Murdoch’s News Group Paid Settlement to Prince William, Court Filing Shows

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The news world has once again been rocked by revelations of the illegal and unethical practices of one of its biggest players – Rupert Murdoch’s News Group. Court filings have revealed that News Group, the parent company of the now-defunct News of the World, agreed to pay a substantial settlement to Prince William in 2009, following allegations that the tabloid had hacked into his voicemail messages.

The settlement, which was reported to be in the region of £400,000, was paid to the Royal Foundation, a charitable organisation set up by Prince William and his brother, Prince Harry. The amount is believed to be one of the largest ever paid out by a British newspaper in relation to phone hacking.

News Group’s settlement with Prince William was kept confidential at the time, but its existence has long been suspected. The revelations have once again highlighted the extent of the phone hacking scandal that engulfed News Group and other newspapers in the late 2000s and early 2010s.

The hacking scandal first came to light in 2006, when the News of the World’s royal editor, Clive Goodman, and a private investigator, Glenn Mulcaire, were arrested for intercepting the voicemail messages of members of the royal household. The scandal widened in 2011, when it emerged that the News of the World had also hacked the phones of numerous other public figures, including celebrities and politicians.

The fallout from the hacking scandal has been immense, resulting in the closure of the News of the World, the arrest of numerous journalists and executives, and the establishment of a public inquiry into the practices of the British press.

The settlement with Prince William is just one of several paid out by News Group to the victims of phone hacking. In 2011, the company set up a compensation scheme for those whose phones had been hacked, which has paid out millions of pounds in settlements.

It’s worth noting that the payments made by News Group have not been without controversy. Some have argued that the amounts paid out have been too low, and that the company has not done enough to apologise for its actions.

Others have criticised the fact that the settlements have been kept confidential, arguing that the public has a right to know who has been affected by the hacking scandal and how much they have been paid.

The revelations about the settlement with Prince William are particularly interesting because they raise questions about News Group’s relationship with the royal family. Some have speculated that the company may have been attempting to curry favour with the royals, in order to secure exclusive stories and access.

There have long been rumours about the extent of the relationship between News Group and the royals. In 2005, the News of the World famously published pictures of Prince Harry wearing a Nazi uniform, which caused outrage across the country. Some have speculated that the paper was able to get hold of the pictures because of its close ties to the royal family.

Of course, it’s impossible to know for sure what the motivation behind News Group’s settlement with Prince William was. It’s possible that the company simply wanted to avoid a protracted legal battle, or that it wanted to show that it was serious about cleaning up its act.

But the fact that the settlement was kept confidential does raise questions about the company’s willingness to be transparent about its actions. It’s also worth noting that News Group has been criticised in the past for its lack of transparency and accountability, particularly in relation to the conduct of its journalists.

The revelations about the settlement with Prince William are a stark reminder of the wrongs that were committed by News Group and other newspapers during the phone hacking scandal. They serve as a warning that the media must be held accountable for its actions, and that it must act with professionalism and integrity at all times.

As the media landscape continues to evolve, it’s more important than ever that journalists and news organisations adhere to the highest ethical and legal standards. The public deserves nothing less than the truth, and it’s the responsibility of the media to provide it – with transparency, accountability, and professionalism.