Original subtitles

As a journalist, you are consumed by two questions constantly.

How to tell a story, but perhaps more crucially, why to tell a story.

Imagine a country.

Nice weather, let's give it a nice weather.

Nice weather for England, anyway.

Imagine the people in this country believe they are living in a democracy.

Believe in their own freedom.

But they are being abused.

By a power so every day they don't know to look for it. A treacherous

combination of press, the police and politicians that hide in plain sight.

Imagine a country where that concealment was... Imagine a country where, where

the news organisations... Shit.

Imagine an old, deleted, florid mountain.

My name is Mick Davies.

I'm a journalist, and this is a story that ends in seven major police

investigations, nearly 40 convictions, and some of the most powerful people in

this country being brought to their knees.

Two grand, two grand, two grand.

My name is Nick Davis.

I'm a journalist.

Morning. This all started with Stuart Cutler. Hello.

This is the most troubling story I've ever written.

A story about the abuse of power and the concealment of truth.

Hi. Hi. Nick Davis for the Today programme.

I'm Nathan.

British journalism is floppy and morally bankrupt.

That is the claim of the journalist Nick Davies, who's written a book that shows

how often newspapers use illegal methods for getting their stories.

It's called Flat Earth News, and Nick Davies joins us now. Good morning.

Hi. You say...

sloppy, because newspapers use press releases rather than getting their own

stories, and morally bankrupt because of the illegality involved.

Really, the root that binds together all the different themes is that the logic

of journalism has been overwhelmed by the logic of commercialism. Journalists

longer have the time or the resources to do their jobs properly. Instead,

they're just passive processors of unchecked, second -hand material. Okay,

you also, you go much further in suggesting that there has been

criminality involved, and that's generally accepted within the press.

principally that involves hiring private investigators.

They hire private investigators to get your bank statements, your credit card

statements, your itemised phone bills, your tax record, even your health

these creatures are getting. All of that is illegal.

Okay, we're joined by John Mullen, who is the editor of The Independent on

Sunday, and Stuart Cutner, who's managing editor of News of the World.

Mullen, do you recognise this?

Well, I ploughed my way through the first half of the book, not the second

so far. And no one can deny that life in journalism is much harder than maybe it

was 20, 30 years ago. But to say that journalism as a whole is a passive

processor of news, I think that's erroneous. Stuart Kupner. Yes, I'll tell

what I think. I think, frankly...

Listening to Nick Davis, I thought he was speaking from a newsroom on another

planet. It is totally unrecognisable to me. Many years in newspapers in Fleet

Street, now, of course, at the News of the World. So what did he say that was

wrong?

Well, he talks about, if you like, shortcuts.

PR interest, commercial interest. I have to tell you, none of my News of the

World journalists would recognize that at all. But what about the way these

people get the stories and access to personal information?

Well, if it happens, it...

Shouldn't happen. It happened once at the News of the World. The reporter was

fired. He went to prison. The editor resigned. And while Nick is talking

all this, I notice he doesn't mention the Guardian's own act of criminality

the Guardian forged the signature of a cabinet minister. OK, I don't want to go

into detail of the story. I think the fact that Nick Davis... You may not want

to go into detail, but Nick makes a broad brush sweeping attack on our

profession, which I happen to believe. is an honourable profession.

You

hear

that?

I wish I hadn't.

You're too kind.

I did say appearing on the Today program to attack journalism wasn't exactly the

most sensible idea.

Listen, before I go home, I wanted to talk to you about something else. Good

thing was you weren't representing the Guardian.

You were talking about your book.

My book. Oh, Kuttner did have a good go at trying to besmirch us through you.

I want out.

Do you know anything about baking competitions?

I want to know how many people cheat at baking competitions.

Round number.

Exactly the sort of thing the Guardian should be investigating.

I don't mean out altogether.

I'd like to go to Brussels.

Investigate a whole new horizon.

Something well -paid.

Naturally. That will allow me to commute. The kids are old enough now to

to... I need you here.

