All language subtitles for The Hack S01E07

Previously on The Hack.

I'm friends with Claire Rue Castle
-Brown, the journalist and sister -in

Gordon Brown. He's leaning in.

Mordoff's ambition is limitless, but
he's overstepped here.

Part of a new operation.

Operation Wheating. We're investigating
allegations of phone hacking. Contact of

mine in the fourth has been put on it.
He's feeding me.

Well, that's a felony in lap, okay?

This could get you in serious trouble.

Hello? Dave, it's Mike at the Sun.

Give Panorama, Mike Sullivan, Nick
Davis, anything about our cases and

strung up for all to see.

I was in the database.

News of the World, April 14th, 2002.

Millie Dowler. Jingle says there is a
page on Dowler in Marquez notebooks.

The News of the World will not be
forgiven for this.

I was being drawn to stories again and
again with the same theme. A deep

urge to hit back at anybody at all who
takes power and abuses it.

Our guest now joining us from the
newsroom of The Guardian is Nick Davies,

-winning journalist who has brought
phone hacking into the light. Hi.

Now, Nick Davies, could you have
predicted the furore that the Millie

Dowler case seems to have caused?

Predicted, no, but I do think it speaks
well for the British public, for the

world public, that a furore has been
provoked.

You have Rupert Murdoch firmly on the
ropes.

I have to say, I'm horrified that they
closed the News of the World. Good

journalists have lost their jobs.

I believe this was a cynical move on
Murdoch's part to help aid his capture

-Sky B.

And what do you think it is about the
Millie Dowler case that has had such an

impact? Well, what we discovered was
that during the period of her

disappearance, News of the World were
using a private investigator to listen

her voicemails. So that in itself is
horrid. Deeply personal stuff. Friends

family. still thought she may have run
away and were imploring her to come

The voicemail filled up, which is why
they deleted the messages.

Now, friends and family who had
previously heard the message voicemail

surprised by this, and the presumption
became that Millie was still alive.

I guess we all want to know whether
Rupert Murdoch will feature in front of

Leveson inquiry, and why. Well, before
Leveson, actually, Rupert Murdoch is due

to speak at the House of Commons Media
Select Committee.

We want to get answers from him as to
what he knew about phone hacking,

widespread practice in his newspaper,
when he knew about it, and why he didn't

act.

Nick Davies, thank you for joining us.

Thank you for having me.

Whether Rupert bails on us, I don't
know.

Well, you could compel him. The thing
you need to ask is, can you truly compel

Murdoch to do anything?

Are we singing Happy Birthday? So, who's
getting to ask the first question?

Well, I do, though. Nick is intent on
writing it for me.

I think we should sing... No, Happy
Birthday's a terrible song. Nick thinks

Happy Birthday's fascistic. It is
culturally fascistic. Everyone has to

same song on their bloody birthday.
Where's the individuality? Well, we

sing...

What's the one where we count the
candles on the birthday cake? Have we

energy? Well, speak.

At least we deserve a speech. Yes, yes,
on your face.

Uh, no.

But, okay, I would like to thank you all
for coming, and I would like to remind

you we have work to do. The select
committee is our chance, with Murdoch on

stand. And I won't let you down.

No, no, no, Tom, I'm not saying that.
Maybe I should have let you retire.

You were going to retire?

Move to Belgium.

Ah! Chocolate. And then with Levinson
making sure that we're fully prepared.

Nick, Nick. Today we celebrate. A prep
session would have been much more

preferable to any kind of birthday.

Not only are the songs fascistic, but
Nick thinks birthdays are narcissistic.

likes to work. True. How nice then that
none of his friends came, just the

people he works with. Now you're
treading a very fine line between

Happy birthday to you.

Happy birthday to you.

Happy birthday dear Nick.

Happy birthday to you.

So, good news and bad news. Good news,
it's all cooking nicely for the Select

Committee. The bad news, you are going
to have to give evidence at Leveson. It

needs your heft.

