The case for Leveson 2 is stronger than ever

The settlement by the owners of ‘The Sun’ to avoid their grubby practices being picked through in court calls into question the truthfulness of evidence given under oath by their senior executives, many of whom are still in positions of power today.

The need for a Leveson 2 Inquiry has never been clearer. The print media (and its associated online presence) holds so much power that politicians are undoubtedly intimidated by the consequences of any attempts to rein in their influence.

On a related issue, there is obviously no connection at all between Piers Morgan’s persistent hate campaign against Prince Harry and Meghan Markle and the issue of phone hacking and illegal media practices that Prince Harry has highlighted.

You will hear from some media commentators that Prince Harry was always in it for the money. The reality is that the way the legal system works is that he would have potentially had to pay all of News Group Newspapers’ costs if the amount of the legal settlement offered at the end of the trial was less than what News UK had offered ‘out of court’. This is why Hugh Grant had to settle early before it reached court.

The government’s refusal to consider a ‘Leveson 2’ Inquiry is becoming more untenable each day and highlights the malign and damaging influence that the corporate media has over our democracy. The police and the government must act without fear to ensure that the murky relationships and questionable actions are finally brought to light, if necessary in a court of law.

Journalism can be a huge force for good, holding power to account and playing an essential part in the checks and balances of a healthy democracy. However, News UK among other media corporations is the polar opposite, spreading poison in our society and destabilising our democracy through fear, while putting profit above any ethical considerations.

The press claims they’re standing up against the ‘elite’ while championing the causes of the public, but many of their phone hacking victims were ordinary people out of the public eye. The media continues to hound individuals, Ben Stokes and the tragic case of Caroline Flack being two high-profile examples. However, this intrusion extends to many people not in the public eye who have never sought fame or seen media coverage as a ‘quid pro quo’ for publicity as some public figures do. Their contempt for ordinary people is seen in their actions after Hillsborough, to their eavesdropping on the voicemails of Milly Dowler and the Mother of murdered Sarah Payne.

Until the media is held to account by a genuinely independent and powerful regulator the lives of ordinary people, who have never sought or experienced the limelight, will continue to be destroyed.

Those who seek to shield our unaccountable media are likely to be viewed with disdain should further revelations come to light. We deserve better.

Julian Vaughan

24th January 2025

Sources and further reading:

Phone hacking: Jude Law, Lord Prescott and Sara Payne get payouts https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-16629036

Hacked Off: https://www.hackedoff.org/about-hacked-off

Information Commissioner’s Office: Phone Hacking and the Leveson Inquiry: https://ico.org.uk/for-the-public/ico-40/phone-hacking-scandal-and-leveson-inquiry/

Leveson Inquiry – Report into the culture, practices and ethics of the press: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/leveson-inquiry-report-into-the-culture-practices-and-ethics-of-the-press