Friday 28 June 2013

Quotes of the Week: Independent exposes 'the other hacking scandal,' does it kill Leveson?


The Independent reveals the other hacking scandal: "Some of Britain’s most respected industries routinely employ criminals to hack, blag and steal personal information on business rivals and members of the public, according to a secret report leaked to The Independent. The Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) knew six years ago that law firms, telecoms giants and insurance were hiring private investigators to break the law and further their commercial interests."

The Times [£] in a leader:  "SOCA’s report suggests criminal activity by people who have not yet been brought to justice. Perhaps the Metropolitan Police could now redirect some of the 91 officers investigating newspaper hacking towards these other hackers. How busy can they all be?"

on Twitter: "So, legal profession did more phonehacking than journos. That kills Leveson. as this was always about crime, not press regulation."

The Independent further reveals: "Lord Justice Leveson wrote to MPs to say he believed the Soca report fell outside his terms of reference for the hearings, which were to 'inquire into the culture, practices and ethics of the press'. However, he also mysteriously claimed his inquiry was 'specifically asked not to circulate it without further discussion'."

Simon Jenkins on public inquiries in the Guardian: "David Cameron, under attack for his links to News Corporation, sought a judge known to be eager for higher office and chose Lord Justice Leveson to investigate press ethics. From the resulting shambles Cameron escaped scot free."

Daily Mail in a leader: "Hacked Off director Brian Cathcart has taken a sabbatical from his reputed £80,000-a-year university teaching job, while he heads a campaign for a new law to shackle Britain’s free Press. Plainly, it would be inappropriate for Professor Cathcart to continue to draw a taxpayer-funded salary from Kingston University, while engaging in such a hugely contentious political lobbying campaign."

The Independent's Chris Blackhurst on his new role, in his editor's letter: "My new, elevated title of Group Content Director, I accept, has an Orwellian 1984 or John Birt’s BBC ring to it. But we could not find a better name that summarises our changed, multi-platform organisation and our ability to cope with the insatiable demands of the internet, print titles and television."

Daily Mail in a leader on the bid to prevent the naming of  CQC executives on the grounds they were entitled to anonymity under the Data Protection Act: "It was only after newspapers and the Information Commissioner challenged this false claim that the CQC was made to see sense...Alarmingly, however, the row over data protection laws is typical of how, in the post-Leveson world, it is becoming ever harder for the Press to expose and scrutinise State wrongdoing."

Quentin Letts in the Mail on being told off by Culture Secretary Maria Millers's special adviser: "Her high cheeks blushed with displeasure as she scolded me yesterday, told me that I must show more ‘chivalry’ to her employer."

on Twitter: "Interesting that the Guardian so vigorously supports criminal hacking. Same paper that wants journalists jailed for it in UK."

Peter Preston in The Observer on the possibility of Lord Grade brokering a deal on press regulation: "Involving Grade is one, potentially smart way of getting things moving before the long grass chokes all hope of progress. Somebody has to be in charge. Neither the government nor parliament as a whole is because, very simply, there's not a hope in hell of regional papers (or the FT, it seems) rubber-stamping an untried arbitration process only hungry lawyers could love."

City AM's Marion Dakers reveals: "The Press Standards Board of Finance, which charges newspapers the levy used to fund the PCC, applied to trade mark 'Independent Press Standards Organisation' at the end of last month."

Grey Cardigan on The Spin Alley: "Venture out into the digital world and you’ll find plenty of sites happy to publish your work, but you won’t find many who want to pay for it. Only this week I had a call from a website owner asking me to contribute to his ‘project’. When I asked how much, he giggled nervously and suggested that I might want to do it for free to get the ‘exposure’. It would look good on my CV, he thought. Look good on what CV? I’ve been at this game for 35 years. I don’t need ‘exposure’ and I don’t have a CV. I’ve never needed one, my reputation going before me." 

[£]=paywall
The Press Standards Board of Finance, which charges newspapers the levy used to fund the PCC, applied to trade mark “Independent Press Standards Organisation” at the end of last month. - See more at: http://www.cityam.com/article/new-name-frame-press-watchdog#sthash.x0JLDyPL.dpuf
The Press Standards Board of Finance, which charges newspapers the levy used to fund the PCC, applied to trade mark “Independent Press Standards Organisation” at the end of last month. - See more at: http://www.cityam.com/article/new-name-frame-press-watchdog#sthash.x0JLDyPL.dpuf
The Press Standards Board of Finance, which charges newspapers the levy used to fund the PCC, applied to trade mark “Independent Press Standards Organisation” at the end of last month. - See more at: http://www.cityam.com/article/new-name-frame-press-watchdog#sthash.TToUbaVp.dpuf
The Press Standards Board of Finance, which charges newspapers the levy used to fund the PCC, applied to trade mark “Independent Press Standards Organisation” at the end of last month. - See more at: http://www.cityam.com/article/new-name-frame-press-watchdog#sthash.TToUbaVp.dpuf
The Press Standards Board of Finance, which charges newspapers the levy used to fund the PCC, applied to trade mark “Independent Press Standards Organisation” at the end of last month. - See more at: http://www.cityam.com/article/new-name-frame-press-watchdog#sthash.LMbA3Twy.dpuf
The Press Standards Board of Finance, which charges newspapers the levy used to fund the PCC, applied to trade mark “Independent Press Standards Organisation” at the end of last month. - See more at: http://www.cityam.com/article/new-name-frame-press-watchdog#sthash.LMbA3Twy.dpuf

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