Newspapers

Tuesday

Peter Hoskin

The war between Brown and Murdoch heats up

From our UK edition

Gordon may have come carrying dynamite, but News International has some explosives of its own. In a pair of statements this afternoon, the Sun and the Sunday Times have set about undermining, or just plain denying, our former Prime Minister's testimony. By the Sun's account, not only did they get the story about his son's medical condition from a "member of the public [who] came to The Sun with this information voluntarily because he wanted to highlight the cause of those afflicted by [cystic fibrosis]," but Brown's colleagues also "provided quotes" to be used in the final article. By the Sunday Times's, their investigation into Brown's property transactions was pursued "in the public interest," and "followed the PCC Code on using subterfuge.

James Forsyth

Attention turns to the police

From our UK edition

Today, the spotlight in the phone hacking scandal is shifting onto the police — who have an awful lot of questions to answer. Indeed, I suspect at the end of this the reputation of the police will have been hugely damaged. The evidence from senior Met officials — some retired, some serving — has not convinced the Home Affairs committee today. It is a sign of how poor relations are between the police and MPs that a Tory MP has asked the current and former assistant commissioners of the Met if he they have ever taken a bribe from a journalist. Both John Yates and Andy Hayman reacted indignantly to the question but the committee members clearly thought the question was reasonable.

Peter Hoskin

Brown speaks out

From our UK edition

We'll try to post the video of Gordon Brown's interview with the Beeb soon. But, for now, here's the transcript of his remarks about News International and his son's medical records: Gordon Brown: [The Sun] told me they had this story about Fraser's medical condition, and that they  were going to run this story. Interviewer: How did that affect you, as a father? GB: In tears. Your son is now going to be broadcast across the media. Sarah and I are incredibly upset about it. We're thinking about his long-term future. We're thinking about our family. But there's nothing that you can do about it. You're in public life, and this story appears. You don't know how it's appeared. I've not questioned how it appeared.

Monday

James Forsyth

Where we are on phone hacking

From our UK edition

David Cameron’s speech on public service reform is being crowded out today by all the other news about hacking. First, there was there were the emails News International has allegedly passed to the police, which apparently contain information about payments to Royal protection officers. This was followed by an angry statement from Scotland Yard claiming that there is a ‘deliberate campaign to undermine the investigation into the alleged payments by corrupt journalists to corrupt police officers and divert attention from elsewhere.

Alex Massie

Mad, Bad and Dangerous to Know

From our UK edition

There's much thumb-sucking on the question of whether Rupert Murdoch is a "fit and proper person" to purchase the 61% of BSkyB he does not already own. I've defended Murdoch's interest in the past (without, shockingly, ever being asked to write for any of his papers) and still see little reason why the deal should not go ahead. This has little to do with Murdoch but everything to do with the nature of the beast. Owning a newspaper is rather like running for the Presidency of the United States of America: the desire to do so is usually enough to demonstrate that the candidate or would-be tycoon should not be allowed anywhere near their dreams. There are very few exceptions to this endlessly-observable rule and, this being so, it seems unfair to target Mr Murdoch alone.

Sunday

Peter Hoskin

Miliband primes his weapon of choice

From our UK edition

There's a lot to sift through in the papers this morning, even apart from history's final edition of the News of the World. I mean, a report that Rebekah Brooks is to face police questioning over the phone hacking scandal; an interview with the assistant commissioner of the Met, who apologises and flusters over the original police investigation; and claims from Paddy Ashdown that he warned No.10 "within days of the election" about the Coulson-shaped trouble that was heading their way. But more politically significant is the news that Ed Miliband could push for a Commons vote, on Wednesday, to block News Corp's takeover of Sky. The Labour leader outlined his plan on Andrew Marr's show just now, saying that, "I don't think [David Cameron] can carry on with business as usual.

Saturday

Fraser Nelson

End of the World

From our UK edition

The last edition of the News of the World is now out, saying "Thank You & Goodbye". The first-ever issue of the newspaper (above) is on my wall at home and I'm struck by the consistency. Its mission statement says it aims "to give to the poorer classes of society a paper that would suit their means, and to the middle — as well as the rich — a journal from which due to its immense circulation would demand their attention." And so it was to prove. The News of the World is, even now, the best-selling Sunday newspaper on the planet. Only those who don't read it regard it as a scandal sheet.

