife Christie Roche and his agent Phil Dale, and Abbie Gibson, a former nanny for the Beckham family.
“The company today confirms that its subsidiary MGN Ltd has admitted liability to four individuals who had sued MGN for alleged interception of their voicemails many years ago,” said Trinity Mirror in a statement.
“MGN has apologised to those individuals and agreed to pay compensation. The amount of that compensation will be assessed by the court if it cannot be agreed.”
Trinity Mirror is understood to have set aside high single-digit millions to cover the costs of dealing with claims of phone hacking including the £4m announced in July this year.
There are understood to be 19 further individuals who have issued claims against Trinity Mirror with a further 10 known to be considering further action.
Mark Lewis, who acted for clients including Eriksson, Gibson, Gulati and Benjamin, said that the admission of hacking is likely to mean more claims against the publisher.
“Mirror Group initially repeated the mantra ‘all our journalists have complied with the criminal law and Press Complaints Commission code’,” he said.
“Their new chief executive, Simon Fox, indicated that a full internal investigation had been made and there was no substance in the allegations. This was completely wrong. It has finally come out that Mirror group journalists included people who did not follow the PCC code and the paper’s denials in the past have been false. There are many more people who will now be able to make claims against the Mirror Group titles in respect of their unlawful activities.”
Eriksson’s claim was filed in October 2012 and relates to a time when Piers Morgan edited the Daily Mirror. Morgan has denied any knowledge of phone hacking.
Trinity Mirror has always robustly defended itself against allegations of phone hacking at its titles. In January 2012 Sly Bailey, the former chief executive, explained why there had been no internal investigation to the Leveson inquiry by saying, “I don’t think it’s a way to conduct a healthy organisation to go around conducting investigations when there’s no evidence that our journalists have been involved in phone hacking.
“There was no evidence and we saw no reason to investigate. We have only seen unsubstantiated allegations and I have seen no evidence that phone hacking has ever taken place at Trinity Mirror.”
Shares in Trinity Mirror remained largely unmoved on the news.
The publisher of the Daily Mirror and Sunday Mirror has agreed to pay compensation to 10 victims of alleged phone hacking by its papers, including former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson, actor Christopher Eccleston and BBC executive Alan Yentob.
Trinity Mirror – which also publishes the Sunday People – said on Wednesday that the alleged phone hacking took place “many years ago”.
Until now, the UK phone-hacking scandal has centred on Rupert Murdoch’s News International and its now closed News of the World newspaper. Trinity Mirror’s announcement confirms that the practice was more widespread than ever before admitted on what used to be known as Fleet Street.
Trinity Mirror said it had admitted liability to four individuals, apologised to them and agreed to pay compensation.
They are Yentob, the BBC creative director, EastEnders stars Shane Richie and Lucy Benjamin, and Coronation Street actor Shobna Gulati.
It added that it had already settled six other alleged phone-hacking claims and has agreed compensation.
These claimants are Eriksson, ex-footballer Garry Flitcroft, former Doctor Who star Eccleston, Richie’s wife Christie Roche and his agent Phil Dale, and Abbie Gibson, a former nanny for the Beckham family.
“The company today confirms that its subsidiary MGN Ltd has admitted liability to four individuals who had sued MGN for alleged interception of their voicemails many years ago,” said Trinity Mirror in a statement.
“MGN has apologised to those individuals and agreed to pay compensation. The amount of that compensation will be assessed by the court if it cannot be agreed.”
Trinity Mirror is understood to have set aside high single-digit millions to cover the costs of dealing with claims of phone hacking including the £4m announced in July this year.
There are understood to be 19 further individuals who have issued claims against Trinity Mirror with a further 10 known to be considering further action.
Mark Lewis, who acted for clients including Eriksson, Gibson, Gulati and Benjamin, said that the admission of hacking is likely to mean more claims against the publisher.
“Mirror Group initially repeated the mantra ‘all our journalists have complied with the criminal law and Press Complaints Commission code’,” he said.
