What is the main message of Hack Attack?

The main message of Hack Attack is the power and danger of investigative journalism in the digital age.

Who is the author of Hack Attack?

The author of Hack Attack is Nick Davies.

Politics

Hack Attack Book Summary - Hack Attack Book explained in key points

Hack Attack summary

Name: Hack Attack
Author: Nick Davies

Nick Davies

The Inside Story of How the Truth Caught Up with Rupert Murdoch

13 mins

Brief summary

Hack Attack by Nick Davies is an investigative book documenting how journalists from the News of the World tabloid newspaper hacked the phones of thousands of individuals, causing a political and media scandal in the UK. It highlights the importance of ethics and transparency in journalism.

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Memoirs Media

Table of Contents

Hack Attack
Summary of 7 key ideas

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Key idea 1 of 7

What’s in it for me? Learn how a phone hacking scandal brought Rupert Murdoch and his News of the World to their knees.

It’s one of the biggest scandals of our generation, and it led to an actual pie in the face for media mogul Rupert Murdoch. But the hacking exposé at the British News of the World tabloid was about more than just scandal. It was about investigative journalism, the way money can trump decency, and a story that gripped the entire world.

Hack Attack is the whole story, as chronicled by one of its major players. After all, it was the investigative work of journalist Nick Davies that kept the story alive and eventually led to News of the World shutting down.

These blinks tell the whole story, from a seemingly innocuous bit of tabloid press to a major cover up involving politicians, police, media, and one (formerly) untouchable billionaire.

After reading these blinks, you’ll know

why Murdoch ended up with a pie in the face;
about the shady role the police had to play in the scandal; and
why spying and hacking drew the ire of all of Britain.

One easy way to get information is to just steal it, for example, through phone hacking.

As with many other historic moments in British history, the phone-hacking scandal involved the Royal Family. This story, however, isn’t about deposing monarchs or warring kingdoms.

It centers around phone hacking, the illegal act of accessing someone else’s voicemail messages without their knowledge or consent.

For example, phone hackers can simply exploit a loophole in telecommunications safety. Voicemail inboxes can be accessed remotely, and from any phone – all you need is the PIN.

And people usually don’t change their PIN from the factory settings, which could be a simple code such as 0000. If you guess the PIN, you can access your target’s voicemails from anywhere.

The most nefarious means of accessing voicemails is by blagging, i.e., obtaining other people’s personal information through lying, persuasion and cunning.

Blaggers call phone companies and impersonate the owner of the phone, using their silver tongues to either acquire someone’s PIN or have it reverted to the easily guessed factory setting.

Among the original and most talented phone hackers was Glenn Mulcaire. While others may have had to learn the skill, Mulcaire was practically born to be a blagger. Almost instinctively, he would use his quick thinking and guile to effortlessly extract private information from his unwitting victims.

Mulcaire began his work as a private investigator but soon caught the eye of the editors at tabloid newspapers. One of them, News of the World (NoW), took a particular interest in his skills.

In fact, they were so interested that, by 2001, they were paying Mulcaire £94,000 per year as a retainer!

But it was 2005 when Mulcaire got his game-changing assignment: to hack the phones of the British Royal Family.

Scandal plagued NoW after two of its reporters were caught.

Mulcaire’s skills were critical in scoring a hit on what could only be considered the most lofty of targets, the British Royal Household.

He was commissioned by Clive Goodman, who worked under the newspaper’s editor in chief, Andy Coulson, and was in charge of stories about the Royals.

The man behind the curtain has a name: Rupert Murdoch.

Australian businessmen Rupert Murdoch has been skulking behind the scenes for decades.

He is the owner of various tabloids. Throughout his life, he has built a huge media organization, News Corporation (also known as News Corp), which owns more than 800 subsidiaries and has total assets worth around $60 billion.

Murdoch has cozy relationships with some politicians.

As you might expect, being at the center of an international media conglomerate comes with certain perks, one of which is political influence. The relationship between Murdoch and politicians is often smooth when they share the same political ideology.

This was the case with Margaret Thatcher, the British prime minister from 1979 to 1990. Their relationship was essentially effortless, as they were both strong adherents of Neoliberalist political philosophy, which calls for deregulated markets, privatization of public services and limited government interference.

The Guardian challenged NoW’s claim that the phone hacking was only an isolated incident.

We know today that NoW’s initial statements about phone hacking were a lie. But how exactly did this lie become exposed?

On 8 July 2009, the Guardian published a story claiming that the phone-hacking at NoW was in fact not an isolated incident. The article provided numerous pieces of evidence that debunked the notion that phone hacking had only happened once and that the NoW hadn’t continued to hack phones.

News Corp eventually did something that would enrage even the most indifferent of people.

Hacking the phones of the Royal Family didn’t generate much public scrutiny. Hacking the phone of a kidnapped girl, however, elicited unprecedented rage.

Milly Dowler was 13 years old when she disappeared while walking home from school in Walton-on-Thames in 2002. Six months later, her body was uncovered in local woodlands.

Murdoch’s personal reputation was damaged, and NoW would never publish another piece of news again.

In the end, the controversial tactics NoW used to procure their juicy stories came back to haunt them, and eventually destroy them.

On Sunday, July 10, 2011, NoW released its final edition, and then closed for good. The announcement had been made the preceding week by Rupert’s son, James Murdoch.

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What is Hack Attack about?

Hack Attack details the riveting story of the phone hacking scandal that rocked the British media in 2011. Focusing on the rise and fall of Rupert Murdoch’s News of the World, the books offers an inside look into the seedy world of tabloid journalism.

Hack Attack Review

Hack Attack (2014) by Nick Davies is an eye-opening exploration of the dark side of the media industry and the power of investigative journalism. Here's why this book is definitely worth reading:

Uncovering the shocking extent of phone hacking and corruption within the media, it exposes the truth behind a major scandal that had far-reaching consequences.
With , the author reveals how this scandal unfolded, providing a gripping and informative account.
By examining the ethical implications of modern journalism and the balance between personal privacy and public interest, the book raises important questions and sparks thoughtful reflection.

Best quote from Hack Attack

Mulcaire was the man. He was born to bullshit.

—Nick Davies

Who should read Hack Attack?

Anyone frightened by the amazing power wielded by multinational corporations
Aspiring journalists who aren’t afraid of setting their sights on billionaires
Anyone interested in the media and journalism

About the Author

Nick Davies is an award-winning author and investigative reporter. His numerous gongs include Reporter of the Year and Journalist of the Year at the British Press Awards. He is currently the special correspondent for the Guardian.

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