The Hack (2025) s01e07 Episode Script

1
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