LAWYERS FOR Rupert Murdoch’s News International are conducting a broad inquiry into reporting practices at all of the company’s British newspapers, according to sources who have been briefed on the investigation.
Attorneys for Linklaters, the large London law firm leading the inquiry, will be looking for anything US government investigators might be able to construe as evidence that the company violated American law, particularly the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, which prohibits corrupt payments to foreign officials, a source familiar with the investigation said.
In addition to conducting personal interviews with selected journalists, lawyers will also be looking at e-mail and financial records, said this source. Separately, Rupert Murdoch and his son, James, are to be questioned about the phone hacking scandal under oath in the British high court, the Telegraphnewspaper reported.
A second source close to the company said that just because the internal inquiry is examining reporting standards across Murdoch’s British papers, this does not mean there is evidence that inappropriate activity occurred at News International’s currently operating British properties.
News Corp acknowledges an extensive review is under way.
“As is widely known, a review of journalistic standards is under way at News International with Linklaters assisting in the process,” a company spokesperson said.
The spokesperson added that the review was “part of a process that started a number of weeks ago”. That process is under the “ultimate control” of Joel Klein, a Murdoch executive in New York who formerly worked at the White House and US justice department; Viet Dinh, an outside News Corp director who also worked at the justice department; and the management and standards committee.
The latter is a unit Murdoch created to handle the corporate response and clean-up related to the uproar over allegations of phone hacking and questionable payments to police by News International journalists.
Journalists from the company's surviving British tabloid, the Sun, have already been interviewed for the internal investigation. Interviews with journalists from the Sunday Times, one of Mr Murdoch's two London "quality" papers, are scheduled to begin in September. The inquiry is also expected to review reporting practices at Mr Murdoch's other upscale British title, the Times.
Two people briefed on Linklater’s activities said information about the extent of the inquiry had been communicated throughout the company over the last month.
One of these sources said only a selection of journalists – including those involved in sensitive reporting projects – were expected to be interviewed about their reporting methods.
Lawyers are also examining e-mails and financial records that might relate to matters under investigation by police, including phone hacking and questionable payments to police officers or other government officials.
One of the sources briefed on the inquiry said close scrutiny would be given to records of cash payouts requested or authorised by journalists at News International properties. – (Reuters)