Been a weird couple of days still with NOW stuff rattling on. Yesterday a friend told me that an old collague had died, but it was still a shock when I saw his face splashed across the front pages in the shops today.
Sean Hoare was a proper old school journalist. Worked hard, played even harder. He had a lot of troubles, drug and drink dependency. But he was also very kind, always supportive and ready to crack a joke. He was also one of the very few collegues I'd meet for a drink out of work.
He was decent too. Strange to say about a NOW journo I know. I remember once working with a very young journo who had been told by her news editor to get a story that evening, no matter what, otherwise she'd not have a job to go back to. It ended up with us both being in a bad situation, one that she refused to leave because of fear of her bosses. In the early hours she was sexually assaulted by the manager of a pop band and I dragged her out of a hotel room by her arm, while the man was pulling at her other arm trying to get her back in. I also had been threatened by the man, but luckily I stood up to him and didnt show any fear. Not easy I tell you, it was a really bad night. We phoned our respective bosses, and Sean. Sean was there within 10 mins to help and support. The journalists boss took two hours to get there, and mine never bothered to show up at all. Sean, shouted at the news editor, telling him the assault was his fault because of the fear installed at NOW, and the threats to the young journo.
Been following the select committee hearing all day. It's quite labyrinthine isn't it? Hacking, media magnates, journos, PIs, bent coppers and possibly political conspiracies. Quite exhausting!
He must have been tormented working with people behaving so badly - I hate bullying & it's particularly obnoxious when it's boss to subordinate. Shame he won't be around to see the right people pay for it. I noticed Mrs B kept saying she didn't know they were hacking Millie Dowler whenever they asked her - neatly sidestepping whether she knew about the rest.
I was thinking of you today seeing this all over the front pages. I'm so sorry, you must be feeling terrible at the loss of your friend. The blatant lying and denials at the top is shocking, and now this needless death. All very sad.
My goodness I've been thinking about you so much the last few days! What a rum do! I guess you're really best well out of it but i wondered what and who you knew. I'm sorry you have this news of a personal freind all over the papers. I think the media forget that whatever they are reporting it is about people, thier lives, thier feelings etc. I have had first hand experience of th NOW and their tactics and I can say it stays with you and your family forever.
Wow, you have a view of this headline story that the rest of us will never know. What a terrible loss. It is weird to watch something on TV thousands of miles away and comment about how stupid 'nothing suspicious' sounds in relation to the death of a whistle blower, and to hear about the kindness of this same person from someone who knew him. It reminds me that all of these people we hear about on the news are real people with lives and history that I know nothing about. I'm sorry for your loss of a friend and sorry that there are people so hungry for a story that they will resort to immoral lengths to get it.
poor fellow sad news for your friend & his family Freda hope it was not the stress of this lot that did it... the pie man got 6mths in jail i see wonder if he would have got that time if he had chucked a flan at me ot you .. i doubt it very much