“Their new chief executive, Simon Fox, indicated that a full internal investigation had been made and there was no substance in the allegations. This was completely wrong. It has finally come out that Mirror group journalists included people who did not follow the PCC code and the paper’s denials in the past have been false. There are many more people who will now be able to make claims against the Mirror Group titles in respect of their unlawful activities.”
Eriksson’s claim was filed in October 2012 and relates to a time when Piers Morgan edited the Daily Mirror. Morgan has denied any knowledge of phone hacking.
Trinity Mirror has always robustly defended itself against allegations of phone hacking at its titles. In January 2012 Sly Bailey, the former chief executive, explained why there had been no internal investigation to the Leveson inquiry by saying, “I don’t think it’s a way to conduct a healthy organisation to go around conducting investigations when there’s no evidence that our journalists have been involved in phone hacking.
“There was no evidence and we saw no reason to investigate. We have only seen unsubstantiated allegations and I have seen no evidence that phone hacking has ever taken place at Trinity Mirror.”
Shares in Trinity Mirror remained largely unmoved on the news.
Phone Hacking (1 August 2011)
I wrote a piece for the blog site on phone hacking last year - which said basically that there's a lot of it about - and not just at the News of the World either.
So here's the original post from 8 September 2010 - which doesn't make me clairvoyant of course - quite the opposite.
Simply means that I've been round the track once or twice - and learned to take what some people say - with a great big pinch of salt.
Maybe I should offer to give evidence to the forthcoming Leveson public inquiry.
Now that would be interesting - fun even - because I imagine it will be full of the great and the good - from right across the political spectrum - trying to re-write their part in history.
Turning a Blind Eye (8 September 2010)
What I know about phone hacking you could write on the back of a postage stamp.
But what I also know about phone hacking is that it's more common than you think - allegedly.
Journalists I've met in the past have been happy to share the darker secrets of their trade - the argument goes that the ends justify the means - if you're trying to expose some real wrongdoing.
The counter argument is - of course - that two wrongs don't make a right - so you pay your money and take your choice.
But there is always an unwritten rule - if you get caught, you're on your own - because no editor or newspaper would ever take the rap.
While those at the top might be well aware of what's going on - they would never accept any responsibility for encouraging such practices.
Goes on in all walks of life I suppose - people turning a blind eye to something they know to be wrong - but who take the easy option and just walk on.
Pay discrimination springs to mind - treating some jobs or people more favourably than others.
Now that's unlawful - but it's amazing how many people have been prepared to turn a blind eye to that issue - for the past 10 years and more.
So here's the original post from 8 September 2010 - which doesn't make me clairvoyant of course - quite the opposite.
Simply means that I've been round the track once or twice - and learned to take what some people say - with a great big pinch of salt.
Maybe I should offer to give evidence to the forthcoming Leveson public inquiry.
Now that would be interesting - fun even - because I imagine it will be full of the great and the good - from right across the political spectrum - trying to re-write their part in history.
Turning a Blind Eye (8 September 2010)
What I know about phone hacking you could write on the back of a postage stamp.
But what I also know about phone hacking is that it's more common than you think - allegedly.
Journalists I've met in the past have been happy to share the darker secrets of their trade - the argument goes that the ends justify the means - if you're trying to expose some real wrongdoing.
The counter argument is - of course - that two wrongs don't make a right - so you pay your money and take your choice.
But there is always an unwritten rule - if you get caught, you're on your own - because no editor or newspaper would ever take the rap.
While those at the top might be well aware of what's going on - they would never accept any responsibility for encouraging such practices.
Goes on in all walks of life I suppose - people turning a blind eye to something they know to be wrong - but who take the easy option and just walk on.
Pay discrimination springs to mind - treating some jobs or people more favourably than others.
Now that's unlawful - but it's amazing how many people have been prepared to turn a blind eye to that issue - for the past 10 years and more.
