Abell was deputy director of the Press Complaints Commission at the time of giving evidence, having previously acted as one of two assistant directors at the Commission. Abell provided extensive information on the background of the PCC, its guidelines regarding conduct, and desirable ways of balancing the interests of editors and the public. He also argued in favour of pre-publication consultation. If a person knew something was to be written about them, the PCC could represent the person to the paper "and give advice to the editor, while letting the editor retain the decision about publication. But the effect is very often that stories are either not published, or that the inaccurate and untruthful parts of stories are not published." Now a radio presenter and editor of the Times Literary Supplement, Abell was also Managing Editor of The Sun from 2013 to 2016.
Worked as a legal advisor to News International in his role as a partner at Harbottle & Lewis. Was questioned on his involvement in, or knowledge of, the surveillance of two prominent lawyers, Mark Lewis and Charlotte Harris. Later fined £20,000 after a tribunal found that he failed to read an email containing evidence of widespread phone hacking at the News of the World. He said he was asleep when it was sent.
Adwent was a senior crime reporter for the East Anglican Daily Times and Evening Star Ipswich at the time of the Inquiry. He gave evidence regarding the relationship between Suffolk Police and the media.
At the time of the Inquiry, Ashford was Editorial Director of Northern & Shell, then the parent company of the Daily and Sunday Express, OK! magazine and a variety of other periodicals. He was requested to explain the circumstances of that company's withdrawal from the PCC. He said that "hurtful" attacks from other PCC members made N&S reluctant to participate, fearing that the PCC would not have the group's best interests at heart. Ashford also gave evidence regarding the Daily Express's close following of the Madeleine McCann story and comments made by Sir Christopher Meyer, then Chairman of PCC, about Peter Hill, editor at that time.
British journalist and documentary film-maker. In 2009, Atkins wrote and directed a film, Starsuckers, about press treatment of celebrities and the selling of false information to press outlets. Gave evidence to the Inquiry of the off-the-record accounts he had been given about the working practices of tabloid journalists.
At the time of giving evidence in 2011, Bailey was Chief Executive of Trinity Mirror publishers, a post to which she was appointed in 2003. Following allegations of hacking, Bailey launched an investigation into the ethics and procedures in place within Mirror Group's publications, she told the Inquiry. In 2012, following substantial drops in circulation and profits, she was asked by Trinity Mirror to resign. During her time at the Mirror, she told the Inquiry in 2011, authorisation of payments, expenses and the costs of pursuing stories were delegated to editors of the Mirror titles. The use of private investigators was banned after the convictions of Clive Goodman and Glenn Mulcaire. She was asked what she would know of stories pre-publication, replying that she would have been told, for example, of a famous model's alleged use of cocaine, or a politician's affair, "so that they would not come as a surprise" to her the next day.
Editor of the Financial Times at the time of the Inquiry. Testified regarding ethics and procedures in place within his publication. Gave his personal view that the PCC code "needs to be enforced before it is substantially amended... In the case of phone hacking it clearly was not enforced."
Chairman of Telegraph Media Group, a subsidiary of Press Holdings and responsible for The Daily Telegraph and The Sunday Telegraph. He told the Inquiry he believed in “self-regulation”.
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.
Belcher made a statement at the Inquiry on behalf of Trans Media Watch, a charity dedicated to improving the media coverage of trans or intersex issues. Belcher was a founder of the organisation and is a long-term campaigner for British transgender rights.
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.
Head of Media and Marketing for British Transport Police from 2006, Bird was asked to testify on the relationship between the Transport Police and the media and on practices concerning CCTV footage.
British journalist and former editor of The Independent newspaper. After studying law, Blackhurst also worked for The Sunday Times, Daily Express and Evening Standard. Gave detailed responses to the proposals of Lord Black on behalf of The Independent group.
Television journalist and Political Editor of Sky News at the time of the Inquiry. Boulton gave evidence of his experience of the interaction of politicians and the media. He suggested that healthy relations between political journalists and politicians broke down during Tony Blair’s years in office and spoke of his concern at attempts by politicians to manipulate news agendas.
In-house lawyer at Times Newspapers Ltd (TNL), publisher of The Times and The Sunday Times, for 33 years (1977-2010), becoming head of The Times’ Legal Department. He was questioned at the Inquiry on his knowledge of Nightjack, an anonymous police blogger whose identity The Times had revealed. It later emerged that the identity was discovered via phone hacking and a Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal later ruled that Alastair Brett knowingly allowed the high court to be misled over the hacking of Nightjack's email account.
Journalist and former newspaper editor. CEO of News International from 2009 to 2011, having previously been the youngest editor of a British national newspaper (at the News of the World from 2000 to 2003) and the first female editor of The Sun (from 2003 to 2009). Brooks was a prominent figure in the News International phone-hacking scandal, having been editor of the News of the World when illegal phone-hacking was carried out. Following a criminal trial in 2014, she was cleared of all charges by a jury at the Old Bailey, which accepted her defence that she had no knowledge of the illegal acts carried out at the newspaper she edited.
Burden has been a successful writer and entrepreneur for 20 years. His most recent book “News of the world? Fake Sheikhs & Royal Trappings” stirred up controversy by exposing the methods of those who make a living exposing others. He is a frequent commentator on matters concerning the right to privacy and blogs regularly on the subject.
British journalist and editor. Founding Editor-in-Chief of The Huffington Post UK before switching to the world of trend forecasting and business insights at WGSN. Buzasi has been listed as one of Management Today’s “35 Under 35”. Told Inquiry that she did not think further statutory regulation would resolve the kind of issues “giving rise to this Inquiry”.
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.
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.
