interview


He says that insecurity in newsrooms is a result, and the instinct is to go along with the culture of the place and do as you are told is understandable. Those affected by press


which has


intrusion are campaigning for part 2 of the Leveson inquiry to go ahead (it was scrapped by former culture secretary Matt Hancock). Hacked Off has applied for a judicial review, been granted for 1 November.


“In the end, I thought Leveson 2 should take place. If the prime minister stands up in the House of Commons, and promises something’s going to happen and Leveson himself came out and said ‘I think there should be a part 2’, I thought there was enough to go at.” Rusbridger recognises that no industry would


want its business practices scrutinised. Breaking News also explores the possibility of independent and hyperlocal publications solving the problem of concentrated media ownership. One example is De Correspondent, a website in The Netherlands, known for raising money before to publishing stories. Referring to its business model, Rusbridger says: “There’s this new media mantra, ‘your readers know more than you do’.” Somebody who works in a school or hospital is


likely to know more than a journalist – why could they therefore not be used as a resource? They could be a source as well a fact checker for the final copy before publication, he suggests.. When asked about advice for aspiring and existing journalists, Rusbridger ponders about the state of the industry today. “Well, I think there are some bits of journalism that never change,” he says, mentioning the principles of accuracy, fairness and multiple sources. He also notes that, while there is potential for


mistakes to be shared widely, it is also likely that they will be found out within minutes. “To any young journalist, there is no hiding place, and you have to be really, really good,” he says, noting that once they are trained to be arbiters of truth, they need to fulfil that role. As I leave, one last photograph is being taken;


he’s immersed in a Philip Roth book while classical music plays in the background. This epitomises the image of the Rusbridger


Guardian that I have; aside from a hat trick of scoops and its legendary journalism, what remains is an introverted former editor, who has been caught in the eye of so many storms.


Breaking News is published by Canongate Books


theJournalist | 11


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28