Sadiq Khan.

Bugged. Forty -year convention.

Briefed. And why?

Keep the Americans happy.

Needs a good journalist.

I'm not good.

Nobody likes me. Oh, come on.

I like you.

Some of the time.

And I'm sure there are a few others who also... Please.

Self -pity is not a redeeming quality. We'll talk tomorrow.

I'm freelance.

Precisely. I don't need to talk to you tomorrow.

You're freelance with more or less a sole employer. I say you should talk to

tomorrow.

We've all been roasted by Stuart bloody Cutler.

Bye.

Let me explain. Alan is, um... Well, we grew up together in journalism, that is,

and he has always understood... Sorry.

Yep. Nick Davis.

Who's this?

My name is... Redacted. Sorry. We'll call him Mr. Apollo because, um... Well,

actually, because he is... It doesn't matter.

How did you get this number?

Listen, Kuttner made a mistake.

Well, I know several chief amongst them appearing on the Today program.

He said it happened once.

It happened once. It happened once upon the news of the world. The reporter was

fired. He went to prison. The editor resigned.

You're talking about phone hacking.

Nick, your book only scratched the surface.

We have to meet face to face somewhere absolutely discreet. I think you'll like

what I have.

Where and when?

In the beginning, it was next to nothing.

Two men were arrested for hacking phones in 2006.

A private investigator, Glenn Mulcair. The sentences

they received were short. The attention they got limited.

But the crime was unusual.

They had discovered they could access other people's voicemail messages.

And they spent months eavesdropping on three of Prince William's staff at

Clarence House.

How? They didn't say.

Why?

for the discovery of private information.

It was the start of the next six years of my life.

To be clear, I've never told anyone who Mr. Apollo is, so some guesses have been

made.

Bye again.

No, sorry, it's not you.

Come on.

Hi. You coming in or...

Nice. Choice of room.

Just to check, is the Guardian paying? Because if so, I'd implore you to stay

away from that minibar.

Mulcair, in the trial, he said he'd hacked other... Five non -royals. I

remember, yes.

Um, L. McPherson, Sky Andrew, Max Clifford.

He's a liar.

Kuttner's a liar.

And one of the five is suing them.

Which one?

That five is just the tip of the iceberg.

Hacking phones at the news of the world has been endemic.

Endemic?

They pick up their leads by intercepting voicemails.

And only then do they get photographs and quotes so as to lay a false trail,

pretend they found the story through legitimate means.

They've hacked thousands.

Yeah.

Dial a number.

Someone who's likely to not answer.

This is Alan Rusbridger.

That's your phone, my friend.

The editor of The Guardian.

Press 9.

Please enter your four -digit PIN. Now enter 1, 2, 3, 4.

That's the factory setting.

Welcome to your voicemail. You have one new message.

Alan, it's Mummy.

I'm just calling about Jill Wyatt. She won Best Sponge again, and I'm sure she

changed it. I don't want to hear this.

It's that easy.

Doesn't even need a Glenn Mulcair most of the time.

You're saying this is widespread.

Glenn's main job was that when it got tricky, unlike with your Alan, was to

the mobile phone companies into resetting the celebrity's PIN code to

original factory setting.

One, two, three, four.

It's Alan.

Please. Who is this?

Hi, yeah, it's Nick.

Listen, change the voicemail settings on your phone.

And how do I do that?

Ask a young person. I've got to go. Bye.

Who is suing?

The person who is, is currently trying to get Scotland Yard to hand over

evidence they collected and did nothing with when they arrested Mulcair.

It's evidence that could burn, fuck and destroy everything.

Twice over.

You won't tell me which one of the five it is, will you?

I will tell you, but you're missing two names.

Gordon Taylor.

and Simon Hughes.

Will you go on the record?

If you dig, it comes from you. I can... I can confirm things,

but... It's just another story of journos banging

badly.

You're not interested?

It's interesting, but... You should talk to someone else.

