What Did Rusbridger Know?

FRIDAY, AUGUST 19, 2011

What Did Rusbridger Know?

Regular readers will recall how Guido often wonders how it is the Guardiangets their hacking scoops. Well it turns out their rivals and the Met itself have been wondering the very same thing…

This recent exchange between the Times’ Sean O’Neill and the BBC’s Gaetan Portal, who both cover crime, reveals their suspicions:

@GaetanPortal
Gaetan Portal

@TimesCrime @fleetstreetfox when The Guardian ran the story on yesterday's arrest the press bureau knew nothing of it. #notverysubtle

about 13 hours ago via Twitter for iPhoneReplyRetweetFavorite

The proper source of information for journalists is of course the Met’s press bureau. The Indy’s Oliver Wright observes

@oliver_wright
oliver wright

Interesting that this is the one hacking story The Guardian didn't have strangely early

about 14 hours ago via TweetDeckReplyRetweetFavorite

Lo and behold today a 51 year old police officer, working on the phone-hacking inquiry namedOperation Weeting, was arrested and suspended for leaking to the Guardian. Given that David Leigh has already confessed to phone-hacking, theGuardian’s squeaky clean reputation is collapsing at a rapid speed. Was this blatant corruption ofpolice integrity sanctioned?

Just last month the Guardian issued a lofty and updated guide to ethical standards for intruding into private matters, such as a police investigation, rule four stated: “There must be proper authority – any intrusion must be authorised at a sufficiently senior level and with appropriate oversight.”

Guido looks forward to Rusbridger’s imminent statement on what he knew and when…

Toby Young: Guido is “Vain and Bumptious” – Spectator
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Do Not Blog For Free – Guardian
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A Small Step – ASI
Liam Fox and Old Flatmate In Trouble - Guardian
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Warmists: Aliens Tipped Off By Global Warming - Guardian
Owen Jones and Dave’s Big Week – Harry Cole
Farmland Hits All Time High – MFG
A-Levels Become a National Joke – Toby Young
Salmond Blows Top at Labour MP – Scotsman
Time For Chris Huhne To Go – Spiderplant Land
Send Them Down – Sir Michael White
Tobin Tax, Reason or Treason? – ASI