Key Messages
The Story Behind The Hacking Scandal That Changed The Media Landscape And Left Rupert Murdoch With Pie In His Face
Hack Attack tells the story of how a phone hacking scandal brought Rupert Murdoch and his News of the World tabloid to their knees.
This scandal started with one small article and quickly developed into something bigger as investigative journalist Nick Davies kept exploring the issue.
The book reveals how much money was involved in keeping this major cover-up going and illustrates why spying and hacking drew public ire in Britain.
It shows how seriously people took this issue, leading to a once untouchable billionaire facing a physical pie in the face!
You’ll understand why both police officers and politicians were implicated too, as well as why News of the World had to shut down by the time it was all over.
If you want to know more about this scandal that shook an entire nation, then Hack Attack is a must-read for you!
The Scandal Of Phone Hacking: How Glenn Mulcaire Gained Unethical Access To The British Royal Family
One way to obtain information that you’re not supposed to have is to steal it, and phone hacking is a perfect example of this.
It involves accessing another person’s voicemail messages without their knowledge or consent by exploiting loopholes in telecommunications safety.
In order for this to work, hackers must first guess the PIN that belongs to the voicemail inbox – usually the factory settings remain unchanged which makes it easy for the hacker to guess the right code.
In more extreme cases, hackers resort to blagging in order to gain access.
Blaggers make calls to phone companies and pretend they are the owners of the phones they want access to — they will then use manipulation and cunning tactics in order convince representatives of the company into either giving away somebody’s PIN or resetting it into a simpler version like 0000.
One such talented blagger was Glenn Mulcaire who was hired by News of the World (NoW) back in 2001 as a private detective until he was promoted in 2005 when he got his most critical assignment; gaining access into British Royal Family’s phones.
The Rogue Reporter Scandal Exposes How One Wealthy Man Pulled The Strings Behind A Nationwide Hacking Scheme
The News of the World (NoW) was already embroiled in one scandal after another, but when two of its reporters were caught hacking into voicemail communications from the British Royal Household, the scandal reached a whole new level.
Clive Goodman, who worked for NoW’s editor-in-chief Andy Coulson, and Glenn Mulcaire had teamed up to intercept private conversations, which led to juicy stories for the tabloid’s print editions – but also landed them in hot water.
The duo was put on trial and Goodman was sentenced to four months in prison while Mulcaire was handed a 6-month suspended sentence.
As part of the investigation named Operation Caryatid, police uncovered files that suggested that the hacking was more widespread than they had initially thought – but only those two men were implicated by the authorities.
NoW attempted to distance themselves from any wrongdoing by claiming their involvement had been limited to those two individuals’ activities – but evidence seemed to contradict this statement.
Questions then arose as to why the police didn’t investigate further into NoW’s role in what ultimately became one of Britain’s biggest phone hacking scandals.
Rupert Murdoch: The Illustrious International Media Mogul
For many years, Rupert Murdoch has been pulling the strings of the media industry.
Through his ownership of News Corporation and other subsidiaries, he gained control of countless British tabloids and newspapers, as well as television services in Britain.
Not to mention control over an astounding 70 percent of Sunday papers!
Murdoch’s influence doesn’t just end in Britain – he also owns Fox News Network through the American studio Twentieth Century Fox.
This network often acts as a tool for Murdoch to promote his own political views.
But that’s not all: Murdoch also controls 39.7 percent of the votes in his company, despite only owning 12 percent of its shares.
This shows just how powerful he is at News Corp., and how much influence he can wield with the press.
At this point, it’s pretty clear that Rupert Murdoch is no ordinary businessman: instead, he is a modern-day media mogul with incredible reach and power.
The man behind the curtain has a name: Rupert Murdoch!
How Rupert Murdoch’S Ideology And Influence Impacted British Politics
The level of political influence held by media mogul Rupert Murdoch is widely known, and their relationships with prominent politicians are often quite cozy.
Prime Ministers Margaret Thatcher and Tony Blair are prime examples of the arguably symbiotic relationships Murdoch has forged in politics.
With Margaret Thatcher, whose Neoliberalist ideological outlook closely matched that of Rupert Murdoch, their relationship was effortless.