Do you realize I could lose my job just by talking to you? Don't worry, this

conversation never happened. No, no, no, that's not my point, Nick. Think.

Think who edited the paper.

Think about where he sits now.

You're talking about Andy Coulson.

Stop him.

Mind the gap.

Stand clear of the doors, please.

Andy Coulson, a rapid ascent journalist. From a local reporter to showbiz at the

Sun, he was made editor of News of the World in 2003.

Even after he resigned in 2007 over the original phone hacking case, it was seen

as honourable. Him carrying the can for the one rogue reporter.

Not me really, Gov.

But if he is, if this is Indemnit, he's David Cameron's communications director.

For him to be involved in widespread criminality.

Not a bad idea.

I'm not late.

It would be fine if you were to be a bit late.

You don't need to be worried.

Are they ready?

They are ready.

Kids!

You okay?

Kids! Ooh, you're anxious to go then.

Sorry, how are you, etc?

I'm fine, etc.

You all right?

Never better.

Really? I heard you on the radio.

That sort of performance helped sales.

Oh, I would doubt it.

I'm, um, I am worried about... I'm not going to reveal my child's name.

Let's call him Beans.

He comes home, locks himself in his room.

I have tried to talk to him, but... Avoid all questions.

So, do we bring the score?

Let's get the details, make sure he wants the help.

Oh, you sound like a journalist.

Let me try.

Let me try.

Got a new recipe.

Okay, Dad. Stuffed tomato thing.

Yeah, no, it's good.

Call you when it's ready. It's Turkish.

Yep. So, I met someone today.

A source.

He was pissed off with what Cutler said on the radio.

Okay. Hacking was endemic, he said, at News of the World. And someone is now

suing Scotland Yard for information on what was hacked.

Now, no, I know it's one of either Elm and Person.

Simon Hughes, Gordon Taylor, Sky Andrew or Max Clifford, but I don't know which

one. What do you think?

Do I dig?

Trying to find out who it is. If I find them, we might get some evidence that

proves foul play was a bit more widespread.

Imagine what it does to Andy Coulson. He's about to have keys to 10 Downing

Street. Did Cameron even do a fit and proper person test on him?

Did he even look into Coulson's past?

That's a good angle.

But another tabloids behaving badly story.

I said the same thing.

And who wants to kick a bee's nest?

Murdoch, you know.

This sauce.

Has he got under your skin?

No, I just wanted to talk it out with someone.

You.

Oh, always grateful to be your sounding board.

Go home, Alan.

Who says I'm in the office?

We'll always have Brussels.

Bye.

It's creepy when you do that.

Stare at me like that.

How are you?

Why are you asking?

If there ever is anything you need to discuss... Yes, Dad, I know.

I never much liked school.

Not being bullied.

I always saw school as a necessity.

Why does everyone always think I'm being bullied? Not a virtue.

There was a guy who used to hit us.

Another kid?

Actually, a teacher.

He used to... God, he used to really scare me. I never used to do well.

Well, I never used to do well with fear, but also the thing I remember most

clearly.

Rage.

I heard you on the radio.

I listen to the Today programme.

Mum makes us listen to or read everything you do.

You have an impressive dad.

And she says that, like, he may be a total dick, but he's impressive.

You know the story of the dung beetle.

Oh, God.

Really, again?

If you want to fly free... First you have to eat a lot of shit.

Sometimes you have to ignore bullies. Not being bullies. Sometimes you have to

puncture them. I'm not that. There's always a way to... There's always a

when the wanker, when they suddenly seem vulnerable, when they are, you have to

clamp your pincers onto them as hard as possible. Do not let go.

Tomatoes in the oven. Very intense.

They're Turkish.

Thank you very much.

You stupid child.

You stupid disappointment.

It won't surprise you to know we didn't get the right to use their mouth head.

Or this one.

Hi, it's Nick Davies.

You still have that contact at Scotland Yard?

No, sorry, mate.

Really cannot begin a ball without one.

You know how that is. But Andy Coulson will soon be sitting in Downing Street.

