Professor of Journalism at City University London at the time of the Inquiry and a media commentator since 1992, mostly for The Guardian. Offered insights into the flaws of the Press Complaints Commission and the need to avoid making the same mistakes. PCC inadequacies were exposed particularly by the Milly Dowler phone hacking, he said. He stressed that he was not attributing blame but that the PCC chairmen and directors could not be other than aware of the vulnerability of the members of the Commission when they were attempting to hold their paymasters to account: the body had the task of regulating the people upon whom it depended for its existence.
British journalist and television personality. Morgan began his journalism career in Fleet Street as a writer and editor for several tabloid papers, including The Sun, the News of the World and the Daily Mirror. In 1994, he was appointed editor of the News of the World by Rupert Murdoch. He later edited the Daily Mirror, and was in charge during the period that the paper was implicated in the phone-hacking scandal. He told the Inquiry that he took ethics very seriously and was then questioned on the ethics of paying for and publishing details of the discarded bank statements of Elton John.
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.
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.
Author, newspaper columnist and editor. Jenkins was editor of the Evening Standard from 1976 to 1978 and of The Times from 1990 to 1992. At the time of giving evidence, he was writing columns for both The Guardian and Evening Standard. He lauded the end of sycophancy in today's journalism and said he saw no need for new institutions to regulate the profession. He said that he saw the closing of a paper and imprisoning of journalists a good demonstration of the effectiveness of self-regulation.
Editor and Writer. At the time of the Inquiry, Linklater was Editor of the Scottish edition of The Times. Gave statement to the Inquiry after an earlier witness suggested he had written an article under pressure from an editor or owner. He confirmed his authorship and made clear the work was his alone. He has been a regular contributor to The Times and is the author of several books including a biography of Jeremy Thorpe.
Editor of the Sunday Express at time of giving evidence. Described corporate governance and editorial procedures. Had previously worked as showbusiness editor of the Mail on Sunday's You magazine and as editor of OK!. He stated that he had never been involved in, or knew of, any "computer hacking" in the organisation.
Political blog founded 2004 by Paul Staines and described by The Daily Telegraph as "one of Britain's leading political blogsites" in 2007. In November 2011, Guido Fawkes posted the as-yet-undelivered evidence to the Leveson Inquiry of Alastair Campbell. The Inquiry asked him to appear and explain. The order to appear was dropped but Staines appeared and gave evidence.
