Features Podcasts Family Video Comics Music Tech Science Books Film & TV Games ✚

Jill

Damning 2007 letter asserts that phone hacking was an open practice at News of the World

Cory Doctorow at 3:14 pm Tue, Aug 16, 2011

— FEATURED —

THE LATEST

Gweek 098: Win Hugh Howey's Paperwhite Kindle!

Book Review

Lexicon: smart, sharp technothriller from Max "Jennifer Government" Barry

Book Review

The 'Geisters: spooky, scary novel

Science

Ants and Stars: Bruce Sterling and Jasmina Tesanovic visit the Sardinia Radio Telescope in Italy

— FOLLOW US —

Boing Boing is on Twitter and Facebook. Subscribe to our RSS feed or daily email.

 

— POLICIES —

Except where indicated, Boing Boing is licensed under a Creative Commons License permitting non-commercial sharing with attribution

 

— FONTS —

Tweet
Kindle

Clive Goodman, the News of the World royals reporter who resigned in disgrace, wrote a letter to News International's HR department four years ago asserting that the editorial staff of the NoTW knew about the phone hacking, that it was discussed at editorial meetings, and that Andy Coulson -- UK Prime Minister David Cameron's ex-media advisor -- was active in these discussions. It also calls into question Rupert and James Murdochs's testimony to Parliament that they hadn't been aware of the practice.
Goodman then claims that other members of staff at the News of the World were also hacking phones. Crucially, he adds: "This practice was widely discussed in the daily editorial conference, until explicit reference to it was banned by the editor." He reveals that the paper continued to consult him on stories even though they knew he was going to plead guilty to phone hacking and that the paper's then lawyer, Tom Crone, knew all the details of the case against him.

In a particularly embarrassing allegation, he adds: "Tom Crone and the editor promised on many occasions that I could come back to a job at the newspaper if I did not implicate the paper or any of its staff in my mitigation plea. I did not, and I expect the paper to honour its promise to me." In the event, Goodman lost his appeal. But the claim that the paper induced him to mislead the court is one that may cause further problems for News International.

Phone hacking: News of the World reporter's letter reveals cover-up (via Reddit)

I write books. My latest is a YA science fiction novel called Homeland (it's the sequel to Little Brother). More books: Rapture of the Nerds (a novel, with Charlie Stross); With a Little Help (short stories); and The Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow (novella and nonfic). I speak all over the place and I tweet and tumble, too.

MORE:  law • newspapers • notw • reddit • rupert murdoch

More at Boing Boing

Ants and Stars: Bruce Sterling and Jasmina Tesanovic visit the Sardinia Radio Telescope in Italy

The Snowden Principle

  • Tyler Roy-Hart

    …and as of today, jail time is on the table.

    this is a good day.

  • http://www.facebook.com/postelwait Cameron Postelwait

    who wouldn’t trust the promise from a company that promises things on the condition that you don’t reveal their super-illegal practices?  any day now my years as a mob soldier are sure to pay off.

  • Xof

    But: RIOTS SOCIETY FAILING RIOTS THUGS HOODLUMS RIOTS RIOTS RIOTS.

    Sorry, what did you say?

    RIOTS!

  • valerieintoronto

    All this, and he used something that looks like it could be one of my favourite fonts, Century Gothic. :-)