Australian-born American Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of News Corporation with an estimated net worth of $15.2 billion at the time of giving evidence. Gave a brief history of his organisation from the founding of the Adelaide News to date. Among other matters, was asked about the admission in the diaries of Woodrow Wyatt, a confidant of both Murdoch and Margaret Thatcher, that he "bent... all the rules" to enable acquisition of The Times and Sunday Times without the bid being referred to the Monopolies and Mergers Commission. Murdoch outlined his different understanding of the process. In lengthy evidence over several days, Murdoch admitted that the phone-hacking affair had left a serious blot on his reputation.
Bradby was Political Editor for ITV News at time of giving evidence. He had set the phone-hacking scandal in motion by informing the Royal Family that their phones may have been hacked. He became suspicious when voicemails he left with the Royal Family in 2005 (as ITV's royal correspondent) appeared in the News of the World. He gave evidence to the Inquiry asserting that as Political Editor he was responsible for making sure that what he did was ethical and conformed with the ITN Compliance Manual, the Ofcom Code and the law. He further stated that he did not use private investigators or pay sources.
Irish Secretary of the National Union of Journalists with overall responsibility for the day-to-day running of union activities, organisation and financial affairs in Ireland North and South at the time of giving evidence. He was also a member of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) Executive Council and of the Press Council of Ireland's finance and administrative committee. Offered the Inquiry a brief history of recent legal debates on the press in Ireland including proposals for a draconian privacy bill. Told the Inquiry that the UK obsession with editors was not mirrored in Ireland.
Journalist and radio and television executive, Forgan was editor of The Guardian's women's pages from 1978 to 1982 and a Guardian columnist from 1997 to 1998 before becoming a non-executive director of Guardian Media Group in 1998. She held senior director roles at both Channel 4 and the BBC, and in 2006 was made Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire for services to Radio Broadcasting. At the time of the Inquiry, Forgan was Chair of the Scott Trust, which owns The Guardian, and gave evidence on its structure and aims.
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:
Lawyer specialising in competition law in the UK broadcasting and telecommunications sector. Gave evidence of working for three UK companies who believed themselves negatively impacted by the power of BSkyB. Lord suggested that attempts to have the issues investigated were frustrated by a real or perceived threat that newspapers controlled by News Corporation could harm the individuals or businesses seeking intervention.
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.”
Formed in 2003. The Office of Communications, known as Ofcom, is the UK government-approved regulatory and competition authority for the broadcasting, telecommunications and postal industries of the United Kingdom. At the request of Lord Leveson, Ofcom submitted a lengthy document outlining its views on how the press could be regulated in a way that preserves their independence and the rights of free expression.
Correspondent for BBC2's daily news and current affairs programme Newsnight at time of giving evidence. Wallace specialised in investigations and contributed to other BBC outlets, he said. Gave the Inquiry details of BBC editorial guidelines for ensuring lawful, professional and ethical conduct of BBC journalists. The guidelines also incorporated the Ofcom Code, he said, since Ofcom regulated the BBC. In practice, his stories would be discussed with an editor and where appropriate a Programme Legal Adviser, he said.
