'The Hack' Ending Explained And Finale Recap

The question that stays with you till the very end of The Hack is when Milly Dowler’s father asks Nick Davies, “Can you tell us why? Why would someone do this?” Nick, being a journalist himself, tried to explain to the parents the reason why an esteemed newspaper of the country violated their privacy. He believed that the reporters from the News of the World hacked into a missing schoolgirl’s phone because they thought they might find a good story in it. It would help them to sell their newspaper. But this is where they crossed the line. To sell a newspaper, they undermined the very tenets of journalism. They could have contacted the parents or taken their permission, but instead they “hacked” into the system simply because they could do so. And that’s an abuse of power. But did those running News International (now known as News Corp UK & Ireland Limited) get the punishment they deserved? Or were they let go with a slap on their wrist? Well, those who have finished watching ITV’s The Hack already know the answers, but if you still have questions, then I am going to break down the ending of the show for you.

Spoiler Alert

Nick Exposed The News of the World

Since the very beginning of The Hack, Nick has been looking for just one good lead that would help the press expose the unscrupulous practices of News of the World. Nick wanted to tell the world how the media mogul, Keith Rupert Murdoch, had been abusing his power to further his limitless ambitions. Things came to light when, in 2006, Glen Mulcaire, a private investigator, and Clive Goodman, the royal editor of the News of the World, were arrested for hacking into the voicemail messages of Prince William’s staff to dig out information on the royal family. An anonymous source, whose name wasn’t revealed in the show, contacted Nick, telling him that Mulcaire’s case wasn’t the only unethical practice at the News of the World, nor was it the last. Hacking phones was endemic at this said newspaper, and his source wanted Nick to get to the bottom of the truth. By the way, this source, whom Nick called Mr. Apollo, didn’t appear on the show again, in case you are wondering. He gave Nick some confidential copies of Glen Mulcaire’s emails he had exchanged with chief reporter Neville Thurlbeck. I know there are too many names in the show, and it can be a bit difficult to follow, so just to keep it short and simple, almost everyone in upper management knew that their reporters and private investigators had been hacking into phones to dig up information, but things went haywire, and they made Glen Mulcaire the fall guy. Andy Coulson, the main editor of the newspaper, voluntarily retired from his post so he could look honorable in the public eye for taking responsibility for one rogue reporter under his watch.

During the course of his investigation, Nick contacted a number of celebrities, politicians, and policemen who had become victims of phone hacking, but they were all public figures, who, as per the general notion, don’t really have a right to their privacy. The thing is, no one really understands the seriousness of the matter until they themselves feel threatened by the very same evil. Hence, Nick wanted evidence to prove that the general public was equally being targeted by the newspapers owned by News International, and that was when he came across Milly Dowler’s story. The News of the World, under the editorship of Rebekah Brooks, had printed a transcript of Milly’s voicemail, which was a direct violation of the ongoing police inquiry. People became aware that their voicemails are being hacked by the private investigators and reporters to bring their private lives into the spotlight. It created a furor from which the News of the World couldn’t recover. Milly Dowler’s story became Murdoch’s Achilles heel.

The Guardian’s detailed report quickly turned into a nightmare for News International, with journalists all over the world speculating about the scope of their crimes. People who didn’t want to pick a fight with the Goliath earlier now gathered the courage to come forward and describe how they had been “monstered” by the most powerful newspaper in the county. There was a lot of bad press, which was indirectly affecting Murdoch’s plan to take control of Europe’s largest media company, BSkyB, which was why Murdoch made a calculated move and shut down the News of the World. And this was how the UK’s best-selling newspaper shuttered itself forever. In the end, Murdoch had to drop his bid for BSkyB.

Nick and His Friends Were Attacked

You know, people in general advise you to raise your voice against your bullies. But that’s easier said than done. There are chances that they are going to retaliate, and if you are not cautious, you are going to get hit badly. That’s the same thing that happened with Nick’s son in school, but that’s not the story you are here for. After Nick’s report was printed in the newspapers, Murdoch (presumably) unleashed his hunters upon Nick and his friends. These private investigators started following Alan Rusbridger, Nick’s editor; DCS Dave Cook, Nick’s close friend on the force; and Amelia Hill, a reporter working closely with Nick on the case, to dig out any incriminating evidence against them. They had planted bugs in Alan’s home, while they left confidential files in Dave’s house to frame him for withholding crucial information from the court. If you remember, Murdoch had bribed coppers to misplace two cartons of files when Dave was investigating the murder of Daniel Morgan, a private investigator who was killed with an ax to his head. So it could be presumed that it was Murdoch’s men who put those invoices in Dave’s house so he wouldn’t be able to testify for Lord Justice Leveson’s report. 

