Eight people, including two former editors of the News of the World, Rebekah Brooks and Andy Coulson, also the former communications chief and advisor to Prime Minister David Cameron, have been charged in relation to phone hacking charges.
The suspects have been charged for hacking the phone of the murdered schoolgirl, Milly Dowler, as well as other victims. It was Dowler’s case and the alleged attempts by newspapers to access her voicemails which first brought the phone hacking saga into the public arena, and the universal outrage the allegations sparked have dominated the headlines over the past year, resulting in major changes at News International and the closure of the News of the World in July last year.
A representative of the Crown Prosecution Service explained that out of thirteen files which were prepared as part of the investigations, eight represented a “realistic prospect of conviction.”
The charges relate to some 600 alleged victims between 2000 and 2006, including various celebrities, politicians and others in the public eye.
The revelations about phone hacking led to the establishment of the Leveson inquiry into press ethics, which has involved an unbelievable string of witnesses called to speak and explain how newspapers had affected their lives in a variety of ways. From celebrities complaining about prying paparazzi, to families who have lost loved ones as a result of certain reports, the inquiry covered a wide spectrum of complaints.
While the thoroughness of investigations into the phone hacking scandal and the convictions should be commended, it is important that people refrain from getting carried away when considering the media in general.
Other journalists feel threatened by the ongoing condemnation of their profession, and many have been tarred with a brush and held responsible for a situation that they played no role in creating.
While a culture of accountability and transparency is certainly worth pursing, the media need to retain the power to ensure that both of these values are maintained in government and society as a whole.
However, the charges levelled at the former editors, journalists and private investigators serve as a reminder that the media must abide by the law and not act outside it – no matter the story. The guardians of checks and balances must themselves be subject to checks and balances on their conduct.
While Brooks and Coulson have both maintained their innocence, yesterday’s decision is likely to have a huge impact not only on their lives, but also on the reputation of Prime Minister Cameron. Not only has Cameron’s closeness to Brooks been widely discussed throughout this affair (LOL) and the Leveson inquiry, his choice to employ Coulson as his spokesman and advisor has also sparked many questions.
Unfortunately for him, those questions are not going to disappear, and the ensuing protracted legal proceedings will surely mean that the PM is not LOL’ing for quite some time.