Not only did the News of the World and Sun fiercely support her prime ministerial campaign but Thatcher also helped Murdoch circumvent laws that would normally prevent a monopoly takeover of certain ventures.
While Tony Blair had a much more combative relationship with Murdoch than Thatcher, they were still connected in some ways.
Protected government records later revealed that against this backdrop, Blair was worried about how negative press from Murdoch could affect his reputation if he dared not to go along with the Iraq invasion that Murdoch strongly supported.
He feared it would lead to further opposition to his already troublesome political issues such as a proposed referendum to join the EU, and his need to avoid displeasure from Murdoch’s anti-EU press coverage.
How The Lie Of Phone Hacking Told By News Of The World Unravvelled: The Guardian’S Exposé And Its Aftermath
The Guardian challenged NoW’s statement that the phone hacking was merely a one-time incident.
In a report published on 8 July 2009, they provided multiple examples of evidence that disproved this idea.
For example, it was revealed that Gordon Taylor, CEO of the Professional Footballers’ Association had also been hacked and received a £1 million settlement to not go to court.
In addition, the Metropolitan Police had information gathered from Operation Caryatid which implicated other people at NoW for their involvement in phone hacking as well.
This kickstarted an investigation that lasted for two years.
Despite these revelations, the police still failed to take action and open a proper inquiry – even though there was enough evidence for them do so.
What’s more, it turned out the police knew about 91 PINs with 600 potential targets – hidden from the public eye by Assistant Commissioner John Yates who had friendly ties withRebekah Brooks of News Corp., NoW’s publisher.
In conclusion, The Guardian showed that phone hacking wasn’t a minor event but much more widespread than what News Corp originally reported – something they tried to hide all along.
The Phone Hacking Scandal: How The Public Reaction Forced News Of The World To Close Its Doors
When News Corp revealed that they had hacked the phone of Milly Dowler after she had disappeared in 2002, it sent shockwaves throughout society.
It was something so outrageous that even people who were otherwise indifferent to the scandal, such as those who read right-wing publications like The Times, were enraged by NoW’s actions.
This included even their owner Rupert Murdoch’s formerly loyal publication.
Its 4 July 2011 edition wrote that NoW’s behaviour was “beyond reprehensible” and spurred an outcry from left-leaning rival Daily Mail which declared: “never again must one man be allowed to hold such power.”
The avalanche of anger increased with reports coming in which claimed News Corp also hacked into the respective phones of relatives of soldiers killed during active duty in Afghanistan.
This definite act of malice towards bereaved family members turned the tide against News Corp, forcing them to face consequences for their actions at last.
The Fall Of The News Of The World: How An Ethics Scandal Toppled A Murdoch Dynasty
Rupert Murdoch’s reputation suffered greatly in the wake of the Hack Attack scandal.
On Sunday, July 10, 2011, NoW released its final edition and closed for good – a move made by Rupert’s son, James Murdoch, to try and appease an angry public.
But the response from NoW employees and the general public was overwhelmingly negative.
Twitter lit up with criticism and protest, as many accused the Murdochs of prioritizing their own interests over those of their employees who lost their jobs.
The police investigation into NoW named Operation Weeting resulted in several convictions and jail sentences, most notably an 18 month sentence for NoW editor Andy Coulson.
And then there was Lord Justice Leveson’s public inquiry into NoW which culminated in yet another damning indictment against Rupert Murdoch when one audience member famously threw a pie dish full of shaving cream right into his face.
After 6 years of questionable activity at News Of The World (NoW) it became clear that Murdoch was done and would be held accountable for his actions.
His personal reputation had been damaged beyond repair, and Notw would never publish another piece of news again.
Wrap Up
The final key takeaway of Hack Attack is that tabloid journalism has no moral gray area; it’s either ethical or unethical.
And in this industry, people are willing to buy juicy gossip in exchange for money.
This leaves no one’s trust unscathed and violated, as private information and secrets can be sold like candy at a store.
This book illustrates how dangerous tabloid journalism can be when powerful figures are left unchecked, using their influence to mislead society with false rumors and stories.
It serves as an important reminder that our critical thinking skills should not be overlooked and that careful consideration must be taken when consuming media content.
