David Allen Green

A critical and liberal look at law and policy

What did Dominic Mohan say in 2002?

An interesting quote from the current editor of the Sun.

By David Allen Green Published 21 January 2011 20:33

Dominic Mohan is now editor of the Sun, and in 2002 he was editing its showbusiness column.

In the Guardian on 1 May 2002, there appeared an intriguing paragraph in a report about "showbusiness journalism's most glamorous event, the Princess Margaret Awards -- aka the Shaftas":

Ring, a ring a story
How appropriate that the most glamourous event in the showbusiness calender should be sponsored by a phone company. Mohan went on to thank "Vodafone's lack of security" for the Mirror's showbusiness exclusives. Whatever does he mean?

Indeed, whatever could he have meant?

And what was known in the world of showbusiness journalism back in 2002?

David Allen Green is legal correspondent of the New Statesman.

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14 comments

Fri, 2012-07-20 10:08 — Pero (not verified)

Such are the pressures of a digital media world for Mohan, the former showbiz reporter turned editor. One big question is whether the title will erect a paywall like its stablemates the Times and the Sunday Times.

Fri, 2011-01-21 20:58 — BluePorcupine

"Mohan went on to thank "Vodafone's lack of security" for the Mirror's showbusiness exclusives"

Why was he commenting on the Mirror's exclusives if he was showbiz editor of the Sun?

Sat, 2011-01-22 15:40 — Wapping refugee (not verified)

Let's hope he and other News Int execs are invited to give evidence under oath.

Thu, 2011-01-27 23:15 — Monty (not verified)

Another brief comment in the Guardian in 6 Sep 2010 also refers to this comment:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/mediamonkeyblog/2010/sep/06/phone-hackin... making it clear "Dominic Mohan, went on to thank "Vodafone's lack of security" for the showbusiness exclusives of his rival, the Daily Mirror." "This produced the biggest cheer of the night" from the assembled journos.

Sun, 2011-07-24 17:55 — Caliares (not verified)

Calendar is spelt wrong.

Sun, 2011-07-24 18:21 — Tony (not verified)

Nothing to do with this sort of thing eh! www.hackergate.co.uk/

Sun, 2011-07-24 19:17 — Steve Davies (not verified)

@ Caliares, "calendar is spelt wrong". That's a quote from the Guardian, no reason to believe it's been wrongly transcribed.

Fri, 2011-01-21 20:40 — Chris Lovell (not verified)

The plot thickens indeed!

Mon, 2011-01-24 11:56 — Dave C (not verified)

A fine exemplar of the pot calling the kettle black.

Fri, 2011-01-21 21:06 — BigCrunchie (not verified)

Do you mean The Sun, rather than The Mirror? Or was Mohan having a pop at something The Mirror may or may not have done? And by implication something that didn't go on at News Int? I think we should be told...

Sun, 2011-07-24 20:32 — Chris McCray (not verified)

Is "Vodafone's lack of security" simply that when you first got a Vodafone, your voicemail default passcode was 3333 or 1234 - and so easy to get into?

The only trick needed was to dial the number twice - first to "occupy" the phone with a call, the second to get diverted directly to the voicemail (as the phone was known to be engaged on the first call). You then hang-up the first call (ideally before it's even been answered) then start listening to messages on the second call.

This is the hack that the press seem to be saying isn't a hack (it is imho, but is ably assisted by poor security built into the way Vodafone handled voicemail).

I don't think it provides the "smoking gun" that Trinity Mirror Group were up to quite the same depth of hacking that News International were, though.

Sun, 2011-01-23 12:53 — jie4v7i14

Sun doesn't sell well in Liverpool, still.

It's nickname The Scum sums it up. And Kelvin MacKenzie still makes my skin creep when I see him on telly these days. Tits always on page three is quite ironic, isn't it?

Mon, 2011-07-25 11:16 — swatantra

The excuse that they would give is that :they were just 'testing' the security system, and journalists way back have been involved in schemes like 'break-ins' etc and set ups like fake sheiks etc, in order to test security. It might be a valid excuse if it exposes a lack of security in a given area.