News Corp still faces human rights challenge over internal inquiry

 

The NUJ is attempting to launch a human rights challenge to the disclosure of sources by News Corp's internal inquiry.  Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation is still facing the threat of legal action from its own journalists despite the mogul's attempt to rally the troops at his News International UK newspaper group. The National Union of Journalists was on Friday determined to pursue a potential human rights challenge to the News Corp unit that is disclosing journalists' confidential sources to the police. One NUJ insider said that legal discussions with two leading QCs, John Hendy and Geoffrey Robertson, were ongoing and that they were examining the possibility of a group legal action against News Corp's management and standards committee. On Friday afternoon Murdoch toured the Sun's Wapping newsroom in east London in an attempt to quell the disquiet among some of his most senior journalists. The chairman and chief executive of News Corp, News International's US parent company, immediately lifted spirits when he pledged his "unwavering" commitment to the Sun and announced the launch of the Sun on Sunday "very soon". However, Murdoch also stood by News Corp's MSC, saying the unit would continue to "turn over every piece of evidence we find". Murdoch said in a memo to News International staff: "Our independently chaired management and standards committee, which operates outside of News International, has been instructed to co-operate with the police. We will turn over every piece of evidence we find – not just because we are obligated to but because it is the right thing to do." He said the Sun journalists arrested could return to work, but added: "We will continue to ensure that all appropriate steps are taken to protect legitimate journalistic privilege and sources, which I know are essential for all of you to do your jobs. But we cannot protect people who have paid public officials." On Friday afternoon the News International Staff Association indicated that its concerns had not been allayed by Murdoch's memo. "There are still some areas of understanding and clarification to be pursued on the role and actions of the MSC," the staff association said. Robertson said Murdoch's letter to staff "is full of errors" and News International was under no obligation to hand over evidence to police as journalistic material was protected by law.