Show Murdoch the money drifting away, and you will get his undivided attention
Raymond Snoddy: Things are moving so fast with one journalistic atrocity following another on a daily basis, each worse in some telling aspect than the one that has gone before, that something urgent now has to be done…
The police, criminal prosecutors and members of Parliament all have an important role in bringing the News of the World phone-hacking scandal to a “satisfactory” conclusion.
But no party holds as much power to effect change as the marketing directors of Ford, NPower, Tesco, Halifax and Sainsbury – the list is growing by the minute – plus anyone else who uses the drawing power of the NoW readership to promote their products.
Rupert Murdoch has demonstrated through a long career an uncanny ability to give politicians what they want and say what they want to hear. Politicians in turn can influence the vigour with which police investigate cases short of actual murder and there has also been a notoriously cosy, and allegedly illegal, relationship between tabloid editors and senior policemen.
There is only one thing capable of bringing tears to Rupert Murdoch’s eyes, and it is not the suffering of those facing tragedy – but money. Show him the money drifting away, and with it the financial stability of the empire Murdoch has created, and you will get his undivided attention.
It is unsurprising that those marketing directors do not want their products associated with people who think it is acceptable to hack into the phone of Milly Dowler, and possibly the Soham victims and the relatives of those who died in the London bombings.
They were also not so keen about sending their sponsorship millions in the direction of sleazy footballers.
Things are moving so fast with one journalistic atrocity following another on a daily basis, each worse in some telling aspect than the one that has gone before, that something urgent now has to be done. This bacillus threatens to spread out from the NoW and infect other News International titles and even the worldwide reputation of News Corporation itself.
It has even gone beyond that and threatens to pollute the reputation of journalism in general – even though it has largely been exposed by journalists, particularly on the New York Times and The Guardian.
As The Times, which has been reporting the crisis in recent days fully and factually, said in a leader today: “Whatever else emerges, this is a watershed moment for British journalism.” Indeed it is and anyone who doubts the public sense of outrage should check the comments made on that leading article by readers.
But what happens next?
It would be very surprising if Rebekah Brooks was chief executive of News International by the end of this week. It is completely irrelevant whether she knew or not what was being done while she was editor of the News of the World.
The NI chief executive has chosen strange language to describe her lack of knowledge or involvement. It is, she says “inconceivable” that she knew. Well no. Lots and lots of people have no difficulty conceiving of such a thing and believe it more probably than not though there might have been a “need to know” protection ring around Brooks and her successor Andy Coulson.
What is really inconceivable is that two editors should have been so ignorant and uncurious about where some of the stories and otherwise improbable quotes were coming from.
If Brooks and Coulson had said that at no time had they any idea that phones were being hacked and that they did not deliberately avert their gaze to avoid knowing potentially troubling things their protestations might be more credible.
Even as chief executive of News International Brooks has not distinguished herself. How long did they chant the mantra – one rogue reporter? Long after it was a credible argument?
Let that pass for a moment, together with the not uninteresting question of who signed off cheques for £100,000 for a private detective and allegedly made illegal payments to police officers for revealing confidential information.
For Murdoch in recent days the issue has gone far beyond knowing or not knowing and a high profile, sacrificial victim is now urgently needed.
Alas for Rebekah Brooks, Coulson no longer works for NI so therefore cannot be fired. She stands right in the firing line and unfortunately no-one else will do.
You can write the press release without too much effort – great achievements over the years, no personal culpability but in the interests of the organisation, to draw a line under, etc, she has with great person generosity of spirit asked to stand down doubtless in return for reciprocal generosity of a more tangible kind.
The thing has gone so far that we can now be assured that the police investigation will be sufficiently vigorous and that prosecutions will follow not just for phone tapping but, if proven, for those responsible for allegedly bribing policemen in return for information.
Where illegal matters are concerned, as opposed to legitimate debates about where the boundaries of privacy and public interest should be set, the police should be equally vigorous about investigating whether other newspapers were involved.
Was this just one “rogue” newspaper – unlikely – and if not which other papers were involved. We could be involved here with an “anything goes” culture throughout the popular press.
When all that is done – and we could be talking at least two years – will there still be a need for a public inquiry?
On balance the answer is “yes.” The purpose would be as much to clear the good name of journalism in the public interest from the impact of the activities of its most underhand and disreputable practitioners.
Welcoming the belated coversion of David Cameron, a judge-led inquiry would be best, but Mr Eady and his super-injunction friends need not apply. Lord Justice Judge would be ideal although he might be precluded by his high office. It should be a judge who understands concepts such as freedom of expression and can appreciate the difference between illegal activity and the rough and ready business of trying to find out as much as possible in the never-ending race against the clock.
The only certainty is that the phone-hacking scandal has not run its course and that further unbelievable revelations can be expected on daily basis.