Alan's house may have been compromised.

What? He hired someone to sweep his
house for bugs. That person

it. The person who subcontracted it,
too, worked for him as an associate of

Rhys.

How do you know? I can't tell you.

I know Rhys has been bragging about how
he knows the bug sweeper.

You sure?

Ask Alan about the socks. He keeps some
of the piano.

The socks.

Oh, Christ.

It's true.

I like him.

I'd get a better feel for the piano if I
played barefoot. Alan, you do not have

good hiring practice. It seems possible
to claim. You hired someone to debug

your house, and instead they may have
compromised.

Are my children in danger?

Dave doesn't think so.

Don't know about you and me.

We've got Murdoch on the stand.

They know they're being hunted.

Call it Hannibal, most vicious Hannibal
of all.

Fuck.

I thought the worst of it was over.

The day after Cameron announced the
Leveson inquiry into phone hacking, the

Select Committee issued an order
summoning Rupert Murdoch.

and his son, James, to attend Parliament
on the 19th of July to basically

explain themselves.

The significance of this moment was not
lost on any of us. If we asked the right

questions, we could ensnare them, both
father and son.

OK, everyone, settle now, please.

We are now in session. Mr Watson will
ask the first question.

Mr Murdoch Senior, Mr Murdoch Junior,
good afternoon. Thanks for coming in

today. My first question is for Mr
Murdoch Senior.

You have repeatedly stated that News
Corp has zero tolerance to wrongdoing by

employees. Is that right?

Is that me?

Yes.

In October 2010, did you still believe
it to be true when you made your

speech and you said, let me be clear, we
will vigorously pursue the truth and we

will not tolerate wrongdoing?

Yes.

So if you were not lying then, somebody
lied to you.

Who was it?

I don't know.

That is what the police are
investigating and we are helping them

But you acknowledge that you were
misled?

Clearly.

If I can take you to 2006, when Clive
Goodman was

arrested and subsequently convicted of
intercepting voicemails.

Were you made aware of that?

I think so. I was certainly made aware
of when they were convicted.

And what did News International do
subsequent to the arrest of Clive

Glenn Mulcair to get to the facts?

We worked with the police on further
investigation and eventually we

very quickly appointed, a very leading
firm of lawyers in the city to

investigate it further.

What did you personally do to
investigate that?

After Mr Goodman went to prison, you
were obviously concerned about it.

I spoke to Mr.

Hinton, who told me about it.

Okay.

In 2008, another two years, why did you
not dismiss News of the World

chief reporter Neville Thirlbeck
following the Mosley case?

I'd never heard of him.

So none of your...

UK staff drew your attention to this
serious wrongdoing, even though the case

received widespread media attention?

I think my son can perhaps answer that
in more detail. He was a lot closer to

it. I will come to your son in a minute.

Um, can I ask you, when did you first
meet Mr Alex Maranchak?

Mr...? Alex Maranchak.

He worked for the company for 25 years.

I don't remember meeting him. I'm out of
shaking hands walking through the

office, but I don't have any memory.

Mr Murdoch Senior, you seem to indicate
that you had a rather hands -off

approach to your company.

Could you just give us an illustration
of how often you would speak to the

editors of your newspapers?

For example, how often you would speak
to the editor of The Sun or to the

of the News of the World?

Very seldom.

Sometimes I'd ring the editor of the
News of the World on a Saturday night

say, have you got any news tonight?

But it was just to keep in touch.

Well, I'm intrigued as to how the
conversations might go.

I imagine that to the editor of the News
of the World, it might go along the

lines of anything to report.

And the editor of the News of the World
says no.

No, it's been a standard week. We paid
Gordon Taylor £600 ,000.

He never said that last sentence.

I mean, surely in your weekly
conversation with the editor of the News

World, with something as big as that,
paying someone a million pounds, paying

someone £700 ,000, I mean, surely you'd
have expected the editor to just drop it

into the conversation at some point
during your weekly chat.

