Author, journalist, broadcaster. Gave evidence as Chief Executive of Index on Censorship at the time of the Inquiry. Freedom of expression was as important as press freedom, he said. "Reporting is no longer the exclusive reserve of the mainstream but also of independent bloggers and whistleblowing sites."
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.
Author and lawyer specialising in public and administrative law. Blom-Cooper supplied detailed written evidence on the three Royal Commissions on the press since the Second World War, including histories of such concerns as "cheque-book journalism" and how to deal with irresponsible and inaccurate journalism. He told the Inquiry he favoured a possible Commission on Media Affairs. Sir Louis had himself been a Press Council chairman in 1988 shortly before it was replaced by the Press Complaints Commission. In 1992 he was appointed by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland as the first Independent Commissioner for the Holding Centres. He was also counsel to the Saville Inquiry acting for the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association.
British journalist, novelist and human-rights activist. Former chair of the Writers in Prison committee in the English section of International PEN and former Executive Director of Hacked Off. A Core Participant Victim, Smith gave evidence to the Inquiry of being told by her MP partner Denis MacShane that their phones had been hacked. The police confirmed that details of their conversations and meetings had been acquired by Glenn Mulcaire on behalf of the News of the World. She described the hacking as a sickening invasion of her privacy.
Born 1971. British lawyer and writer. Green is a former legal correspondent for the New Statesman, a columnist on law and policy for the Financial Times and also blogs as Jack of Kent. Has written on legal matters for The Guardian, The Lawyer, New Scientist and other publications. Gave his views to the Inquiry on regulation and self-regulation, and asked the Inquiry not to interpret the phrase “freedom of the press” as referring just to the rights and privileges of the press.
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.
Academic expert in media and communications regulation, submitted evidence to the Inquiry on journalism and self-regulation. Has provided formal and informal policy advice and been frequently called to give evidence to parliamentary committees.
Journalist and former Political Editor of the Mirror Group and Readers’ Editor of the Daily Mirror. At the time of giving evidence was a trustee of Headliners, an organisation which helps disadvantaged young people through journalism. Seymour had also worked at the Daily Mail. He told the Inquiry that the newsroom culture had changed since he started out in journalism in 1964.
London-based journalist, author and media campaigner. Former foreign correspondent with Reuters and Foreign Editor and then Deputy Editor of the Independent on Sunday. Professor of Journalism at Kingston University London at time of giving evidence and specialist adviser to the House of Commons Select Committee on Culture, Media and Sport which produced the report "Press standards, libel and privacy" (2010). Gave evidence to the Leveson Inquiry on teaching journalism ethics and standards. In 2011, co-founded Hacked Off to campaign for a free and accountable press.
Journalist and Director of the English Centre of International PEN at the time of the Inquiry, who presented evidence on PEN's behalf. In the wake of the Leveson hearings, he was a major force behind setting up IMPRESS as an independent press regulator and became its first CEO.
