Today it was claimed that then Sunday Mirror ‘did dodgy stuff’ on every story, the phone-hacking trial was told. While over at the BBC an inquiry into what the corporation knew about allegations of sexual misconduct against the DJ Tim Westwood has received “significant” new information.
Sunday Mirror ‘did dodgy stuff’ on every story
Mirror Group Newspapers, which has already paid out more than £100m to settle phone-hacking claims, is disputing much of the evidence in this trial.
They also claim that it has been too long to bring these cases to trial.
It was former reporter Dan Evans who told the phone-hacking trial that illegal activity was “bog-standard” at the paper. “The paper did dodgy stuff on basically every story and that is how we operated,” Evans said.
While over at the BBC hip-hop DJ Tim Westwood (son of the once Bishop of Peterborough and attended private school – yes really) is actually a saint and all of these allegations have ben proved void by this ‘ signifiant’ information.
It comes after last year allegations of sexual misconduct and predatory behaviour made by several women against Westwood, who worked at the BBC for many years.
The presenter, who denied the allegations, subsequently stepped down from his show on Capital Xtra.
Innocent before proven guilty
Perhaps you could argue that the Sunday Mirror claims in court are complete nonsense made up by a disgruntled former employee, and all the women who have come forward about Tim Westwood are lying, to maybe get an out of court settlement.
However, there is a theme here that has been developing over a number of years, going back to Jimmy Savile and various other BBC staff scandals in between.
While over in the tabloid arena we know the News of the World shut down over phone hacking. Also, the publisher of the Sun newspaper has set aside £127m to cover the costs of phone hacking court cases. They have never admitted phone hacking at The Sun.
A spokesperson for News Group Newspapers said: “In 2012, an unreserved apology was made to all of those who had brought cases against the News of the World for voicemail interception. Since then, NGN has been paying financial damages to claimants.”
If that wasn’t enough Rupert Murdoch’s Fox News agreed to pay $787.5m (£635m) to settle a US defamation suit.
Now Prince Harry is seeking at least £200,000 in damages and alleges that the Sun newspaper illegally hacked his voicemails and hired private investigators to blag private information about his relationships during the 2000s, including when Rebekah Brooks was editor.
Impartiality – BBC
The newspaper industry is in the hands of a few very rich men and the political leaning is pretty clear, wether you agree with it or not.
But the BBC prides itself on its impartiality.
However, currently there is a serious argument that Robbie Gibb – a BBC board member described as an “active agent” of the Tory party – reportedly tried to block a journalist at the broadcaster from probing the infamous Vote Leave claim about £350 million of funding for the NHS.
The man in question, Robbie Gibb, reportedly attempted to get a BBC journalist to “move on” and drop an investigation into the claim, and has since insisted that it was “not a lie at all”.
How many other people believe that side of the bus claim? It can’t be many, even within the hardcore Brexit community.
Gibb, who was working as the BBC’s editor of live political programmes at the time of the Brexit vote, has since gone on to advise GB News prior to its launch and work as Theresa May’s director of communications.
Derry Girls
If that wasn’t enough the BBC has now been urged to explain why it edited a speech that criticised the government.
Derry Girls actress Siobhan McSweeney gave a short speech after accepting the award for best female performance in a comedy programme.
McSweeney said: “To the people of Derry, thank you for taking me into your hearts and your living rooms.
“I am daily impressed with how you encompass the spirit of compromise and resilience despite the indignities, ignorance, and stupidity of your so-called leaders in Dublin, Stormont, and Westminster.
“In the words of my beloved Sister Michael, ‘it’s time they started to wise up’.”
However, the BBC broadcast saw McSweeney cut off early. In the version the corporation aired, she said only: “To the people of Derry, thank you for taking me into your hearts and your living rooms. Thank you so much.”
Trust
Of course a lot of the people who work at BBC and other MSM outlets are honest hard-working members of staff.
But there seems to be a rotten core that pulls in ever increasing numbers of staff, due to fear of losing out to others using dodgy techniques or to seem ‘one of the team.’
In the case of Dan Evans the reporter in the Sunday Mirror trial he said he was the victim of “corporate grooming” in the dark arts of journalism, after joining the Sunday Mirror as a junior reporter in the early 2000s.
Then there are the types of staff who brown nose their way to the top and will back their bosses whatever they get up to. To be fair, you find these people in every industry.
Never be one of these people.
In a world, of deep fakes, IA writing articles and alleged interference by foreign actors using social media and the media to disrupt the UK, we need trust in journalism more than ever.
It just seems that there is little, or no, good will left from the general public.
So where will it end?
The future doesn’t look too promising, but can it get even worse than the sordid past>
Related: Brexit: Jacob Rees-Mogg has new claim & its beyond comprehension