No, I'd say, what's doing?

Sorry? I'd say, what's doing?

And what sort of response would you
expect?

He might say we've got a great story
exposing X or Y or he would say more

nothing special.

He might refer to the fact that however
many extra pages were dedicated to the

football that week.

But he wouldn't tell you about a million
pound pail?

I just want to say that I was brought up
by a father who was not rich but who

was a great journalist.

And he, just before he died, bought a
small paper specifically in his will

saying he was giving me the chance to do
good.

Now, I remember what he did and what he
was most proud of and for which he was

hated in this country by many people for
many, many years, which was to expose

the scandal at Gallipoli, which I remain
very, very proud of. I think that all

students of history will be...

Um, the sitting is suspended.

The defence told the court the father of
one from Windsor had wanted to throw

his revulsion over the scandal at News
International.

I couldn't get my hands on that phone.

He then cut it. He thinks, what, that
his amateur dramatics are more useful

what we were doing in that room. Good
questions were asked.

Yeah, they were, and they weren't
answered.

And that obfuscation is important.

Oh, it was.

Awful senile act Murdoch was putting on.
That needed writing about, but now

every paper will carry one thing and one
thing only. Wendy Murdoch fighting for

her man.

You're worrying too much, Nick.

You don't understand news circles.

Yeah, but it's still Leveson. Yeah,
nothing else but Leveson. There is no

but Leveson air. If Leveson doesn't
produce... Then what?

You're going to hide under a tea towel
for the rest of your life?

Look, Nick, a serious inquiry led by
quite a clever bloke is happening

of your journalism.

It could mean regulation, ethics, maybe
even an appropriate relationship between

press, politicians and police.

When did you become the positive one?

Oh, fuck off.

Lord Leveson's report's given us a new
press and a new Dave Cook.

Fuck off.

Wait.

What's the latest with the select
committee?

We're going to get James Murdoch back
in. On what grounds?

Clarity on whether or not he was told
about the Neville email.

Why are there police officers in our
newsroom?

What?

They want to talk to Amelia.

Amelia? What about her?

They're sorting the official secrets
out.

Yeah. Hi, where are you? On my way
somewhere. I can't tell you where.

Amelia, this is Alan.

Alan, I'm just on my way to meet
someone.

What's going on?

I think you should come in.

They're upstairs.

They're saying they won't leave until
they've spoken to you.

No, no way. Not without a lawyer.

Agreed.

They don't like my biscuits and they
don't like my small talk about Chopin.

They're saying they need your notebooks.

If you can't find your notebooks,
they'll get a warrant and head to your

They're also saying that notebooks
aren't in your flat. They could visit

mother. Tell them I'm not going to give
up my tools or my notes.

I'd rather go to prison.

Right.

Good.

I'll contact some friends, give you some
recommendations, or you can find a

lawyer for yourself, a human rights
specialist.

This'll get leaked.

Right? I expect that.

But you might need to stay somewhere
else tonight with your friends. Look

happens.

We were exposing them, not the other way
around. It isn't what happens.

But it does seem to be what's happening.

I'm so sorry.

Hi.

Hi.

How are you?

I'm okay.

I'm calling about Levinson.

I'm going to apply to be a core
participant.

The group packed off. I don't know if
you've... Yeah, yeah.

Well, they saw the Channel 4 interview
and they've been pretty insistent that I

say something.

Not that they're making me... They seem
very good

people. They don't really have anyone to
talk to about the Met from the inside

and I think that's why they want me.

Oh, and they have you and they have me.

You're doing it too?

I registered yesterday. I was going to
email.

There are implications.

Sure. For the kids.

We'll have to speak to their school,
their friends. We could be targets.

Why is it worth me doing it than you?

Because of Daniel Morgan.

Because the case collapsed.

They said you were feeding lines to a
witness. You don't think they're going

use that against you if you give
evidence? No, listen, listen.

