Piers Morgan Under Increased Scrutiny Over Phone Hacking

Piers Morgan will testify on Tuesday before an official British inquiry into the widespread phone hacking that occurred in the U.K. when Morgan was a prominent media figure.

The Piers Morgan known to American television viewers is a bit different from the Piers Morgan that rose to fame as the 28-year-old head of the News of the World media empire 18 years ago. Rupert Murdoch hand-picked Morgan to head one of the magnate's most prized media properties and Morgan was calling the shots during some of the biggest tabloid media events of the time. Now that Murdoch's empire is crumbling among widespread reports of phone hacking and other unscrupulous behavior, Piers Morgan is being drawn back into the inquiry to determine what he knew.

Unfortunately for Piers, he seems to have revealed many clues in his writings and interviews over the years that he was aware of phone hacking and many other illegal practices among journalists under his watch. Morgan seems to have taken the stance that such practices were well-known and widespread, so he felt no need to stop them or to refrain from using information that was obtained illegally.

Instead, Morgan seemed to embrace the fact that doing whatever it took to get the scoop was just an accepted part of his profession, no matter what the consequences or the means through which information was obtained.

Piers Morgan's career in the U.S. has gone very well to this point, and it's unclear exactly what sort of impact the ethics inquiry might have on his status with American viewers. Morgan recently stepped away from his role as a judge on America's Got Talent and he has been replaced by Howard Stern. Morgan's position as the new face of CNN, taking over for Larry King, has been a success to this point with steady ratings supporting CNN's decision.

By Buzzle Staff and Agencies