Wikipedia

Greg Miskiw

Greg Miskiw (born Ihor Miskiw; December 1949 – 25 September 2021) was a British journalist and news editor of the defunct tabloid newspaper the News of the World.[2]

Greg Miskiw
Born
Ihor Miskiw

December 1949[1]
Halifax, West Yorkshire, England
Died25 September 2021 (aged 71)
NationalityUkrainian
CitizenshipUnited Kingdom
OccupationEditor
Criminal chargesArrested by the Polish authorities for visa irregularities in 1981; arrested on 10 August 2011 as part of Operation Weeting on suspicion of unlawful interception of communications; charged with conspiracy to intercept communications without lawful authority on 24 July 2012

Career

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Miskiw was born in Leeds, Yorkshire in December 1949 and is of Ukrainian descent.[3] He began a career in journalism after taking the National Council for the Training of Journalists' one-year full-time entry course at Highbury Technical College, Portsmouth, in 1968-69.[4]

Mirror Group

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During the 1980s, Miskiw worked as a reporter for tabloid papers published by the Mirror Group. He was arrested by the Polish authorities for visa irregularities in 1981 while working for the Sunday Mirror.[5] He later moved to work for the Daily Mirror.[6]

News of the World

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By 2001 Miskiw was working for the News of the World as assistant editor on the news desk. There he helped to co-ordinate the work of Mazher Mahmood (also known as the fake sheikh), particularly Mahmood's taping of frank unguarded comments by Sophie, Countess of Wessex about various political figures and members of the Royal Family. He became assistant editor (news and investigations) in 2001.[7] In April 2002 News of the World's crime editor Peter Rose resigned[8] following the collapse of a proposed interview with a witness to the death of Damilola Taylor. In 2003 an employment tribunal ruled in favour of Rose's case for constructive dismissal. The tribunal chairman was particularly critical of Greg Miskiw, who failed to inform the reporters that the funding which would have enabled the interview to occur was not in place until all of the parties were ready to begin. The chairman said the Miskiw's manner was "cavalier and irresponsible" adding that Miskiw's actions "could no doubt affect the reputation of the applicant".[9] Later that year Miskiw moved to Manchester to oversee News of the World's north of England office.[10]

Speaking of the activities of the News of the World, Miskiw was once infamously quoted as saying:

"That is what we do - we go out and destroy other people's lives".[11]

Post-News of the World

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Miskiw left the News of the World in 2005.[12] He acted as editor of the Mercury Press Agency and planned to buy shares in the company, but was dismissed after 5 months.[13] He subsequently moved to Delray Beach, Florida working for the tabloid newspaper the Globe for two months in early 2011. In June of that year he started a company named "News Inc LLC".[14] In July following conversations between his solicitor and British police he returned to the UK.[15]

Miskiw was arrested on 10 August 2011 as part of Operation Weeting on suspicion of unlawful interception of communications.[2] He was released on police bail the following day.[16] On 24 July 2012, he was charged with conspiracy to intercept communications without lawful authority during the period from 3 October 2000 to 9 August 2006 from the phones of Milly Dowler, Sven-Göran Eriksson, Abigail Titmuss, John Leslie Andrew Gilchrist, David Blunkett MP, Delia Smith, Charles Clarke MP, Jude Law, Sadie Frost, Sienna Miller, and Wayne Rooney .[17][18]

Personal life

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Miskiw was of Ukrainian descent.[19] His first name is actually Ihor.[14] His former girlfriend, Terenia Taras, a freelance journalist who wrote stories for the News of the World,[20] has also been arrested as part of Operation Weeting.[21] Miskiw lived in the coastal town of Delray Beach, Florida in the United States, and had two children. Miskiw was also a passionate supporter of Leeds United.[20]

He pleaded guilty at R v Coulson, Brooks and others and was sentenced to six months in prison.

Miskiw suffered a pulmonary embolism in April 2021, and was diagnosed with lung cancer in August. He died on 25 September 2021, at the age of 71. He was survived by his mother and his two children.[22]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "MR GREG MISKIW director information. Free director information. Director id 912116880". Company Check. Retrieved 28 January 2019.
  2. ^ a b "Phone hacking: former News of the World news editor Greg Miskiw arrested". The Telegraph. 10 August 2011. Retrieved 17 August 2011.
  3. ^ Thomson, Alex (9 October 2015). "Greg Miskiw: 'the Prince of Darkness' of phone hacking". Channel 4 News. Retrieved 28 January 2019.
  4. ^ personal knowledge
  5. ^ Michael Dobbs (11 January 1982). "Courts jail more dissisdents". The Age. Retrieved 17 August 2011.
  6. ^ Michael Miner. "Gregory Miskiw — Brit tab vet plays roles in scandals in London, Chicago". Chicago Reader. Retrieved 17 August 2011.
  7. ^ Jessica Hodgson (5 June 2001). "NoW's Taylor promoted to Mr Fixit". Guardian. Retrieved 17 August 2011.
  8. ^ Ciar Byrne (22 August 2003). "News of the World in the dock". Guardian. Retrieved 17 August 2011.
  9. ^ Ciar Byrne (28 August 2003). "Crime reporter wins case against NoW". Guardian. Retrieved 17 August 2011.
  10. ^ John Plunkett (28 November 2003). "Senior reshuffle at News of the World". Guardian. Retrieved 17 August 2011.
  11. ^ "'Destroyer of lives' journalist heads to UK". The Scotsman. 22 July 2011. Retrieved 17 August 2011.
  12. ^ Claire Cozens (21 July 2005). "Wessex scoop man quits News of the World". The Guardian. Retrieved 17 August 2011.
  13. ^ Alyson Fixter (19 August 2005). "News of the World's Miskiw to head up news agency". Press Gazette. Archived from the original on 13 January 2012. Retrieved 17 August 2011.
  14. ^ a b Alexandra Clough and Eliot Kleinberg (20 July 2011). "Ex-tabloid news editor named in British phone-hacking scandal lives in Delray Beach". Sun Sentinel. Retrieved 17 August 2011.
  15. ^ Cahal Milmo and Martin Hickman (22 July 2011). "Former NOTW executive to return from Florida". The Independent. Retrieved 17 August 2011.
  16. ^ PA (11 August 2011). "News of the World executive Greg Miskiw released on bail". The Independent. Retrieved 17 August 2011.
  17. ^ "Alison Levitt QC's announcement on charges arising from Operation Weeting" (Press release). Crown Prosecution Service. 24 July 2012. Archived from the original on 12 August 2011. Retrieved 24 July 2012.
  18. ^ "Phone hacking: full list of charges". The Guardian. 24 July 2012. Retrieved 24 July 2012.
  19. ^ "Three British Ukrainians caught up in center of Murdoch media scandal". Kyiv Post. 22 July 2011. Retrieved 17 August 2011.
  20. ^ a b "Phone hacking: 61-year-old man arrested". The Guardian. 10 August 2011. Retrieved 17 August 2011.
  21. ^ "Woman, 39, arrested over NoW phone-hacking claims". BBC News. 23 June 2011. Retrieved 17 August 2011.
  22. ^ Former NotW exec Greg Miskiw dies aged 71 seven years after hacking prison term
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