Jackie, I just want this out there.

You do, OK?

Hi, Nick. Sue Akers. I hope I'm not
disturbing you.

Deputy Assistant Commissioner.

This is quite... Call me Sue, please.

Quite the surprise, Sue.

I was hoping you might have a moment to
make me a cup of tea.

Of course I do, yeah. Of course, come
in. Sorry.

Through here. Thanks.

You've come to my house.

Not a short distance. On a Saturday,
so... Whatever this is can't be good.

I mean, I have to assume... Can't be
good at all.

Maybe take a seat.

Oh, God.

Nick, I'm afraid that part of the story
you published about Milly Dowler is

inaccurate.

Inaccurate how?

It looks likely that the News of the
World did not delete voice messages from

Milly Dowler's phone.

It's probable it was the phone company.

That's not... I have two separate
sources.

The networks used automatically deleted
messages after 72 hours.

That's how we presume they were wiped.

You're using words like presume.

Probable, likely.

And we believe those deletions happened
prior to Glenn Mulcair being instructed

to get inside her phone.

Before Mulcair.

Nick, I came here in person to
acknowledge all you've done.

Without you, weeding is impossible.

Without you... You can't know for
certain who deleted what. I'm sorry.

We'll be releasing a statement to
correct the record.

The article said messages were deleted
by journalists in the first few days

after Millie's disappearance.

That's the only inaccuracy.

It's a large one.

I have a good source which tells me
Surrey Police turned off the automatic

deletion system on the fourth day and
some voicemail appeared to have been

deleted after.

Are they sure?

No. Sure?

They were inside the phone.

Yes. They may have subsequently deleted
messages.

My source tells me they did.

I believe my source.

Then there is too much for them to lose
in court.

Right. Well, let me issue a retraction
and an apology.

We made a mistake. We may not have. We
made a mistake, Snakeman. There we are.

Ten lashes for you, ten lashes for me.
Two Acres agrees with most of our story.

They did hack the phone.

Surrey Police did know about it, surely.

I have two priorities.

That they don't use this to try and
obfuscate the crime they have committed.

A dead girl's phone was hacked.

And my other priority is you.

What was that Carl Bernstein quote?

All great reporting is the same thing.

Best obtainable version of the truth.

I'm going to be absolutely monstered.

It serves them very well to try and
destroy your reputation. I don't want to

apologize.

Then don't.

The paper has to. You don't.

Stand up, put on some iron underwear and
fight.

The monstering was high energy.

Fuck you.

Doubt turned into certainty that we had
got it wrong. Fuck you.

Richard Caseby, managing editor of The
Sun, told the House of Lords committee

that Alan Rusperger had sexed up his
investigation into phone hacking. Fuck

Rod Little in the Sunday Times said
baldly the Guardian had made it up.

you.

But beneath all... Beneath all that
exaggeration and hostility was

the fact that I had stated as a fact
something which now appeared to be

I had damaged myself and I'd exposed the
Guardian.

How are you enjoying it?

Yeah, it's quite a thing.

The outside of your house?

Whatever fuel they have, they're
readying to throw on the fire.

So why are you so calm?

Oh, I'm an optimist slash pessimist. I
presume I'm capable of great things, and

yet I assume the worst about that.

You always thought you'd be found out.

Well, my mother said it would be.

Maybe I should be an optimist slash
pessimist.

I wouldn't recommend it. It does
horrible things to your guts.

Are you really going to New York?

The police haven't charged me.

I'm free to go.

Well, you could just stay here. You'd be
up to this stale toast in no time.

The Evening Standard tried to do a story
about me sleeping with my source.

A few weeks later, they rang and said I
was sleeping with an MP.

Wrong Amelia, and she's married to him.
I just... I can't.

I don't want to be the story.

No.

No, I'm not sure I do either.

Luckily, they had a booking free for me
on Newsnight tonight, and Jeremy

Paxman's a notoriously kind interviewer.
You're going on Newsnight?