Yeah, and Murdoch's already sitting on Downing Street.

Yes, I appreciate that. I understand. If I could get some evidence of this...

No. No.

No. All right, thanks. Bye.

Oh, hi. Thanks for coming back. Do you have the number for name redacted?

Yeah.

Okay, great.

Zero.

7 -7 -0 -0 -9 -0 -0 -9 -5 -4.

Got that. Thank you.

Hi, I'm wondering whether I could speak to whoever represents Elle McPherson.

No, no, I'm not a fan. No, I'm wondering whether she's currently suing the News

of the World.

Is that Max?

Hi, it's Nick Davies. We met at the Orwell Prize.

I'm actually after a bit of insight.

Well, no, give me a chance.

Detective Buzz Aldrin?

Not his real name.

My name is Nick Davis. I'm a Guardian journalist.

I believe you were looking into the Clive Goodman case. I'm very busy, Mr.

Davis. I followed your work, Buzz. I know how principled you are. I think you

know that what is happening here is acutely in the public interest. And if

all dealt with in behind -stairs deals, it'll help no one. I can't talk to

journalists. Don't have to talk.

All I need to know is which of the five non -royal names in the Clive Goodman

case is now suing the paper.

Cough.

That's all I ask. Cough when I hit the right name. You are very, very

persistent. Because what I understand is that those five names represent...

Thousands, thousands of people who've had their privacy stolen by this

newspaper. Please.

L. McPherson.

Simon Hughes.

Gordon Taylor.

Thank you.

You did the right thing.

Sorry, excuse me. Charlotte Harris, Nick Davis of The Guardian. I believe you

represent Gordon Taylor. I'm June Court.

I understand that he's suing News of the World for breach of privacy. Mr. Davis,

whether or not Mr. Taylor is my client, I have no interest in talking to any

press. Sorry.

These so -called journalists bring our whole industry into disrepute. I'm very

persistent.

Well, can you tell me then about John Hewison?

He's also a claimant, is he not?

And the interesting thing is, if you ask the public who those two are, they

might know Taylor. They wouldn't know Hewson because he's a lawyer, like you.

He's entrusted with the secrets of others, in the secrets of sports stars,

his case, which makes him interesting to the news of the world.

This is a news operation which is trying to undermine the confidentiality that

crucially underlies your profession. If you want to fight it, well, you're a

tiger, but they're lions.

The Guardian's a lion, too.

What if I'm neither a lion nor a tiger?

What if I am a walrus?

Walruses can be fierce.

And what if you're a... See, I'm trying to think of an annoying animal.

Is Mr. Taylor settled?

What evidence do you have? Are there other claimants?

I'm sure you must be looking to engage more clients.

Privacy cases like this can sometimes... What did Max Mosley get?

£60 ,000.

And costs. Line enough up. You could have a class action suit worth a lot of

money. You were doing well.

Reasonably well.

Until you bought money into it.

I can't talk to you about specific cases, but I can tell you... I can tell

that there is so much more to come.

Yep. You've got the name.

Mr. Apollo, you're back.

Are you watching me?

I take it you're still interested in this case, then?

Deere is in the fireplace, the lion of the light.

What the fuck are you doing?

Sorry, I had a tendency to make jokes. I was trying to be a Russian spy.

I could be spotted at any moment. Do you know the risks?

I do, sorry.

So you found the lawyer?

This is some kind of a test. Do I get a prize at the end of it?

Do you know how much they're settling for? No.

£400 ,000 in damages, another £300 ,000 in legal expenses, and their associates

are getting £140 ,000 in damages, plus they're legal.

The whole package comes in at just over a million pounds.

Now, that's a lot, even for News International to stomach.

But...

Max Mosley, with their cute hymn of being a Nazi at an orgy, all he got was

,000 pounds, yes.

Now you're getting it.

Look, I need... I need paperwork or audio recordings, some sort of hard

evidence.

I don't even have to publish it. I just need to be able to show the Guardian.

