It was today reported by the Telegraph that, in the wake of the recent News International phone hacking scandal, a new policy has been implemented by Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp as part of a fresh crackdown on “illegal activities”.

Apparently, the new six-page policy is particularly strict on the bribing of public officials and notes that: “Gifts and hospitality that may be perfectly acceptable among private parties can be completely forbidden when the other party is a government official.”

The policy, which has been circulated to all staff, also goes on to stress that employees are obligated to report any suspicious behaviour, “… to the legal department of the business unit or of News Corporation, or to the News Corporation alertline.”  Presumably, there is no danger that employees’ calls to the ‘alertline’ will be hacked.

The issue of whistleblowing has been previously addressed, both from a UK and a US perspective, by the Bribery Library here, here and here.