Against whoever.

News international thing will do me most
damage.

But steel underpants filled with stale
toast would be fine.

If I don't come back... I mean...

I want to say something.

When this is all done, and they tell the
story of it, you know, when you look

back or write about it, don't paint me
as your protégé.

I mean, I've been at this a long time.

I worked Jinkle across multiple cases
for years.

I mean, it was your story, and Millie
would have never happened without you.

But it wouldn't have happened without me
either.

You don't need to say anything. Don't
let them whitewash all the other people

out. You don't need to say any of this.

I actually do.

Here's my wallet.

Okay.

Email me when you get there.

If Paxman hasn't killed you first... I
don't know my corpse.

Good luck, Nick.

Tonight, who knew what and when in the
phone hacking scandal?

Could James Murdoch really have been
unaware?

Why did the Guardian claim the news of
the world deleted voice messages when

they had no evidence?

It was the Guardian newspaper's claim,
stated as facts, that they'd been erased

by the news of the world, which
triggered the shutdown of what was once

biggest selling paper in the English
-speaking world.

I think, David, let's cut to the chase.
What you claim to be a fact wasn't a

fact, was it?

The story we published in July was
squarely based on the evidence

correct in saying that her voicemail was
deleted. And it remains the case that

News International are not denying that
News of the World journalists may have

been responsible for those deletions.
Well, let's look at the front page here.

News of the World hacked Millie Dowler's
phone during police hunt. And the paper

deleted missing schoolgirls' voicemails,
giving family false hope.

He's saying the copy, the messages were
deleted by journalists in the first few

days after Millie's disappearance.

Everybody who was involved in that story
accepted it was true. It's a very

interesting thing that when that story
was done... No, no, no. What, you're not

allowing me to answer? Well, no, I'm
not, because you're not answering.

Well, you're not asking the right
questions.

Oh, I'm sorry.

Everybody involved in that story
accepted that... that story was true and

believed it to be true to accept until
four months right four months later new

evidence which was not available to
everybody surprised you did not report

like that showed that one element of
that story is now in doubt. It has not

proved to be untrue. So you accept it
wasn't true.

Jules Stenson was a featured editor of
the News of the World. What do you say?

Well, the key point to this as well is
that this wasn't any old story.

This was a story that was the most
important story in the Guardian's

was vital that every single element of
it should be right. And Nick Davis

repeated that allegation 34 times.

Let's get things in proportion here.
Your newspaper had hacked a murdered

telephone. What we did was indefensible,
not just... to Millie, but to all the

victims of hacking. I'm not here to
justify that in any way. What I am here

do, though, is to attack the shoddy
journalism of The Guardian and the

journalism of Nick. This is a classic
example of the way tabloid newspapers

work. You're in a heap of trouble
because for four years, you personally

taken Murdoch's money and ruined
people's lives, invaded people's

engaged in criminal activity. You've
hired private investigators in the past,

haven't you? Private investigators who
have broken the law, haven't you, Jules?

I'm not here to justify... Haven't you,
Jules? You accuse me of shoddy...

journalism, when your name is all over
the records of Steve Whittemore, private

investigator who was convicted of using
illegal means, your name's there.

Information about Jeremy Thixton, about
Anne Robinson, about Anna Frewell. There

are public interest factors.

You know what, Jules? You should just
stop. Take a leaf out of Rupert

book and get a bit humble, or else just
go quiet.

People don't believe you anymore. Right.
We're not going to be bullied by people

like you anymore. We've had enough of
you.

Two years after this, Jules Stenson pled
guilty to conspiracy to hack phones,

but...

Well, I wish I knew that at this moment

Detective Chief Superintendent Dave
Cook.

David, what's this number?

Listen, Jackie, I, um... I need you to
pick up my kids.

Where are you calling from?

It's, um... It's actually a police
station number, Jackie. I'm being

What?

On what charge?

It's misconduct.

Data protection.

They raided the house.

