At the time of the Inquiry, Battle was Head of Compliance at Independent Television News (ITN), having worked as a lawyer in broadcasting since 2001. He previously worked at the Daily Mail, Mail on Sunday and Today newspapers.
Born 1957. Journalist and author and former press secretary to Tony Blair as Leader of the Opposition (1994-97) and as Prime minister (1997-2000). From 2000-2003, he was director of communications for the Labour Party (2000-03). Before 1994, he had been political editor of Today newspaper and the Daily Mirror. Campbell gave detailed testimony on the political media and what he saw as the decline of genuine investigative journalism and the increasing tendency of owners, editors and senior journalists to wish to be political players. Embellishment and pure invention were tolerated and encouraged by some editors and owners, he said.
Editor of MailOnline, the website of the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday, at the time of the Inquiry. Previously Editor-in-Chief of the Daily Record and Sunday Mail, Clarke had also held editorial positions at the Daily Mirror, Scottish Daily Mail, The Scotsman and the Irish Mail on Sunday. Giving evidence to the Inquiry, he defended some web stories that had been criticised by detailing sources and defended other claims, such as that "racism is hard-wired in the human brain", by reference to original sources. Clarke told the Inquiry that "news speaks for itself".
Actor, comedian, victim of phone hacking by the News of the World and a leading figure in legal actions against the newspaper. He told the Leveson Inquiry that "lurid" details of his private life appeared in the News of the World after he was set up by that paper's former editor. Coogan gave extensive evidence of intrusive stalking and photographing by the Daily Mirror and Sunday Times. He said he had witnessed journalists rummaging through his rubbish bins. He had also been the victim of several kiss-and-tell stories and detailed how the women in question had been fooled and sometimes bribed into giving stories. At the heart of the problem, he thought, was the lack of accountability on the part of the editors and owners.
Journalist and editor of the Daily Mail at time of giving evidence. Was also editor-in-chief of DMG Media, which publishes the Daily Mail, the Mail on Sunday, Metro, the Mailonline website and other titles. Dacre was a member of the Press Complaints Commission (PCC) from 1999 to 2008, leaving to chair the PCC's Editors' Code of Practice Committee. After giving evidence to the Leveson Inquiry about his views on regulation, he was later recalled to answer accusations made against the Mail by actor Hugh Grant.
A journalist and broadcaster, Diamond was, at the time of the Inquiry, a regular columnist at the Daily Mail and co-host of Good Morning Britain. Diamond gave evidence of invasive scrutiny by the press of her private life, including stories which were the subject of libel actions against national newspapers – in particular, The Sun. Diamond gave evidence of being hounded by paparazzi and invasive reporting of private grief when she suffered the bereavement of a child.
British journalist. Staff news reporter for the Daily Mail since 2010, having previously worked for the Camden New Journal, The Sun and the Daily Express. Answered questions from Leveson on six stories that Fagge had written for the Daily Express concerning the search for Madeleine McCann. He had done four "shifts" of two weeks each in Portugal, he said. He described his work and interviewing and also the process of subsequent editing. "The Madeleine story was on the front page of the Daily Express more than any other newspaper, because [the editor] decided it would sell newspapers. It became an obsession of his," said Fagge.
Editor of The Daily Telegraph at the time of the Inquiry. He joined the Daily Mail as a reporter in 1990, rising to Assistant Editor in 2006, before moving to The Daily Telegraph as Head of News in the same year. Testified that having met with then Prime Minister David Cameron three times in 2011, and with then Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne and Leader of the Opposition Ed Miliband on a similar number of occasions, that did not give him "influence" over politicians. Told the Inquiry that the Press Complaints Commission was not fit for purpose without an "investigative arm". He was appointed editor-in-chief of The Sun in September 2015.
Writer and journalist over 25 years for papers including the Daily Mail and Evening Standard. Hanning was deputy editor of The Independent on Sunday at the time of the Inquiry. An Old Etonian, he also co-wrote "Cameron", a biography of David Cameron, with Francis Elliott. Offered evidence at the Inquiry about Andy Coulson's appointment by Cameron and on what he knew about phone hacking at the News of the World.
English media executive and former newspaper editor. Editor of The Sun from 1981 to 1994, by then established as the British newspaper with the largest circulation in the UK. Answered questions on The Sun's use of private investigators ("never used them") and on paying public officials for information. He was in favour of public officials whistle-blowing to The Sun, he said, even if The Sun had to pay money.
A consultant cardiologist from Leicestershire whose daughter Madeleine, aged three, disappeared during a family holiday in Portugal in May 2007. Dr McCann, his wife Kate and their holiday companions were the subject of multiple libels in national newspapers, for some of which they sued and received damages.
A Leicestershire doctor whose daughter Madeleine, aged three, disappeared during a family holiday in Portugal in May 2007. Dr McCann, her husband Gerry and their holiday companions were the subject of multiple libels in national newspapers, for some of which they sued and received damages.
Born 1960. British author, journalist and broadcaster. He is the associate editor of The Spectator and former chief political commentator of The Daily Telegraph, from which he resigned in early 2015. He writes a political column for the Daily Mail and Middle East Eye and won the Press Awards Columnist of the Year in 2012 and again in 2016.
British viscount and inheritor of the media empire founded by his great-grandfather Harold Sidney Harmsworth. Chairman of DMG Media, owner of the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday. Evidence submitted included lists of high-ranking politicians and business people who had been dinner guests and his communications with the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, Jeremy Hunt, welcoming his views on local television and looking forward to discussions on the BBC. Lord Rothermere also told the Inquiry that at a meeting at Chequers he had felt it would have been "rude" to discuss Rupert Murdoch's bid for BskyB, extensively debated at that time, with the Prime Minister.
Had worked as picture editor at the Daily Mail for 23 years at time of giving evidence. Told the Inquiry how the PCC Code applied to photographs. There was at all times an up-to-date version of the Code on the picture desk, he said, and members of the desk attended seminars on its guidelines. He could not think of a PCC ruling against the picture desk but all complaints were investigated with a view to resolving, he said.
A former journalist, Stearns was Head of Media at the Metropolitan Police at the time of the Inquiry. His evidence was volunteered rather than formally sought and he attempted to put in context the work of the press office which dealt with 200-300 journalistic calls a day from the media. Following major incidents, this number could rise to 1,000 or more calls, all requiring individual responses, he told the Inquiry.
Chief reporter at the Sunday Times, having worked for the newspaper since January 1998. Prior to this, Ungoed-Thomas worked as a general news reporter on the Daily Mirror and the Daily Mail. Described his relationship with the Metropolitan Police on stories such as the 7 July 2005 bombings and a child-trafficking story. His contact involved no hospitality beyond a coffee. He noted increasing trend to channel information through press offices rather than by direct contact.
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.
New Zealand journalist and broadcaster, best known as a showbiz reporter for the News of the World, Daily Mail and Sun newspapers and as a contributor to ITV Breakfast shows. Wooton was twice named “Showbiz Reporter of the Year” at the British Press Awards. He told the Inquiry that the actions of some News of the World reporters had tarnished the reputation of those who reported from valid sources.
Editor of the Mail on Sunday at the time of the Inquiry. Wright joined the Daily Mail in 1979, working on various desks before becoming Deputy Editor and then Editor of the Mail on Sunday in 1995. He told the Inquiry that there was strict demarcation between the editorial and commercial functions of the Mail on Sunday and that he felt no commercial pressure. He also said that he would ask a reporter for the source of any story likely to be contentious and that he learnt during the Operation Motorman inquiry that MoS staff were using "inquiry agents", a practice that was subsequently banned.
