Original subtitles

Previously on The Hack...

I'm friends with Clare Rewcastle Brown,

the journalist and sister in law of Gordon Brown. He's leaning in.

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

Part of a new operation, Operation Weeting.

We're investigating allegations of phone hacking.

A contact of mine in the force has been put on it. He's feeding me.

- This felony alert will kill you. - This could get you in trouble.

- Hello. - Dave, it's Mike at The Sun.

Give Panorama Mike Sullivan, Nick Davies,

anything about our cases, and you'll be strung up for all to see.

I was in the database. News of the World, April 14th, 2002.

- Milly Dowler. - Jingle says

there is a page on Dowler in Marquez's 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 seated 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, award winning journalist

who has brought phone hacking into the light.

- Hi. - Now, Nick Davies.

Could you have predicted the furore

that the Milly Dowler case seems to have caused?

Uh, 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, a cynical move on Murdoch's part

to help aid his capture of BSkyB.

What do you think it is about the Milly 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 to her voicemails,

so that, in itself, is horrid, deeply personal stuff.

Friends and family still thought

she may have run away and were imploring her to come home.

The voicemail filled up,

which is why they deleted the messages.

Now, friends and family, who had previously heard

the message voicemail full was surprised by this.

And the presumption became that Milly was still alive.

I guess we all wanna know whether Rupert Murdoch will feature

in front of your Leveson inquiry and what...

Ah, 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 at 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"?

- Who gets to ask the first question? - Well, I do,

though Nick is intent on writing it for me.

Uh, I think we should sing.

- "Happy Birthday" is a terrible song. - Nick thinks it's fascistic.

It is culturally fascistic,

everyone has to sing the same song on their bloody birthday.

- Where's the individuality... - Well, we could sing, um...

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

- Have we the energy? - Well, speech.

- At least we deserve a speech. - Yes, yes. On your feet.

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...

...Select Committee is our chance

- with Murdoch on the stand... - And I won't let you down.

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

- You were going to retire? - Move to Belgium.

- Ah, chocolate. - And then with Leveson

- making sure we're fully prepared. - Nick, Nick. Today, we celebrate.

A prep session would've been much more preferable to a birthday.

Not only is the song fascistic,

but Nick thinks birthdays are narcissistic.

- He likes to work through. - How nice then that

none of his friends came, and just the people he works with.

Now you're treading a very fine line between insulting me.

♪ Happy Birthday to you ♪

- ♪ Happy Birthday to you ♪ - Oh, God, no.

♪ Happy Birthday dear Nick ♪

♪ Happy Birthday to you ♪

- Hi. - Hi. So, good news and bad news.

Good news, it's all cooking nicely for the Select Committee.

The bad news? You are gonna have to give evidence at Leveson.

- It needs your heft. It needs... - Look, Alan's house

- may have been compromised. - What?

He hired someone to sweep his house for bugs.

That person subcontracted it.

The person they subcontracted it to...

- Worked for Rees. - ...was an associate of Rees.

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

But I know Rees has been bragging in how he knows the bug sweeper.

Are you sure?

Ask Alan about the socks he keeps

- under the piano. - What socks?

- Oh, Christ. - It's true.

I like him.

I'd get a better feel for the piano if I play barefoot.

Alan, you do not have good hiring practices.

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. I don't know about you and me.

We've got Murdoch on the stand. They know they're being hunted.

Cornered animal, the most vicious animal of all.

Fuck.

I thought the worst of it was over.

The day after Cameron announced the Leveson inquiry

into phone hacking, the CMS 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 of them, father and son.

Okay, everyone. Settle now, please.

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

Mr Murdoch Sr, Mr Murdoch Jr,

good afternoon, thanks for coming in today.

My first question is for Mr Murdoch Sr.

Um, 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 Thatcher 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 under police investigation, and we are helping them with.

But you acknowledge that you were misled.

Clearly.

- If I can take you to... - He's doing...

...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, and what did News International do

subsequent to the arrest of Clive Goodman

and Glenn Mulcaire, to get to the facts?

We worked with the police on further investigation,

and eventually, we appointed, 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...

You were obviously concerned about it.

I spoke to Mr, um...

uh, Hinton, who told me about it.

Okay.

Um, in 2008, another two years,

why did you not dismiss News of the World chief reporter,

Neville Thurlbeck, 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 Marunchak?

Mr...?

Alex Marunchak.

He worked for the company for 25 years.

I don't remember meeting him. I might have shaken hands

walking through the office, but I don't have any memory.

Mr Murdoch Sr, 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 editor of the News of the World,

Um, very seldom.

Sometimes I'd ring the editor at the News of the World

on a Saturday night and say, "Have you got any news tonight"?

But it was just to keep in touch.

Well, I'm intrigued as to how these 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.

Well, I mean, surely in your weekly conversation with the editor

of the News of the 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?

Well, he might say we've got a great story exposing X or Y,

or he would say more likely, 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 payoff?

