Daily Mail publisher undertakes review of editorial controls and procedures

The Daily Mail's publisher has quietly initiated a review of editorial controls and procedures across its national newspapers, bringing in its former chief lawyer to handle the exercise. Eddie Young, formerly group legal adviser, is helping Liz Hartley, head of editorial legal services, who oversees compliance with journalistic standards, carry out the review at Associated Newspapers – the immediate owner of the Daily Mail and the Mail on Sunday – as well as advising on the impact of the Bribery Act and data protection issues. Sources close to the publisher say it is a "routine assessment" and the exercise has nothing to do with the ongoing phone-hacking controversy that has centred on the News of the World, but has now started to draw in titles owned by Trinity Mirror. Publishing sources say that most newspaper groups are considering a review of their practices and codes of conduct as Lord Justice Leveson gears up for his enquiry into media standards and media regulation. Lord Rothermere, the chairman of Associated's holding company Daily Mail & General Trust, told staff last month he was confident that his company's titles upheld high standards of journalism. In a post on the company's internal bulletin board, the media baron said that the "entire illegal phone-hacking saga has brought our industry into disrepute" and added: "Many of our enemies will accuse us of doing the same but I have the unequivocal assurance from Paul Dacre [Associated's editor in chief] that this is not the case." • To contact the MediaGuardian news desk email [email protected] or phone 020 3353 3857. For all other inquiries please call the main Guardian switchboard on 020 3353 2000. If you are writing a comment for publication, please mark clearly "for publication". • To get the latest media news to your desktop or mobile, follow MediaGuardian on Twitter and Facebook • This article was amended on 9 August 2011 to clarify Eddie Young's role in the review at Associated Newspapers.