A whole new scandal that could damage The Sun
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.With these latest arrests Scotland Yard has opened up a whole new flank in its hacking inquiry – with enormous implications for Rupert Murdoch's News International.
Until now the Metropolitan Police's Operation Weeting has focused on alleged offences by the private detective Glenn Mulcaire on behalf of the news desk at what was Britain's biggest Sunday tabloid. The arrests related to a "suspected conspiracy" which is quite "separate" to that previously investigated. The six people held are former members of the paper's features team.
The distinction might appear minor, but the departments were fiercely competitive – meaning the new alleged conspiracy could amount to a fresh scandal with a very different catalogue of victims.
Each time Mr Murdoch and his empire try to contain this sordid affair it seems to break out anew.
News International has fiercely protected The Sun from the stigma of phone hacking. The arrests, which include two current Sun journalists, risk such contamination. The company will be concerned at the alleged involvement of the editor of Fabulous, a magazine rescued from the News of the World and turned into an integral part of the new Sunday paper which Mr Murdoch launched last year.
That process of replacing the NOTW with The Sun on Sunday now appears less of an act of contrition and more one of commercial opportunism by a company that saw the benefits of a single digital brand and an integrated staff, cherry picking journalists and supplements without due assessment of the consequences. News International said this month it would accept no further compensation claims from hacking victims beyond 8 April. The media magnate is desperate that the matter can be written off as an unfortunate episode.
It is bad enough that criminal trials relating to previous allegations are not due to be heard until September. This new investigation may only just be beginning.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments