UNITED KINGDOM: CNN's Piers Morgan denies phone hacking "100 percent" in testy video appearance before a London inquiry into media ethics
Record ID:
643626
UNITED KINGDOM: CNN's Piers Morgan denies phone hacking "100 percent" in testy video appearance before a London inquiry into media ethics
- Title: UNITED KINGDOM: CNN's Piers Morgan denies phone hacking "100 percent" in testy video appearance before a London inquiry into media ethics
- Date: 21st December 2011
- Summary: LONDON, ENGLAND, UK (DECEMBER 19, 2011) (REUTERS) HIGH COURT BUILDING ROYAL COURTS OF JUSTICE SIGN
- Embargoed: 5th January 2012 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: United Kingdom, United Kingdom
- Country: United Kingdom
- Topics: Crime / Law Enforcement,Communications,Politics
- Reuters ID: LVACJ8T5JM4TKNH3SYWOQRFEQIXD
- Story Text: Talk show host Piers Morgan told a British judicial inquiry on Tuesday (December 20) via video link he had never sanctioned phone hacking during his time as a tabloid editor, as he faced tough questions over his involvement in the "dark arts" of journalism.
Morgan, now a high-profile CNN talk-show host in the United States, edited the Rupert Murdoch tabloid at the heart of the hacking scandal, the News of the World, from 1994 to 1995 before going on to edit the Daily Mirror newspaper from 1995 to 2004.
Morgan has consistently denied any involvement in the practice which resulted in the closure of Murdoch's Sunday tabloid.
Politicians had called for him to appear before the high-profile inquiry after his name became associated with the scandal.
"My evidence is that I have no reason or knowledge to know that it was going on," he told the inquiry referring to his time as editor of the Mirror.
Asked by Robert Jay, lead prosecutor in the inquiry, if he was "sure about that" Morgan replied "One hundred percent."
He became annoyed at the questioning and stressed that no one at the Mirror had been found guilty.
"Not a single person has made any formal or legal complaint against the Daily Mirror for phone hacking, not one," he said, in often testy exchanges.
Much of the questioning centred on an article Morgan wrote for another newspaper in which he made reference to how he had listened to a phone message left for the ex-wife of Paul McCartney. In the message he describes how the former Beatle pleads with Heather Mills-McCartney to come home after an argument.
Asked about the incident, Morgan refused to say who had played him the recorded message and said he did not think it was entirely unethical to listen to someone's voice message.
Morgan also said he had "very little sympathy" for celebrities and their rights to privacy when they use their fame for financial gain.
The phone hacking scandal, which severely damaged the reputation and value of Murdoch's News Corp at the height of the scandal this year, has largely focused on the malpractice at the News of the World.
But the allegation by Mills briefly turned the spotlight on the behaviour of other tabloids, which have for years competed ferociously to secure front-page stories.
It also turned the spotlight on Morgan who took over from Larry King as he developed a highly successful television career in the U.S. with the "Piers Morgan Tonight" show.
When the prosecutors finished their questions, Morgan expressed his displeasure at what he called an unbalanced inquiry.
"It becomes almost like a rock star having an album bought out from his back catalogue of all his worst ever hits and I do feel still very proud of a lot of the good stuff that both the Mirror and the News of the World did under my tenure as editor," he said.
"I do think that there has to be a better balance here, because a lot of the very good things that the newspapers were doing in those periods and continue to do are not being highlighted at all."
At the height of the scandal, Murdoch closed the 168-year-old News of the World. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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