Essay Writing Process - Investigation of Systems at Now

Commissioner at Scotland Yard, said he regretted the 2009 decision not to relaunch the investigation. This may have been wisdom with hindsight, as the Metropolitan Police had finally re-opened their inquiry in January 2011. Ian Edmondson, an assistant editor, was subsequently sacked because emails relating to hacking were allegedly found in the system at NoW.

Also in July 2011, senior police officers told a Parliamentary committee that News International had tried to subvert the original inquiry into voicemail hackings. At the same time, Paul Stephenson, Metropolitan Police Commissioner, resigned over criticism of his hiring of a former NoW executive, Neil Wallis, as an adviser. The Assistant Commissioner resigned the following day, as he had been responsible for checking the credentials of Wallis before he was employed. Aside from these resignations, apparently because senior 146policemen were seen to be too close to the media, former NoW editors Andy Coulson and Clive Goodman; its current editor Rebekah Brooks; and several other journalists were arrested. Executives at Murdoch’s Sun newspaper, who were closely associated with Rebekah Brooks, were also arrested on suspicion of making unlawful payments to police officers, one of whom was detained on suspicion of corruption. Of even more concern than the close relationship between senior police officers and NoW was the claim that the police had not alerted all victims whose phones were targeted. Furthermore, it was alleged that emails surfaced showing that payments were made to police in return for information, and that these were allegedly sanctioned by Andy Coulson. Stephenson said before resigning that a small number of police officers allegedly received these payments and that, if it was true, they would be charged with crimes.87

The consequences for News International have been severe. Rebekah Brooks resigned, and the NoW newspaper has been closed. Rupert Murdoch apologised for wrongdoing in national British press advertisements, and the paper has made significant compensation payouts to victims of phone hacking (including to celebrities and their families).88 News Corporation had planned to fully take over broadcaster BskyB, but later dropped its bid. Andy Coulson quit his position as an advisor to the British prime minister (Coulson had been editor when Mulcaire and Goodman were convicted). In addition, James Murdoch

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