The preliminary hearings in 2007, the public record. That's not enough.

Right.

You work it out. Can I use it? Nope. I need to be able to use it.

Summarize it?

Yes. Show it to your editor?

Yes. Quote from it?

No.

Can I have your number?

Be careful, Nick.

This could get nasty.

I have a piece on MPs' expenses I want you to have a look at. Okay.

Want some gingerbread?

My mother made it, it's not very good. I have a little.

How long did that take you to get?

Maybe too long.

And you've never mentioned it?

They're paying up millions to cover this up. This is a story.

Nick, newspapers reporting on newspapers... But the editor of that

about to enter government.

If Andy Coulson was completed in hacking phones as an editor...

Imagine what it might do to enemies of the government.

Show me what you have.

I can choke.

Print out of an email.

Ross Hindley at News of the World to shadowmen at yahoo .co .uk. It's Glenn

Mulcair's email.

His email was shadowmen.

It says transcript for Neville.

Wednesday, 29th of June, 2005.

I can read.

And Neville is? Neville Felbeck, chief reporter at News of the World.

There are transcripts of 35 voicemail messages which have been left on the

phones of Gordon Taylor and a colleague. It wasn't just Clive Goodman.

And then there's this.

Greg Miskew, assistant editor.

Approving a payment of £7 ,000, two -mile care, for a story on Gordon

And the police have access to all of this and more.

Can we use this?

No.

Can we get your Mr Apollo to speak on the record?

How long have we known each other?

I've no idea.

I had no interest in trying to work that out. It'll make me feel old. Nearly 30

years.

This is it, Alan.

There is an industry making huge profits from evading people's private lives,

and Rupert Murdoch's bullying tabloids have explicitly encouraged it and are

buying it.

This matter.

Good. Okay.

I'll let you know when I've got something.

Thanks, Adam.

You may think you lead a private life, but the Guardian has uncovered evidence

to suggest otherwise.

This strange story began in 2006 with the arrest of two men, the News of the

World royal editor Clive Goodman and a private investigator, Glenn Mulcair.

The men pled guilty to phone hacking charges and served prison sentences.

Following an investigation, the paper told the world that hacking was the work

of one rogue reporter.

The story should have ended there, but it didn't.

From the beginning on, newspapers have prospered for one reason.

Giving readers the news they want.

Shit,

shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit.

Keep it simple.

Rupert Murdoch's News Group newspapers had paid out more than £1 million to

settle legal cases that threatened to reveal evidence of his journalist's

repeated involvement in the use of criminal methods to get stories.

Payments secured secrecy over out -of -court settlements in three cases that

threatened to expose evidence of Murdoch journalists using private

investigators. To illegally hack into the mobile phone messages of numerous

public figures.

Cabinet ministers, MPs, actors and sports stars were all targets of private

investigators. Are you sure we can safely list all those groups?

We already have evidence of actors, Elmick Thurston, sports stars, Sky

MPs then? I have an invoice recording a payment to a private investigator

showing John Prescott had been targeted. It's likely hacking.

This article has no named sources, no evidence on the record.

Anna thinks we have enough. I do too.

And we haven't got right of reply.

It's a declaration of bloody war. Murdoch and Brooks, they have nuclear

Right now they do, but we can neuter their nuclear weapons with this. If we

Fleet Street will fall in behind us, the police soon after. And they have, when

they find the information they already have. Information they don't know they

have. The Met we're talking about.

Look, once we public, they'll be forced to act.

Can we name Coulson?

Now you're worried I haven't gone far enough.

That makes it more in the public interest if we can name him.

I did ring Conservative HQ right to reply, Jill. I asked about the Gordon

settlement. His office replied it didn't ring any bells. There'd be nothing that

directly linked them. I agree.

But we can say that he was the editor in place when journalists for whom he

was responsible, etc., etc., etc. That's good.

That's good.

Yes?

I'm uneasy.

But if you're sure...

I am.

It reads well.

Okay.

