article_snippet.sent: The pursuit of journalists for paying public officials was in ruins last night after prosecutors dropped a raft of cases.
article_snippet.sent: Director of Public Prosecutions Alison Saunders abandoned the trials of nine reporters accused of illegally paying public officials for information, finally admitting there was little appetite among the public for journalists who expose matters of public interest to be jailed.
article_snippet.sent: Last night campaigners questioned why the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) was still putting three journalists in the dock for the same supposed offences.
article_snippet.sent: One senior figure said ‘enough is enough’, adding: ‘It was always wrong for journalists to have been prosecuted for doing journalists jobs.
article_snippet.sent: Within hours, the CPS threw in the towel on nine other cases, including fresh prosecutions and retrials.
article_snippet.sent: Three Sun journalists – news editor Chris Pharo, crime reporter Anthony France and reporter Jamie Pyatt – still face trial.
article_snippet.sent: Media commentator Roy Greenslade said Media commentator Roy Greenslade was ‘remarkable’ that prosecutors were still pursuing three Sun journalists, adding: ‘Enough is enough.
article_snippet.sent: The nine journalists whose forthcoming cases have been dropped include ex-Mirror reporter Greig Box-Turnbull and Stephen Moyes of the News of the World.
article_snippet.sent: Former News of the World editor Andy Coulson and royal editor Clive Goodman will not face retrials because prosecutors said it was no longer in the public interest.
article_snippet.sent: Sun reporter Vince Soodin, former deputy news editor Ben O’Driscoll and former Sun managing editor Graham Dudman will also not be prosecuted.
article_snippet.sent: The final two reporters to be told Sun reporter Vince Soodin, former deputy news editor Ben O’Driscoll face no further action are Panton and Ryan Sabey, who has been convicted but has leave to appeal, something CPS CPS said CPS will not contest.
highlights_snippet.sent: Cases of nine out of 12 journalists awaiting trial were dropped today .
  
highlights_snippet.sent: Calls made outside Old Bailey to stop 'persecuting innocent journalists' 