Tom Watson - Dial M for Murdoch: News Corporation and the Corruption of Britain

ALLEN LANE
an imprint of
PENGUIN BOOKS

For
Saoirse and Malachy
and
Rachel, Kate and Finlay

. Rupert Murdoch in London in 1969, the year he took over the News of the World Syndey OMeara / Getty Images

. Rupert Murdoch in London in 2011, the day after his appearance before the Commons Cultural Committee Press Association Images

. Piers Morgan, Rebekah Brooks and Andy Coulson, at a party hosted by Elisabeth Murdoch and Matthew Freud in 2004 Dave M Bennett / Getty Images

. Rebekah Brooks and Tony Blair at the Newspaper Press Fund reception in 2004 Fiona Hanson / Press Association Images

. James Murdoch, David Cameron and George Osborne at a summit on social responsibility in 2007 Stephen Lock / Rex Features

. Tommy and Gail Sheridan celebrate their libel victory over the News of the World in 2006 Jeff J Mitchell / Getty Images

. Glenn Mulcaire, the private investigator convicted of hacking phones for News International Bloomberg / Getty Images

. Clive Goodman, the News of the Worlds royal editor, jailed in 2007 Chris Jackson / Getty Images

. Les Hinton, Rupert Murdochs loyal man for five decades Bloomberg / Getty Images

. Max Mosley, Formula I motor-racing chief, who triumphed over the News of the World in 2008 Michael Cooper / Getty Images

. Gordon Taylor, chief executive of the PFA and the first phone-hacking victim to mount a legal challenge to News International (pictured with the footballer Cristiano Ronaldo) John Peters / Man Utd / Getty Images

. Charlotte Harris, one of the first lawyers to take on the News of the World Nick Harvey / WireImage / Getty Images

. Nick Davies, the Guardian journalist who unpicked News Corps defence Guardian News & Media Ltd 2011

. Neville Thurlbeck, the News of the Worlds chief reporter Yui Mok / Press Association Images

. John Yates, Assistant Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, who declared his faith in Operation Caryatid Dan Kitwood / Getty Images

. Neil Wolfman Wallis, deputy editor of the News of the World, later hired by Scotland Yard (with friends) Dennis Stone / Rex Features

. David Cameron and Andy Coulson: Coulson helped the Conservative Leader acquire the tabloid touch Tom Stoddart Archive / Getty Images

. Cameron and Murdoch in bed: in 2010, the Conservatives backed News Corps takeover bid for BSkyB Sang Tan / AP / Press Association Images

. The Golden Lion, the site of Daniel Morgans murder in 1987 Rex Features

. Jonathan Rees, the private detective re-employed by Coulsons News of the World, after he was jailed for conspiracy to pervert the course of justice Rex Features

. Daniel Morgan, Reess murdered business partner Press Association Images

. The worlds greatest newspaper 18432011 Colin Myler and News of the World staff outside the office as the paper closes down Yui Mok / Press Association Images

. Sir Paul Stephenson resigned as Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police in July 2011 Leon Neal / AFP / Getty Images

. Rebekah Brooks and Rupert Murdoch after the closure of the News of the World and shortly before she resigned Ian Nicholson / Press Association Images

. Detectives raid Andy Coulsons home in July 2011, on suspicion of phone hacking and corruption Paul Hackett / Reuters

. I Regret Hiring Coulson Ray Tang / Rex Features

. Protesters outside the Houses of Parliament in July 2011 Paula Bronstein / Getty Images

. James and Rupert Murdoch appear before MPs and the world watches Press Association Images

. Steve Coogan, Hugh Grant and Max Mosley at Parliaments joint committee on privacy in December 2011 Press Association Images

. J. K. Rowling felt as though she was being blackmailed by the Sun over a leak of the fifth Harry Potter book David Miller / Empics / Press Association Images

. Charlotte Church, harassed by News International papers from an early age NBC via Getty Images

. Sienna Miller began a High Court case against News International in 2010 Reuters

. Bob and Sally Dowler, Milly Dowlers parents, arrive at the Leveson Inquiry with Mark Lewis Rex Features

Cartographer: Michael Hill / Maps Illustrated

1. Rebekah and Charlie Brooks Alan Crowhurst / Getty Images

2. The Brooks Residence Rui Vieira / Press Association Images

3. Hackers Lane INS News Agency

4. Burford Priory Prixnews / Alamy

5. Elisabeth Murdoch and Matthew Freud Dave M Bennett / Getty Images

6. David Camerons constituency home INS News Agency Cartoon Howard McWilliam / The Daily Telegraph

Really what Rupert Murdoch managed to do was break the civil compact of this country through achieving a degree of control over the essential institutions of a free society: the press, the police and the politicians.

Ive been one who has never accepted any of this gate stuff and all the parallels that are usually made by the Murdoch press to some sex scandal but this is for real. And the parallels are remarkable.

Carl Bernstein, asked how the hacking scandal compares to Watergate, 29 September 2011

Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men.

Lord Acton, 1887

Rupert Murdoch, chairman and chief executive

James Murdoch, chief executive, News Corp Asia and Europe; Chairman, BSkyB

Les Hinton, chief executive, News International

News of the World :

Rebekah Brooks (nee Wade), editor

(Later editor of the Sun and chief executive, News International)

Andy Coulson, editor

(Later, communications director, Conservative Party)

Colin Myler, editor

Tom Crone, legal director

Neville Thurlbeck, chief reporter

Clive Goodman, royal editor

Sir Paul Stephenson, Commissioner

Andy Hayman, Assistant Commissioner

John Yates, Assistant Commissioner

Sue Akers, Deputy Assistant Commissioner

Steve Whittamore

Glenn Mulcaire

Jonathan Rees

LAWYERS

Mark Lewis

Charlotte Harris

Mark Thomson

John Prescott

Tom Watson

Chris Bryant

Gordon Taylor

Max Clifford

Sienna Miller

Steve Coogan

Hugh Grant

Max Mosley

Charlotte Church

Guardian :

Nick Davies

Amelia Hill

New York Times :

Don van Natta Jr

Jo Becker

Graham Bowley

BBC :

Glenn Campbell

Independent :

Martin Hickman

Cahal Milmo

This book tries to explain how a particular global media company works: how it came to exert a poisonous, secretive influence on public life in Britain, how it used its huge power to bully, intimidate and to cover up, and how its exposure has changed the way we look at our politicians, our police service and our press. Some political friends have tried to portray the hacking and bribery which has exposed the workings of News Corporation as part of the price you pay for good tabloid journalism. Theyre wrong. Of course, tabloids sometimes get out of hand, but this is not (at least, not much) a story of harmless mischief, of reporters in false moustaches and rollicking exposs of hypocrites. It is not just the famous and wealthy who have been damaged, but ordinary decent people who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.