Murdoch tabloid admits celebrity phone hacking

[creampie]

Rupert Murdoch's powerful British news operation has admitted responsibility in a phone hacking scandal involving members of the royal family and celebrities like actress Sienna Miller that has also cost the British prime minister's spokesman his job.

News International, parent company of Britain's top-selling News of the World tabloid, had always vigorously denied it knew journalists were hacking the phones of the royals, politicians, celebrities and sports stars, and blamed a handful of "rogue reporters" for the scandal.

But on Friday it admitted liability for hacking the phones of eight people - including Miller and UK politician Tessa Jowell - and agreed to pay compensation.

The scandal dates back to 2005/6, when the News of the World's royal reporter and a private detective were arrested and later jailed for snooping on the voicemail messages of royal aides.

"Following an extensive internal investigation and disclosures through civil legal cases, News International has decided to approach some civil litigants with an unreserved apology and an admission of liability in cases meeting specific criteria," News International said in a statement.

"We have also asked our lawyers to establish a compensation scheme with a view to dealing with justifiable claims fairly and efficiently ... We will, however, continue to contest cases that we believe are without merit or where we are not responsible."

Earlier this week, two reporters were arrested as part of the long-running investigation into the scandal. The men, including former senior News of the World editor Ian Edmondson, were held on suspicion of conspiring to intercept communications and unlawful interception of voicemail messages.

Mr Edmondson was fired after an internal inquiry into his conduct. The other man was identified as Neville Thurlbeck, the paper's chief reporter.

Police launched a new inquiry last January after being severely criticised by some politicians and celebrities who suspected they too had had their voicemail intercepted.

Critics argued an original police probe had not gone far enough.

The scandal cost the News of the World's former editor Andy Coulson his later job as head of communications for prime minister David Cameron in January, although Mr Coulson always insisted he knew nothing of the phone hacking.

Mr Murdoch's News Corp, which also owns The Sun and The Times newspapers, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Post and the Fox television channel in the United States, was given the green light by the government to take full control of British satellite pay-TV group BSkyB last month.



http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011 ... 186758.htm