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.

Fuck it.

The defence told the court

the father of one from Windsor, had wanted to show

his revulsion over the scandal

at News International He'd admitted assault...

- If I get my hands on that fool... - He's in custody.

He thinks what, that his amateur dramatics

are more useful than what we were doing in that room.

- Good questions were asked. - Yeah, but they weren't answered.

- And that obfuscation is important. - It was.

Oh, God, that awful senile act

Murdoch was putting on, that needed writing about.

But now, every paper will carry one thing and one thing only.

Wendi Murdoch fighting for her man.

- You're worrying too much, Nick. - You don't understand news cycles.

- Yeah, well there's still Leveson. - Yeah. Nothing else but Leveson.

There is no air but Leveson. If Leveson doesn't produce-

Then what? Hide under a tea towel for the rest of your life?

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

is happening because 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. Twice.

What's the latest with the Select Committee?

We're gonna 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?

They're citing the Official Secrets Act.

- Yep? - 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 won't go until they talk to you.

- No. 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 enter your flat.

If the notebooks aren't in your flat, they could visit your mother.

Tell them I'm not going to give up my source 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 will get leaked, right? - I expect so.

But you might need to stay somewhere else tonight,

- a friend's or... - Is this what 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 Leveson.

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

The group Hacked Off. I don't know if you've...

- Yeah, yeah. - They saw the Channel 4 interview

and they've been pretty insistent that I say something,

not that they're making me. Um...

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.

Well, 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 worse than 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 gonna use that against you if you give evi...

No, no, listen, listen, Jacqui.

I just want this out there, same as you do, okay?

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're coming to my house, not a short distance, on a Saturday.

So... whatever this is can't be good.

I mean, I have to assume... it 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 probably was the phone company.

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

The network she used automatically deleted messages after 72 hours.

That's how we presume they were wiped.

We're using words like "presumed, probable, likely".

And we believe those deletions happened prior to Glenn Mulcaire

being instructed to get inside her phone.

Before Mulcaire?

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

Without you, Weeting 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 Milly'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.

Will they sue?

- 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 then, we issue a retraction and an apology.

- Fuck. We may not have. - We made a mistake.

We made a mistake, Nick, but there we are.

10 lashes for you, 10 lashes for me.

Sue Akers 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.

- God. - What was that Carl Bernstein quote?

All great reporting is the same thing.

The 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 apologise.

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 Rusbridger had sexed up his investigation into phone hacking.

- Fuck you. - Rod Liddle in The Sunday Times

said baldly that The Guardian had made it up.

Shame on 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 untrue.

I had damaged myself, and I had exposed The Guardian.

So how are you enjoying it?

- Yeah, it's quite a thing. - To be outside your house?

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

- So why are you so calm? - I'm an optimist, slash, pessimist.

I presume I'm capable of great things.

And yet assume the worst is about to happen.

- You always thought you'd be exposed. - My mother said I would be.

Maybe I should be an optimist, slash, pessimist.

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

You're really going to New York?

The police haven't charged me. I'm free to go.

But you could just stay here, yesterday's 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.

- Yep. - 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 is a notoriously kind interviewer.

- You're going on Newsnight? - Yeah.

Against whoever News International think will do me most damage.

But steel underpants filled with stale toast.

It'll 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 protege.

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

I worked Jingle across multiple cases for years.

I mean, it was your story,

and Milly would've never happened without you.

But it wouldn't have happened without me either.

- You didn't say anything. - Don't let them whitewash the others.

- You don't need to say any of this. - I actually do.

You have my word.

Okay.

Email me when you get there.

If Paxman hasn't killed you first.

Then email 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 fact, that they'd been erased by the News of the World,

which triggered the shutdown of what was once

the biggest-selling paper in the English speaking world.

Nick Davies, let's cut to the chase.

What you claimed to be a fact wasn't a fact, was it?

The story we published in July

was squarely based on the evidence available,

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.

The News of the World hacked Milly's phone during police hunt.

- Exactly. - Then the paper deleted

missing schoolgirl's voicemails, giving family false hope.

- Yeah. - And you say in the copy,

the messages were deleted by journalists

in the first few days after Milly's disappearance.

Everybody who was involved in that story accepted it was true.

It's a very interesting thing that that when that story...

- No, no, no. No. No, no. - ...when that story was done...

You're not allowing me to answer?

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 you believed it to be true. - ...and continued to accept

- until four months later... - Right...

...new evidence which was not available to everybody's surprise...

- You did not report it like that. - Showed that

one element of that story

is now in doubt, it has not been proved to be untrue.

So you accept it wasn't true. Jules Stenson was a features editor.

- What do you say? - The key point to this as well,

is that this wasn't any old story.

This was The Guardian's most important story.

It was vital that every single element of it should be right.

And Nick Davies repeated that allegation 34 times.

Let's get things in proportion here.

Your newspaper had hacked a murdered girl's telephone.

