Phone hacking scandal investigation could ensnare Dow Jones CEO

Ed Pilkingon of The Guardian in London writes that the investigation involving phone hacking scandal involving journalists at News Corp.’s News of the World could involve current Dow Jones & Co. CEO Les Hinton.

Dow Jones is the publisher of The Wall Street Journal.

Pilkington writes, “Since 2007, Hinton has been chief executive of Dow Jones, publisher of the Wall Street Journal and one of the most prestigious of Murdoch’s possessions. The bastion of US business coverage is seen as the crown jewel of Murdoch’s media empire.

“Before he was brought to the US, Hinton was chairman of News International, Murdoch’s UK newspaper arm, and thus central to the handling of the then-nascent News of the World scandal. On two occasions, once in the UK and once since his arrival in New York, he gave evidence to parliament that now appears to have been misleading.

“On 6 March 2007, while chairman of News International – and also chairman of the editors’ code committee that sets ethical guidelines for the British press – he appeared before the culture, media and sport subcommittee . He was asked what investigations had been carried out into the activities of Clive Goodman, the News of the World reporter who had hacked into the phones of the royal family and had by then been jailed for the offences.

“Hinton replied by standing up for Andy Coulson, the News of the World editor who had resigned over the Goodman affair while denying any knowledge of it: ‘I believe absolutely that Andy did not have knowledge of what was going on.’ On Friday Coulson was arrested on Friday in connection with the phone-hacking investigation.”

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