Thursday 28 July 2011

Hacking - a Payne?

The revelations that Sara Payne's details were in Glenn Mulcaire's notes add yet another twist and turn to the Nows of the World (NotW) hacking scandal. What makes this piece of news more interesting to all the other hacks (who either never did it themselves or at least haven't been caught doing it) is the fact that the NotW supplied Sara Payne with a mobile!

Considering the fact that former NotW boss, Rebekah Brooks, was such a 'friend' and supporter makes one hope that this news item relates to something that she (Brooks) knew nothing about and that it wasn't the telephone they supplied.

Brooks has been quoted as saying, "These allegations are abhorrent and particularly upsetting as Sara Payne is a dear friend. For the benefit of the campaign for Sarah's Law, the News of the World have provided Sara with a mobile telephone for the last 11 years... The idea that anyone on the newspaper knew that Sara or the campaign team were targeted by Mr Mulcaire is unthinkable. The idea of her being targeted is beyond my comprehension."

Well let's hope that it proves to be beyond comprehension and that NotW are proved innocent on this charge and that the telephone is a different one. That said, if there was hacking by anyone on the NotW staff then they should not only be prosecuted but should lose their NUJ membership and become the Pariah they deserve to be among the other hacks.

Less and less it seems that the press can manage their own house when it comes to integrity and honesty and more and more it seems that the dog eat dog world which sees reporters work towards their being more controlled as the reveal the misdemeanors of colleagues will see them muzzled.

Sadly, although I support a free press it seems that our free press doesn't :(

I await the circus and the final results of Lord Justice Leveson's inquiry with great interest.

Pax

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