Peter Hoskin

Brooks stands firm

From our UK edition

More fuel for the firestorm: this time, a letter by Rebekah Brooks, answering questions put to her by the Home Affairs select committee. It truth, it doesn't say much that wasn't either spelt out or suggested in Brooks' earlier statement this week. But its three main assertions are still worth noting: Brooks had "no knowledge" about the hacking of Milly Dowler's phone, she claims; likewise for "any other cases during [her] tenure"; and "the practice of phone hacking is not continuing at the News of the World." In the meantime, Labour are keeping up the political pressure — asking, now, for a judge-led inquiry to convene sooner, sooner, sooner, in view of concerns that evidence may disappear along with the News of the World tomorrow.

Peter Hoskin

The story sticks to No.10

From our UK edition

Big and bold, the contraction "No.10" appears on most of this morning's front pages. Or, failing that, the words "former Cameron aide". After the arrest of Andy Coulson yesterday, it was ever going to be thus. But it's still a sign of how closely Downing Street is being bound into the phone hacking scandal. Cameron's call, yesterday, for a judge-led inquiry into the whole, stinking affair — which was, you suspect, intended to deflect some of the heat away from his prime ministerial pulpit — is treated almost as a footnote. It's all Cameron, Coulson, Cameron, Brooks. There's more emphasis on Downing Street inside the papers, too.

James Forsyth

Who knows where this will all end for politics, the press and the police

From our UK edition

Rarely has that old adage that week is a long time in politics seemed more appropriate. Seven days ago, few of us would have predicted that we would be in the middle of a crisis that could dramatically effect how politics is run, the press are regulated and the standing of the police.  This morning is probably one of those days when, to borrow his joke from yesterday, David Cameron wants to shut down all the newspapers. The Mail and The Telegraph lay into him for his call to end self-regulation of the press. Indeed, their editorials on the matter speak to a broader anger in both papers that despite them having supported the Tories through the thin years of opposition, it is—or was—News International who gets the red carpet treatment from the Tory leadership.

Friday

David Blackburn

From the archives: Rupert Murdoch edition

From our UK edition

Rupert Murdoch showed a ruthless strain in his personality yesterday. Here are some anecdotes about the man from Craig Brown. Diary, Craig Brown, The Spectator, 12 September 1987. As TUC delegates bore on about Nye Bevan and the Tolpuddle Martyrs, journalists attempt to remain sane by exchanging fond memories of their own mythological figures, the newspaper proprietors. Robert Maxwell has just taken over from Beaverbrook as the most anthologised ogre, but for some reason there are precious few stories about Rupert Murdoch. He well be bad but he is obviously not bonkers, and both attributes are necessary for real popularity among journalists. Anecdotes about Murdoch’s wit are few and far between, but the following one might help boost his reputation.

James Forsyth

Cameron makes poor start on the long road back

From our UK edition

This was David Cameron’s most difficult press conference since becoming Tory leader. The Prime Minister refused to distance himself from Andy Coulson, a man he said was still his friend. But this loyalty to his ‘friend’ placed Cameron in an almost impossible situation. Cameron remarked defiantly that you’d be ‘pretty unpleasant if you forgot about him’ but the longer Cameron defends Coulson and his decision to hire him, the more this scandal will stick to him. Cameron repeatedly said that he gave Coulson ‘a second chance’. This is an awful line because it sounds like Cameron thinks he deserves credit for hiring him. Cameron needs to say urgently that he now regrets the decision to employ Coulson.

Peter Hoskin

A newspaper has died, and the recriminations are only just beginning

From our UK edition

The blood of the News of the World is sprayed right across the front pages this morning. And yet there's still more bleeding to be done, it seems. The Guardian has been reporting since last night that Andy Coulson is to be arrested today, over suspicions about his knowledge of phone hacking and police bribery at the paper he once edited. The Mail quotes "supporters of Mr Coulson" as saying that, "he could make damaging claims about Mrs Brooks, who edited the News of the World before him, which in turn could result in her being questioned." Which rather captures the sense that this story could still intensify, even after Rupert Murdoch's dramatic attempt to cauterise the wound.