Well, did they find anything?

Some old files.

What files?

Why did you have files at home?

I don't know.

What the fuck are they doing?

I don't know, Jackie.

I don't know.

What do we do?

How can we help them?

I'm not sure we're going to help until
we know what they have.

Well, we have to do something.

We both know he was passing information
to both of us. And they've arrested

Amelia's son.

Sit tight.

We'll find an answer.

Okay, bye.

I don't know what you think you have
here. Would you like a cup of tea, sir?

I would like to leave.

I'm supposed to be given evidence
tomorrow.

I'm a participant in Leviton.

But then I suppose you already know
that.

This conversation is being recorded,
so... Yes.

I understand that you've refused legal
representation.

Yes. And I do need to check that you do
fully understand your rights.

I'm 40 years in the police force, son.
Yes, I understand my rights.

Good. All right, let's start from the
beginning then, shall we?

Tell me about your relationship with the
journalist Mike Sullivan.

No comment.

So you deny passing information to
journalists?

And, as you know, police officers
working for Operation Elveden. Operation

Elveden is about bribery. I have never
accepted money from a journalist in my

life. It's an operation looking into the
corrupt relations between police and

the press.

News International sent an email. News
International sent an email. Do you deny

you were in regular contact with the
journalist Mike Sullivan?

Mike Sullivan and I worked together.

It was John Yates who introduced us.

He had access to my investigation in
return for writing helpful articles in

newspaper. I have done nothing that a
million police officers before me

done. It is standard police practice.

You did nothing wrong.

Nothing.

Forty years in the police service and
you didn't know you broke the law.

Shame on you.

They're trying to get a door.

They're waiting for any mistake.

Then let's try not to make any mistakes.

Come inside.

Lindsay found a spare duvet from
somewhere.

I don't need to stay.

You should.

I'd like you to.

Doing a sleepover with the editor of the
Guardian.

Not editor.

Friend.

This, um... This may not be entirely
comfortable.

I should be helping.

Yes, you should.

A journalist running away to America.
Two police officers under arrest.

You're so paranoid. You're having this
house periodically debugged, and it's

your fault.

Yeah.

You remember when we first met?

I felt like a child who forgot his
pencil.

You were so thrusting, and, well, I
wasn't.

You were ambitious.

Hugely.

Compensating for who knows what.

And I thought, well, if everyone at the
Guardian's like him, I'm done for.

Thankfully, they weren't. Thankfully, as
it turns out, I had something to offer

you.

As you had something to offer me.

Nick.

Don't mistake the fact you were first
through the door with the fact that

everyone else went through the same door
willingly.

The sacrifices weren't for you. They
were for your cause.

You're part of a team, Nick.

The funny thing is, you always have
been.

I think he's going to get away with it.

No, Doc, I think he's going to get away
with it.

Perhaps.

Perhaps that's what abusers do.

Get away with things.

Or perhaps not.

Not really. Maybe... Maybe... Deep down

inside them, there's just... Damage.

Yes, there's sometimes.

Yes, but sometimes the damage they
cause, sometimes.

But you're not trying to excuse her,
him.

No, Nick.

I'm not trying to excuse your mother or
him.

I'm saying... all we can do is fight the

best we can and...

I hope we've proved to be a valiant
opponent.

And personally speaking, I'm so proud to
have been a part of

this great valiant act.

Whatever happens... know that.

You're welcome.

Don't worry, you're before me.

I'm just... insanely horrifically early.

It's Jackie, isn't it?

Yes.

I read her statement.

Strong stuff.

Harrowing. Punchy.

Neck, by the way.

I know, and thank you. Coming from you,
that's some thank you.

May I...

I mean, I hope it's okay to ask.

How's David?

Oh, it's been a week since we spoke, but
he's back in his house at least.

He won't take my calls.

He will when he's ready.

It won't be you. It'll be him.

It's generally him.

He helped, by the way. I'm not sure
whether you're aware.