As for Nick, Deputy Assistant Commissioner Sue Akers informed Nick that they had found some inaccuracies in his article accusing the News of the World of deleting the voicemails from Milly Dowler’s phone. She believed that it was probably the phone company who, as a standard practice, deletes messages after 72 hours. The thing is, this latest development in the inquiry doesn’t change the truth. Those working at the News of the World had hacked into people’s phones and invaded their privacy. Murdoch’s minions were trying to attack Nick’s credibility so that they could distract people from the truth. That’s what they have always done, but it didn’t help their cause. The damage was already done. Meanwhile, someone had tipped off the police about Amelia’s leak in the MET. And as soon as this news came out, the news agencies owned by News International started a campaign aimed at character assassinating her. 

Nick, standing in the midst of such chaos, could see what was happening and especially why it was happening. It made him worried that Murdoch would get away with his crimes, just like his abusive mother, who never faced the consequences of her actions. But this was the moment when Alan made him realize that sometimes, it’s not about winning the fight but about telling the world that someone was there on the battlefield: a few handfuls of people who had the courage to take a stand against the oppressors. And they might not have been able to defeat the evil, but they did enough damage to make people realize that no one in this world is invincible.

The Hack’s ending revealed that even though Murdoch and his men tried their best to break the spirits of Nick and his friends, none of them ever stepped back. Dave was repeatedly investigated for his handling of the Daniel Morgan murder case and for leaking confidential information to the reporters, but he was never prosecuted in any of these investigations. As of now, he has retired from the force and gone back to Scotland to live a happy life with his new wife. I just want to mention here that the News of the World had been bribing the cops to tamper with the investigation of the Daniel Morgan murder case because they didn’t want the authorities to find a link between the private investigators and the newspaper that had been paying them a considerable amount of money to gather information by any means necessary. This could mean that the phone hacking scandal wasn’t their first rodeo, and News International had been involved in a number of other shady methods to find a story. But we’ll never find out because the investigation was botched.

As far as Nick and Alan were concerned, they continued working for the Guardian. Nick is now retired, but he still maintains his friendship with Alan. In the show, Amelia had told Nick that she was planning to move to the States, but things didn’t come to that. She still works as a senior reporter at the Guardian, while her secret source has retired from the force. He was never charged with any criminal offense.

The Aftermath of Leveson’s Report

Nick always knew that the day the crimes of these rogue reporters and organizations came to light, the first thing the people were going to question was the tenets of journalism and the moral responsibility of a reporter. It will give the government an excuse to impose strict regulations on the working of the press, just because a few bad apples dare to cross the line. He knew that what the News of the World had done was wrong. But the practices of one corrupt organization should not tarnish the image of the whole press. It doesn’t matter that there are 100s of Murdochs out there, there’s also one Nick Davies among them, who is relentlessly trying to protect the integrity of his profession and reveal the truth to the world.

Nick tried his best to explain the importance of the unofficial source and how crucial it is to tell the stories that people are often reluctant to tell. The unauthorized contact was the cornerstone of his entire investigation, but what the News of the World had done differently was to steal the information without the permission of its custodian. He wanted the people sitting in the hearing to understand the differences, because their strict laws could take away the freedom of the press, which is one of the most important pillars of democracy. It was a crucial moment in the history of British journalism, and Leveson’s report could either give the press a chance to rebuild itself or break its back forever. But unfortunately, in the end, Leveson’s findings didn’t do anything. It was a farce. 

The report proposed the establishment of a fully independent body to regulate the press, but it was rejected by the journalists and the newspapers of Fleet Street. So, just another dead end. Meanwhile, the investigation of News International and its relationship with the MET was called off by the Conservative Government in 2018. As mentioned in the show, the former business magnate distanced himself from the mess and threw his editors under the bus. Murdoch maintained that he wasn’t actually involved with or aware of the workings of the News of the World, therefore shifting the blame to those running the newspaper. In short, Alan’s words came true. All those who were accused got away with a slap on the wrist, while those honest and hardworking reporters and journalists of the News of the World, who were merely following orders, lost their jobs as soon as the newspaper was shut down.

The Hack’s ending mentioned that News UK (formerly known as News International) reportedly has settled with more than 1300 claimants in the phone hacking case and has paid over a billion pounds in damages and professional fees. But don’t be surprised. It’s something the rich can afford. It is their easy way out. Even before these accusations were made public, News International had been paying millions of pounds to make people keep their mouths shut. The wealthy and the influential will do everything in their power to cleanse their image in the public. They will rebrand their corporations. They will donate to charities. Hire the most expensive lawyers to bury their secrets. Victimize themselves if it comes to that. It is because this is not their first scandal, nor is it going to be their last. And this is why it is so important to recognize the efforts of people like Nick Davies because without them, we will never find out the truth. Or should I say, “the best obtainable version of the truth”?

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