News Corp sets up hotline for staff to report 'illegal activity'

The instructions to call an "alertline", following the introduction of the Bribery Act earlier this year, come after revelations that journalists from the company's defunct newspaper, the News of the World, paid serving police officers for information.

The policy, circulated by Eugenie C Gavenchak, News Corp's chief compliance and ethics officer, stresses that employees are under an obligation to report colleagues, and suggests they use a dedicated line, which is "available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year". It states: "Employees who suspect... violations of this policy must report them to the legal department of the business unit or of News Corporation, or to the News Corporation alertline."

News Corp promises to give legal support to those who wrongly accuse a fellow employee. "If you make an honest complaint in good faith, even if you are mistaken as to what you are complaining about, the company will protect you from retaliation," its policy states.