Director and co-owner of Ferrari Press Agency Limited, a freelance news agency based in Kent at time of Inquiry. Ferrari specialised in providing images, news and real-life features to national newspapers. Described the procedures and safeguards in place at the time.
Writer and editor of UK edition of the worldwide celebrity gossip magazine, OK!. Gave evidence along with Hello! and Heat editors. She told the Inquiry that OK! was a celebrity-friendly magazine and that it was therefore in its own interests to treat celebrities with respect.
Author and policy analyst working with the Reuters Institute at the time of the Inquiry. Her 2012 report, Regulating the Press: A Comparative Study of International Press Councils, was commended by Lord Justice Leveson as "a monumental piece of work" and is extensively cited in his Inquiry Report.
Journalist and senior news reporter at the Daily Express at the time of giving evidence. The third journalist sent by the Express to Portugal to cover the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, he remained there for a month, under pressure, he said, to find new stories.
Professor of Digital Economy at Cardiff University, Wales. His career in journalism included assignments at the Financial Times, the directorship of BBC News & Current Affairs, and editorships of The Independent and New Statesman. He was a founding board member of Ofcom. Gave the Inquiry examples of ethical issues such as defamation and contempt that would be included as part of the Journalism diploma/MA at Cardiff.
At the time of the Inquiry, crime reporter and desk editor at The Guardian and Observer. Prior to working with The Guardian, Laville had worked for the Evening Standard and Daily Telegraph, covering major home and foreign news stories. Gave evidence concerning changing relations between Metropolitan Police and the media, from tight controls under Sir Paul Condon to a more informal relationship under Sir John Stevens. However, following the phone-hacking scandal, tensions between the media and the Met had become great, she said. Described practices maintaining contact and the importance of journalism being able to hold police to account.
British broadcaster, journalist and author. Question master of University Challenge and former presenter of Newsnight. He told the Inquiry that he found it easier not to have politicians as personal friends and described a lunch at which Piers Morgan told him how to hack a voicemail.
The presenter of Channel 4 News, Snow strongly criticised the publishers of the Daily Mail for what he saw as an agenda to undermine people in public life, giving personal testimony of a five-page article in the Mail on Sunday about his private life. The paper had admitted it was untrue but devoted only one and a half inches to the apology. Channel 4 News did not seek to influence policy, he said.
Professional news & PR photographer, former Managing Director of NewsPics Ltd and Senior Photographic Officer with the Metropolitan Police Service. Told the Inquiry of his surveillance work over a period of years. He had used covert photographic methods to photograph more than 300 people in a two-year period, including following the McCanns to Canada on holiday. He said that at the time he thought it appropriate.
Editor of the Daily Mirror at the time of giving evidence and until 2012. Described the ethos of the paper and its 110-year history. Told the Inquiry of its post-war support for Labour and of the various campaigns it had supported. Said that he took personal responsibility for the ethics of the paper and that every effort was made to correct errors.
Publishing Director of The Sun, having joined the paper in 1987 as a production journalist working on the news, features and sport desks. He was appointed Publishing Director in June 2007 to oversee the production of the news and feature pages. Prior to this he worked as The Sun's Head of Sport between 2001 and 2007 and as Assistant Features Editor for eight years, between 1993 and 2001.
Technology consultant and award-winning blogger on security issues. Gave evidence on his work writing for "Naked Security" blog for Sophos Ltd, a global computer security firm protecting businesses against spam and hacking.
Group Managing Editor of the Belfast Telegraph at time of Inquiry and until 2014. Journalist and Media Consultant. Connolly's career has covered many aspects of print and digital news-gathering from reporting to senior management. Gave evidence on the ethical standards of the company. Said that private investigators were not used by the Belfast Telegraph or Community Telegraph though small payments had been made by Sunday Life to a private investigating agency.
At the time of the Inquiry, Greener had been the Daily Star's Picture Editor for 9 years, having been at the paper for more than 20. Told the Inquiry that he tried to ensure that all pictures used were taken ethically and honestly. Was asked specifically about pictures of Hugh Grant's baby and said he was content that the pictures had been taken in a public place and not in a context that could be deemed private. Star photographers abided by a strict moral and ethical code, he said.
Media and technology reporter at The Guardian. He was asked by the Leveson Inquiry team to provide a short statement on a story headlined "Virgin Atlantic faces claims that dozens of celebrities' flight details were leaked".
Two blogs (from Tony Newbery and Andrew Montford respectively) established in 2007. Both are sceptical about global warming and argue that the case for a significant anthropogenic impact on climate has not yet been made. Gave evidence to the Inquiry that media coverage of the issues had been highly politicised.
At time of giving evidence, Hatfield was Editor of "i", the newspaper's first editor. Described the origin of "i" as a shorter version of the daily Independent intended for people who wanted a quicker, digested read. As a policy, the paper had little interest in celebrity stories or stories of a private nature, Hatfield said. The news values and legal checks were the same as for The Independent. All "i" journalists were contractually obliged to work to the letter and spirit of the Press Complaints Commission's Editorial Code of Practice (PCC Code), he said.
Crime reporter of the Daily Star Sunday at the time of giving evidence, having previously worked as a journalist in Cheshire and Liverpool. Said that he had little experience of working with the Metropolitan Police but had enjoyed occasional drinks and on one occasion a longer chat. His contacts were more generally formal, via press conferences, he said. He also answered questions on off-the-record briefings.
Director of the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism (RISJ) since 2008 with particular expertise in public-service broadcasting and media regulation both within the UK and in Europe. Before joining the Institute, he was Controller of Public Policy at the BBC and before that worked as a journalist, including for BBC World Service and BBC News and Current Affairs. Submitted evidence based on two Institute studies on rights to privacy and on News International.
The Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism published three reports of relevance to the Leveson Inquiry which can be accessed here:
Journalist and former editor-in-chief of ITN News. Stepped down in 2011 to become special adviser to ITN’s chief executive. Gave evidence to the Inquiry on working practices at ITN: “We would not set out to discover and broadcast stories of the sexual indiscretions of celebrities … unless there was a wider issue of public importance.”
