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Nick DAVIES
23April2015, University of Brighton.
Nick Davies (ND) and Flat Earth News and Hack Attack (ready for a film by George Clooney,
currently under discussion, in production?). Iʼve just got back from Vietnam. This eveningʼs Q&A
led by 2nd Year Brighton Media student. Some have dubbed you as "The greatest investigative
journalist." ND on shortlist for Orwell Prize 2015 (Britainʼs most prestigious prize for political
writing.) Worked mostly at The Guardian. Inspired by Watergate, studied politics and philosophy.
Inspired by pen and paper, discovering it was as revolutionary political action.
ND recommends the former Telegraph Peter OBORNE (former chief political commentator of
theTelegraph and reports for Channel 4's Dispatches and Unreported World) recently resigned
from the paper because of editorial influence over HSBC intrusion.
2 yr period before news of hacking released. The story was sat on. Noone wanted to touch it. ND
used the courts and litigation to get the evidence into the public realm.
Post Milly Dowling, 'children taking over classroom'
Issues of meeting celebrity:
Ides of March, Goodnight and Goodluck - both recommended by ND as political movies by
Clooney.
ʻAny profession has a defining valueʼ, Eg. Chippy = precision; a diplomat = loyalty; journo = truth
Daily Mail is sickening, routinely injecting falsehood. Paul DACRE (editor), has a ghastly
personality. He stands up for traditional values, but is foul-mouthed infamous for his overuse of the
cWord. He has the power to make you work how he wants.
2nd value of a journalist is people skills, and using imagination and empathy, eg. Paedo and
detective and parents and victims. Most exciting opportunity. With a notebook full of notes. You've
cracked it, you've got the story.
ND broke Fleet St.'s rules, by reporting on the media. Taking slices of life, eg. Education, Iraq.
Poverty. Falsehood and propaganda. dog doesn't eat dog. Trevor Kavanagh (political editor, The
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MA Creative Media
School of Art, Media and Design
University of Brighton
L.O’[email protected]
Sun), is akin to Dacre. ND found he was vilified by colleagues. The Tabloids seem to spend so
much time attacking targets, my opinion is that the public is getting sick of attacking. The DailyMail
(the largest english-language online newspaper) wrote at lease 15 lies, which ND chose to ignore.
Reassuring to hear support from colleagues.
Decline of journalism, online and readership. People don't like journalists, because of a small no. of
people. Leveson intensified fear and hatred. Snowden straight after, accusations of treason from
Tabloids. Instead of reporting, they take revenge for hacking.
How do you regulate a free press? No serving editors or relatives on regulators. All you had to do
is regulate yourself. Ghastly watching the way newspapers behave, who are not honest. IPSO
failing. Chair chosen who was allied to anti-IPSO. eg. David Puttnam Bum organisation. Danger of
govt. legislating, implication of coercion, wheras Leveson invited the Press to be involved.
This may be (Apr2015) the first time that the Govt may be elected without the support of Murdochʼs
press. Eg. Miliband doesn't care about his support. Murdoch missed out on supporting Obama, but
FoxNews still has influence. Miliband stuck his neck out for hacking and role of newspapers,
against Murdoch. Miliband supports Leveson. But still doesn't want to get into the cage with the
tiger.
Moral compass drift by media. Criminal activity has now been reduced. Morally however, nothing's
changed because of commercial imperative in a ruthless market. Advertisers more important than
readership, apart from red tops. Carrying out invasion even during Leveson. Churnalism, passive
reporting, threat to honesty. PhoneHacking, mountain of truth. Get victims to sue, to allow
disclosure of evidence in court, to get info into public domain. Idea from Harry Evans, editor
SundayTimes, Good Times Bad Times (1983).
Have you noticed any changes?
No change in moral boundaries. Voicemail hacking, eMail hacking, voice call interception.
ʻFlatEarth Newsʼ now 10 years out of date. Facts and coverage of 2015 Election, distortion by
newspapers. Even then, an academic study showed that 58% of stories were distorted.
Newspapers are obsessed by terrorism. There is a requirement of objectivity which can be almost
impossible and therefore you have to be selective. This can lead to ʻterror errorʼ and the reporting
of stories that are not true. Eg. Sep11 and promise of impending terrorism. Whatʼs happening to
the reporting of the phenomenon of UK kids travelling to Syria to fight with ISIS.
Looking through the keyhole as a basis for personal invasion is unnecessary. Eg. Mosley and sex
life. Does moral corruption affect professional life? Power and dazzled by celebrity. Necessary to
be reported. How about Lewinsky?
Is personal intrusion politically motivated?
Motivated simply by commerce. Almost like its not personal. Tom WATSON (Labour MP, Daily
Mirror columnist, significant in Murdoch and News International phone hacking scandal and
questioning by Culture, Media and Sport Committee (2011). Subsequently, the NoW hired a private
investigator to follow him. This could be seen as almost vengeful by the press because he had
chosen to publicly confront them. Clare SHORT is another example of being vilified because she
had the temerity to challenge The Sunʼs Page 3.
http://glasgowmediagroup.org/
George MONBIOT accused by MediaLens (biased news feed?) that heʼs responsible for
environmental deaths.
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MA Creative Media
School of Art, Media and Design
University of Brighton
L.O’[email protected]
CHOMSKY, brave and brilliant. ʻManufacturing Consentʼ focuses on the failure of news reporting.
The analysis is weak because of a lack of primary research. Instead relying on cliches, such as its
all the fault of advertisers.
There are too many decisions selectively based on commercial grounds. Drift from newspapers
towards more salacious online sources. Daily Mail website and low grade semi-porn most read
english language global newspaper website. (A newspaper that can easily be sold to Arabs or
Russians). Especially if the issue of concentration of media ownership becomes more politically
sensitive.
ND investigated hacking for 6 1/2 years. Issues of power and institutions kowtowing to Murdoch.
EG. Euro and Iraq, were both crucially influenced by Murdoch. Rebekah BROOKS obsessed by
notion of prison ships.
Newspaper stings as a form of investigative journalism. Eg. Sunday Times and Channel 4ʼs
Despatches, inviting politicians to reveal embarassing reality of private fees for public speaking. On
the other hand the undercover tabloid reporter The Fake Sheikh, Mazher Mahmood putting
pressure on people to perform and behave in ways they wouldnʼt normally do.
Child abuse coverage pays scant attention to the majority of cases which involve family members.
Instead, focus is drawn by celebrity exposure, Jimmy Savile et. al.
http://www.exaronews.com/ online newsfeed, now driving stories. Recently won Press Award with
Sunday People for exposure of ʻWestminster paedophile networkʼ
Lord JANNER and moral argument over his prosecution and whether he is capable of defending
himself with condition of dementia. Establishment cover-up. Vilification or stand up for principle.
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MA Creative Media
School of Art, Media and Design
University of Brighton
L.O’[email protected]