But he helped all of us. He was P.

We wouldn't be here without his help.

Sorry. You do it.

Make your prep, run your lines.

Oh, God.

I'm usually good with details, but for
some reason today my mind keeps going

blank.

I didn't sleep much.

I didn't sleep much last night.

Not a wink.

Then I don't sleep. I'm not someone who
sleeps.

You've always been like that.

Since I was a boy, yeah.

Dave did tell you I wasn't a simple guy
to understand, right?

I've had days recently where I can't
remember my own name.

I've been in rooms full of people and
forgotten why I'm even there. I suffer.

I have done for years with panic
attacks.

Every time I sat down to write this.

statement item.

But this morning I woke up and I felt
clear, clearer than I have done in

That's good.

Yeah.

Just remember, in the storm of all of
this, in all their mea culpa

of news of the world, they decided that
in

the middle of this inquiry,

To launch the sun on Sunday.

That

thing you were

doing with the ball?

I don't mind.

It helps to calm you. Oh, God, what are
you saying?

I've been tested by bigger things.
Please.

Do what you need to do.

Yeah.

I'll be honest, I'm scared of this
inquiry.

I'm scared because I think you'll take
the wrong recommendations.

And because you'll destroy something.

which is precious, without rebuilding
something better.

I don't want destroyed the notion of the
unofficial source.

Sue Akers has arrested 37, 38 people in
the four inquiries she's been running.

There have been a couple of arrests of
police officers in cases where I know

quite a lot about the circumstances.

What's happened there is those officers
have been told...

they will be charged with the common law
offence of misconduct in a public

office.

Despite, to the best of my knowledge,
there being no allegation of any kind of

bribe or inducement, what those officers
are being told is you will be charged

and you can expect to get a prison term
of up to 18 months because you've spoken

to a reporter without permission.

Now...

Two cases are live. We don't know how
they'll turn out. It may well be that

Crown Prosecution Service will say, hang
on a moment, this doesn't apply.

But I think it's worrying, and this is
in the wake of the phone hacking.

I worry that it might be a completely
unjustifiable and unnecessary backlash

the allegation of collusion between News
International and the Met.

And the ultimate effect here may be to
prevent... unauthorized contact between

journalists and police when as a matter
of fact without this unauthorized

contact the metropolitan police would
have been allowed to carry on misleading

press public in parliament about this
whole scandal i'm also scared that this

inquiry might misstep in a different
direction might soften itself

as its attack from outside sources

I have been under attack in one form or
another ever since I first attempted to

reveal the practice of hacking. I
represent here today a team of people,

all of whom have been under similar
attacks.

In fact, the very extraordinary things
to be part of this fight, they've done

so because what you're doing here today
is precious.

News, I think, I think the best
definition of it, news is what someone

doesn't want you to know.

The most difficult, skillful,
interesting, important stuff that

about finding human sources and
motivating them to help reveal that

tell you someone at the front line of
that.

News is also often what someone is
reluctant to tell.

So it's hard to motivate a human source
to reveal their truth.

They'll say, look, if I talk to you and
they realize I've done this, then I'll

lose my job or my career.

Or I'll be beaten up. I'll be arrested
or embarrassed or ashamed. I will hurt

people who love me. It's a very
sensitive moment.

You have to make those people safe.

You have to make those people realize

Their truth is worth the risk.

What these hackers did was about cutting
out that human connection.

These so -called journalists didn't find
the truth. They didn't persuade people

to come with them. They just stole.

They took.

And humanity was lost in that moment.

Not only in the privacy that was
invaded, but also in the stories told

Our papers became dishrags of distorted
content.

A set of rogue journalists working for a
rogue corporation undermined the very

tenets of journalism.

The very tenets of truth -telling.

If this inquiry succeeds, we may be able
to rebuild our newspapers.

We may be able to make them what they
should be.

Fail, and News International will have
trapped us all in their shadow.

And I'm scared that we will never get
out.