At half past five in the afternoon on Wednesday, 8th July 2009, we posted my

news story on the Guardian website.

As it ran, the Guardian news desk asked a reporter, Caroline Davies, to call

John Prescott, ex -deputy prime minister, to get a quote.

I told him the gist of the story and he said, Fucking hell!

You'd have thought the police in the committing of a criminal offence, as

clearly it is against anyone, and particularly you'd have thought a

member. They would have come and told me about it, and I wouldn't have asked

them, what are you going to do about it? The press got ruled, but the house fell

silent.

Anyone?

Anyone?

And Fleet Street, well... Fleet Street

essentially... Did their best to ignore the story. Ask any journalist what a

great story depends on. They'll say the same thing.

A new angle.

One at least journalists can get behind.

We are reliant on our own profession to follow up on stories so they have

impact. To make a story newsworthy requires multiple news outlets.

But on this one, crickets.

My company couldn't have settled the legal action at the Guardian Climbs if

had done out of none about it.

I tried to get this out as wide as possible. I talked on radio stations, TV

shows. I took constant calls from agents of public figures asking, am I on that

list? I slept about four hours.

And then at five in the afternoon, I was surprised to hear that John Yates,

assistant commissioner at Scotland Yard, was preparing to make a statement.

Good afternoon.

I was not involved in the original case and clearly come at this with an

independent mind.

In my opinion, what I've seen is a most careful investigation, by very

experienced detectives.

He proceeded to gently demolish our work. We suggested there were thousands

victims. Their potential targets may have run into hundreds of people, but

inquiry showed that they only used the tactic against a far smaller number of

individuals. And since no additional evidence has come to light, I can see no

reason to reopen the inquiry.

Thank you. That's all for today.

That was Assistant

Commissioner John Yates speaking in response to...

What is that?

The police haven't backed out.

And Kistana's conducting a review.

He was director of public prosecutions then. But he doesn't consider there was

anything inappropriate in the prosecutions undertaken in this case. We

squashed. We need to speak to your Mr. Apollo. We need to get him on the

He... He can contact me. I can't contact him. Nick.

Our colleagues upstairs are gravely concerned.

Is it possible you were set up? No, this is right. I've used no named sources,

no quotes from documents we should never have published.

And Murdoch has set his attack dogs on us in the Commons. They're briefing that

we can't back up our story.

And now the CMS Select Committee want to see us urgently.

That doesn't sound great.

They want to barbecue you, Nick. And Johnny Yates has given them permission.

I'm sorry. I've read the runes wrong here.

Guardian are putting together a statement.

What kind of statement?

I'll know when I see it.

I feel like I'm having a heart attack.

Why is everybody doing this?

My mother was a strong character, intelligent, forceful, imaginative,

as she believed, in domestic drudgery. She had a furious temper.

This wasn't the 1950s toxic ideal of spare the rod and spoil the child. This

mad beatings.

She came after us with a black -eyed fury, armed with whatever weapon she had

hand, a dog lead, a slipper, a riding crop, a rope.

Are you ready to say you're sorry?

No.

I've been working as a journalist for a couple of decades thinking I was

interested in criminal justice and social problems when I saw that I was

drawn to stories again and again with the same theme.

A deep -seated urge to hit back at anybody at all.

Who takes power and abuses it. Stupid child.

So I tried hitting him back.

Why?

Seizing rage.

I thought he looked vulnerable.

Oh.

Didn't work.

No.

He looked terrible.

What happened to you?

You're asking me or him?

Okay, so I need to... To take you to your mum's tonight.

Um, she says she'd call if you are.

Yeah, sure, I don't mind.

It's been a day of statements and counter -statements in the phone hacking

affair, with News International angrily refuting all the allegations made by the

Guardian. With the editor and the reporter due to appear at the Media

Committee, certain publications are claiming a leftist agenda against the

of the World by The Guardian, and calling for legal action to be taken

the organisation if they can't back up the furious claims made against

paper.

Bye.

