News International phone hacking scandal 2007. "The "News of the World" legal manager Tom Crone attended virtually every meeting of my legal team and was given full access to the Crown Prosecution Service's evidence files." according to Clive Goodman's letter. The effect of the phone hacking scandal originating with the "News of the World" also raised wider questions about the ethics employed by companies under Murdoch's ownership, as well as the effects the scandal will have on the ethics employed specifically by print journalists and to some extent the wider world of journalism. Murdoch had previously been criticised for building a media empire that lacked
2009–2011 News of the World phone hacking scandal investigations Andy Coulson. At the time "The Guardian" made these claims, Coulson had left News International and was director of Conservative Party communications and planning. Due to this, some claimed that the reporting was politically motivated. The Conservative Party was quick to stand by Coulson. "The Guardian" also reported that the "News of the World" had made payments in excess of £1 million to three people subject to phone hacking, including Professional Footballers' Association chairman Gordon Taylor, with the out-of-court settlements subject to secrecy clauses. Around the same time, "Private Eye" revealed that "The Guardian" had, in order to avoid "all