Clive Goodman is a British journalist best known for his role as the royal editor for the now-defunct News of the World tabloid newspaper and his involvement in the UK phone hacking scandal.
Goodman's career included a prominent position covering the British royal family. In 2007, he was arrested and subsequently sentenced to four months in prison for illegally intercepting voicemails of royal aides. His conviction, alongside private investigator Glenn Mulcaire, was a key early indicator of the extent of phone hacking practices within the British press. The investigation revealed that Goodman had paid Mulcaire to hack into the phones of various individuals connected to the royal household.
Following his release, Goodman was again a central figure in the wider News International phone hacking scandal. In 2014, he was found guilty of two counts of conspiring to commit misconduct in a public office, related to payments made to public officials for confidential information. These convictions were part of a larger trial that also involved Rebekah Brooks and Andy Coulson, further exposing the unethical practices at the News of the World. The revelations from these investigations ultimately led to the closure of the News of the World in July 2011 after 168 years of publication.
Goodman's case highlighted the ethical breaches within parts of the British tabloid press and contributed significantly to the public and political scrutiny that resulted in the Leveson Inquiry into the culture, practices, and ethics of the press.