Hackgate is the biggest scandal to engulf the mainstream press in decades. What started as a small bush fire - with News of the World royal editor and his private detective friend Glenn Mulcaire being detained at Her Majesty's pleasure in 2007 for hacking illegally into the phones of the royal family and others - became a forest fire destroying countless reputations (and the NoW) in its wake.
The first edition, published in February 2012, soon became the standard text on the Leveson Inquiry into the culture, practices and ethics of the British press.
It was serialised over twenty five days in the Media Guardian and read by Lord Justice Leveson himself. This second edition updates the thirty original contributions and includes new material from Sir Harold Evans, Roy Greenslade and Ray Snoddy
on Leveson and after. Other contributors include Chris Atkins, Steven Barnett,
Patrick Barrow, Teodora Beleaga, Daniel Bennett, Damian Paul Carney,
Brian Cathcart, Glenda Cooper, the Co-ordinating Committee for Media Reform, Tim Crook, Sean Dodson, Sallyanne Duncan, Chris Frost, Ivor Gaber,
Tony Harcup, Phil Harding, Huw L. Hopkins, Mike Jempson, Nicholas Jones, John Lloyd, Tim Luckhurst, Kevin Marsh, Ben McConville, Jackie Newton, Eamonn O'Neill, Richard Peppiatt, Wayne Powell, Stewart Purvis,
Alan Rusbridger, Justin Schlosberg, Kate Smith, Judith Townend,
John Tulloch and Barry Turner.
Edited by Richard Lance Keeble and John Mair, it is a 'must read' for all concerned about journalism standards and all involved in journalism and journalism education - either as teachers or students.