See you, kids. Bye, kids.

Oh, come on. I'm fine, Mum. I'm fine.

It's my fault.

Sorry, bad advice.

Coffee?

Oh.

Thanks for sussing in Monday. I'm sorry.

Nick. Yeah. Have you eaten?

When? In the last day.

I'm just a bit tired. I'm not really at my best. I need to think and...

House of Commons Select Committee want to see us tomorrow.

And the Guardian have got this message that their PR have written that is...

that is just... All right. Okay.

You look worse than he does.

Nice. I didn't tell him to fight back.

I can't do this myself.

Come on. Eat someone.

Eat.

All right.

Come on.

Sit down.

Sit down.

People okay?

How do I make it better?

Well, we will talk to the school.

You think they'll do better?

Good to go.

Things have changed, you know. Teachers, parents, they're not allowed to do.

Systems, right?

I thought about her.

Earlier today, I was reading this.

Paper magic over apologetics.

PR nonsense. I thought about all the times I'd gone to her and apologised and

all the times that I... And then my son gets a face like that.

OK.

I'm going to make the safe route. You're staying here tonight.

And I'll just put this suit on.

to read that statement, a retraction at this time.

You're asking me to say I was wrong.

If we can't get Mr Apollo on the record, then we need to make a retraction.

You know getting him on the record is impossible.

Then I'm afraid you'll have to make that statement to the select committee

tomorrow. If you make me read it out, I won't come.

If you don't come...

Carl Bernstein, one of the great reporters who exposed the Watergate

said, I think all good reporting is the same thing. The best attainable version

of the truth.

The best attainable version of the truth.

The best attainable. So no matter what you've got...

Morning. Hi. Does this printer scanner thing still work?

Yeah, that one does.

Coffee? And do you have some black paper and some glue and some scissors?

Oh, you're making me a collage, Nick.

Might need the kid to be quite late for school.

Right. Why?

Okay, so these are emails written to a journalist, that's Neville, with

transcriptions of...

A man called Gordon Taylor's voicemail messages.

What I need you to do is to block out all the sections which are clearly

transcribed from those voicemails. Leave everything else visible.

You should be able to tell which bits are which, but if there ain't doubts,

ask. May I ask, why aren't you doing this at the Guardian with some sort of

vague professionalism?

Alan can't know.

Your editor can't know.

Because I can't have him tell anyone else.

Oh, yeah. That man is gossip.

If Fleet Street can't know about this, as far as they know, I'm walking naked

into that committee room.

I was just trying to protect my editor and my newspaper.

And you.

What sort of danger are you putting yourself in here?

Nick. How are you, Alan?

I'm fine. A bit tired.

Something interrupted my sleep last night.

I hate it when that happens.

I hate all of this.

Sorry if I've made your life difficult.

My life.

This is bigger than me.

Could have brought down the whole Guardian newspaper with this one.

What a way to go.

I mean, consider the glory.

I, Nick Davis, have destroyed, utterly destroyed,

close to 200 years of journalistic endeavour.

You're an absolute god.

God, I can't even think what you are. You're awful.

You know what?

Peter Preston told me when I took over the editor's desk.

Mein Helder, that you knew?

Don't join the club.

He had to make adjustments to the paper after the move from Manchester, and he

didn't... He wouldn't be part of the media cabal.

He liked being on the edge of Fleet Street.

He considered it part of our DNA.

Last night in bed, I realised something.

What you've done...

Bringing us here is in the line of great guardian coups.

But I do want to keep the newspaper I've been entrusted with alive.

Are you reading the statement?

No.

But I do have things to say.

If you go too far, I will squeeze your leg and you will stop.

I've got a paper to protect.

And you, be sure to protect yourself.

Tune hats on.

Thank you for joining us, gentlemen.

Now, we have a lot of questions, so I'll try to keep opening statements short.

I'd like to keep this whole experience quite short, if I may.

But I do have... There's a lot for me to say.

I'd like to start by showing you, first of all, copies of an email.