Journalists 'betrayed' by News Corp, says union

News International journalists have told the National Union of Journalists they feel "betrayed", as it was today reported that News Corporation had handed over confidential information about reporters' sources to the police without the details being redacted.

The NUJ said in a release that it has received calls from staff at the newspaper group, and whistle-blowers, expressing anger at the actions of News Corporation's management and standards committee (MSC), the independent body set up to co-operate with the police investigation into alleged hacking and payments to public officials

The Times reported this morning that the committee had revealed the identity of police officers, a civil servant and an army officer, mentioned in Sun journalists' notes, to the Metropolitan police, on the grounds that "they do not deserve protection".

The paper said the MSC was redacting the names of confidential sources, but not "if there is evidence that the source was a public official who may have been paid".

The union said the disclosure would put sources at risk and threatened press freedom.

General secretary Michelle Stanistreet said in the release: "The NUJ believes that newspapers should co-operate with the police where there is evidence of illegal activity, but making this material available without consultation with the journalists involved is unacceptable.

"We are receiving calls from whistle-blowers who had been assured that they would be protected, and who now fear for their jobs and worse."

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