Phone-Hacking Ruling Exposes Systemic Concealment and Prince Harry's Victimization

Actor and comedian Steve Coogan has called for press reform and a stronger system of independent regulation following Prince Harry's partial victory in a phone-hacking claim against Mirror Group Newspapers. Coogan, who is involved with the Hacked Off campaign, criticized the "systemic concealment" by the press and called for the replacement of the "toothless" Independent Press Standards Organisation (Ipso). He argued that the damages paid out by the Mirror could have been used to support genuine public interest journalism. Coogan's comments come after a high court judge ruled that there was extensive phone hacking by MGN and that senior executives, including former editor Piers Morgan, knew about the practice.