Phone-hacking inquiry needs advisers to ‘fill gap’ in expertise, says publisher

Associated Newspapers voices concern that the prime minister’s appointees lack tabloid or regional newspaper experience The publisher of the Daily Mail has challenged Lord Justice Leveson over the six advisers to the phone-hacking inquiry amid concerns that the prime minister’s appointees lack tabloid or regional newspaper experience. Jonathan Caplan QC, representing Associated Newspapers, told a preliminary hearing at the Royal Courts of Justice that the inquiry would “benefit greatly” if the judge appointed additional advisers “to fill the gap” in expertise. The application by Associated Newspapers was supported by Trinity Mirror, the Newspaper Publishers’ Association and Guardian News and Media. Caplan said Associated did not wish to be confrontational, but the inquiry would “raise very important issues for the future conduct, regulation and ownership of the newspaper industry”. Leveson’s advisory panel includes two prominent journalists – a former political editor of Channel 4 News, Elinor Goodman, and a former political editor of the Daily Telegraph, George Jones. The former chairman of the Financial Times, Sir David Bell, is also one of the appointees. Leveson said he took on board Associated’s concerns and would reserve judgment until he had considered the matter fully. Earlier he told the hearing he was eager to engage with the Daily Mail and had invited the paper’s editor in chief to attend a pre-inquiry seminar next month. Gillian Phillips, director of editorial legal services for the Guardian, said: “Our view is that tabloid and mid-market papers, as well as regional papers, will play a vital part in the story and we believe it is important that those assisting the inquiry reflect the plurality and divergence of the wider UK media.” Leveson said that the role of assessors was limited to assisting from within their area of expertise with the conclusion being “mine and mine alone”. He added: “It is of critical importance throughout this inquiry that I have the help of everybody. I have a vast and difficult task to address within a comparatively short period of time. I accept the importance that it holds for your clients and for the industry, the profession. “I will only start to be able to achieve a sensible resolution of these issues if everybody is pulling in the same direction, albeit from their different standpoints. “I am conscious that I am stepping into a profession that is not the one that I spent 40 years of life in. It is critical that I obtain advice from those who have made their life in this area, not least because I would be keen to understand any flaws that I might have because of lack of experience.” Phone hacking Newspapers & magazines National newspapers Newspapers Associated Newspapers Daily Mail & General Trust The Guardian Lisa O’Carroll guardian.co.uk

Posted by on September 28, 2011. Filed under News, Politics, World News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.