Thursday

Peter Hoskin

Breaking: News of the World to close

From our UK edition

The Murdochs have acted — and how. The News of the World, a 168 year-old publication, is to close, for good, this weekend. The current speculation is that a Sunday edition of the Sun will take its place, but, for now, here's the official statement from James Murdoch: News International today announces that this Sunday, 10 July 2011, will be the last issue of the News of the World. Making the announcement to staff, James Murdoch, Deputy Chief Operating Officer, News Corporation, and Chairman, News International said: “I have important things to say about the News of the World and the steps we are taking to address the very serious problems that have occurred.

Peter Hoskin

What the papers won’t say

From our UK edition

Remember Operation Motorman? You may not, because little was made it at the time — and nothing like the current phone hacking furore. Yet many of the themes are identical. In 2003, a private investigator called Steve Whittamore was busted. His job was to simply to snoop out information for various newspaper groups, often using illegal methods. They'd pay him, he'd hand over the information. It really was that simple. Until, that is, the Information Commissioner got its hands on his records, which included details of some of the transactions made between him and his client journalists. By 2006, it had emerged how many journalists had been caught paying Whittamore for information, and which publications they worked for.

Peter Hoskin

The stakes rise for Rupert Murdoch

From our UK edition

The business pages have more electricity to them than usual today, and all because of their overlap with the phone hacking scandal. In many ways, yesterday marked a turning point in the whole affair, in that it is now hitting Rupert Murdoch in the pocketbook. News Corporation shares — which had held up for a day or two — finally fell by 3.6 per cent, leaving its chairman and CEO some £120 million worse off. And, as we reported on the new Spectator Business Blog, shares in BSkyB took a similar course; due, no doubt, to prevailing concerns that Murdoch's takeover might be posponed indefinitely. Ofcom are just one of the many interested parties sniffing around the deal with renewed vigour and suspicion. Naturally, the polticians are sniffing around too.

Tuesday

James Forsyth

Andy Coulson thrown back into the story

From our UK edition

On the Ten o’clock News tonight Robert Peston reported that News International have allegedly handed emails to the police that show Andy Coulson as editor of the News of the World authorised payments to the police. If this was true, it would be illegal. But it should be stressed that Peston could not reach Coulson for comment on the story. There are two immediate implications of this latest development in the story. First, the fact that this development has come out now shows that News International is keen to move the spotlight away from Rebekah Brooks. But given the Independent’s front page tomorrow this tactic is unlikely to succeed Second, it brings David Cameron into this story.

Alex Massie

Rebekah Brooks: I Am Not A Witch, I’m You

From our UK edition

An exclusive look at a strategy memo prepared for Rebekah Brooks this afternoon: Rebekah,  The Boss has sent word: this phone situation has developed not necessarily to our advantage. He's asked us to formulate a strategy for you. It's balls-out time. This is a go large or don't go at all moment. Sticking your fingers in your ears and going lalalalalalala is not enough anymore. Even the payroll vote at Westminster is getting restless. Soon they'll be wandering off the reservation whimpering that Something Must Be Done. We all know how that ends: something gets done even if it's a stupid something. This is how we roll in Wapping too because that's how the game is played. It's what we ask for all the time, isn't it? Anything to keep the punters happy.

Alex Massie

Rebekah Brooks: Don’t Blame Me, I’m A Victim Too!

From our UK edition

That, I think, is what we are supposed to take away from the ridiculous statement News International's Chief Executive has issued today. Surely the editor of the News of the World asks the occasional question about the provenance of the stories she chooses to publish? Apparently not. This being so a reasonable person might just be tempted to ask if Ms Brooks is a) telling the truth or b) any good at her job? It's surely one or the other but her defence appears to be, "It wasn't me; I was just the clueless, hapless, innocent editor". I am not sure how many parsnips this butters.