What we did was indefensible, not just to Milly,

but to all the victims of hacking, I'm not here to justify that.

What I am here to do, though, is to attack the shoddy journalism

of The Guardian and the shoddy journalism of Nick.

This is a classic example of the way tabloid newspapers work.

You're in a heap of trouble, because for years,

you personally have taken Murdoch's money,

and ruined people's lives, invaded privacy and engaged in crime.

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's all over the records

of Steve Whittamore, private investigator

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

Information about Jamie Theakston,

about Anne Robinson, about an affair...

- There are public interest factors... - You know what, Jules?

Just stop, follow Murdoch's example, and be humble. Or else just go quiet.

- People don't believe you anymore. - Right.

We're done being bullied by the likes of you. We've had enough.

Two years after this, Jules Stenson pled guilty

to conspiracy to hack phones, but...

Well, I wish I knew that at this moment,

♪ Do I want you ♪

♪ Oh, my, do I ♪

♪ Without you ♪

♪ Do I need you ♪

♪ Oh, why... ♪

♪ Honey, indeed I do. ♪

Detective Chief Superintendent Dave Cook.

- Hello. - Hi, Jacqui. It's Dave.

David, what's this number?

Listen, Jacqui, I...

I... I need you to pick up the kids.

Where are you calling from?

It's, erm...

It's actually a police station number, Jacqui.

- I'm being arrested. - What?

On what charge?

Misconduct, data protection.

I...

- They raided the house. - Well, did they find anything?

Some old files.

What files? What... Why did you have files at home?

I don't...

What the fuck are they doing?

I don't know, Jacqui. I don't know.

What do we do? How can we help him?

I'm not sure we're gonna help until

- we know what they have. - But we have to do something.

Nick, we both know he was passing information to us,

and they've arrested Amelia's source.

Sit tight. We'll find an answer.

Okay. Bye.

I don't know who you think you have here.

- How about a cup of tea, sir? - No. I would like to leave.

I'm supposed to be giving evidence tomorrow.

I'm a participant in Leveson.

But then, I suppose you already know that.

This conversation is being recorded, sir.

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.

This is an operation looking into the corrupt relations between

police and the press.

News International sent us an email...

News International sent you an email?

- Have you any idea... - Do you deny having 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 the newspaper, I have done nothing

that a million police officers before me haven't done.

It is standard police practice.

So you did nothing wrong.

Nothing.

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

Shame on you.

They're trying to get us all. 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, erm, 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...

- It's all your fault. - Yeah.

Do you remember when we first met?

I felt like a child who forgot his pencil.

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

- But 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".

And thankfully, they weren't.

And thankfully, as it turns out,

I had something to offer you...

because 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 gonna get away with it.

Murdoch. I think he's gonna 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, but sometimes...

Yes, but sometimes the damage they caused, sometimes...

We'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...

hope we prove to be a valiant opponent.

And personally speaking,

I am so proud to have been a part

of this great, valiant act.

Whatever happens...

Know that.

Okay. You're okay.

Don't worry, you're before me. I'm just...

insanely, horrifically early.

- It's Jacqui, isn't it? - Yes.

I read your statement. Strong stuff.

Harrowing, punchy. Nick, by the way.

I know, and thank you, coming from you. That's some...

Thank you.

May I? Mm, 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 key.

We wouldn't be here without his help.

Sorry, I need to let you 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, and I have done for years of panic attacks.

Every time I sat down to write this statement, I'd...

But this morning, I woke up and I felt clear,

clearer than I have done in years.

- That's good. - Yes. Just remember,

in the storm of all of this,

in all the mea culpa of...

News of the World,

they decided that in the middle of this inquiry,

to launch The Sun on Sunday.

You're right. They're bold.

Hmm.

Hmm...

That thing you were doing with the ball, I don't mind.

- It helps to calm you. - Oh, come on. Drive you insane.

I've been tested by bigger things. Please.

Do what you need to do.

Oh. 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, these two cases alive, we don't know how they'll turn out,

may well be that the 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

to the allegation of collusion between

News International and the Met,

and the ultimate effect here may be to prevent

unauthorised contact between journalists and police.

When, as a matter of fact, without this unauthorised contact,

the Metropolitan Police would've been allowed to carry on misleading

press, public and Parliament about this whole scandal.

I'm also scared that this inquiry

might misstep in a different direction.

Might soften itself, as it's attacked from outside sources.

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

I first attempted to reveal the practice of hacking.

And I represent here today...

a team of people, all of whom have been under similar attacks.

I've had to face 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 somewhere doesn't want you to know.

The most difficult, skilful, interesting, important...

stuff that reporters do is about finding human sources

and motivating them to help reveal that news.

And I can tell you of 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.

I'd say, look, if I talk to you and they realise 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 realise 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 from it.

Our papers became dish rags of distorted content.

A set of rogue journalists, working for a rogue corporation...

undermine 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.

Sub extracted from file & improved by Se7enOfNin9 for addic7ed.com