Piers Morgan to Receive Spotlight Tuesday over Journalism Practices

CNN Host and America's Got Talent Judge Piers Morgan will be placed in a different role than usual on Tuesday when he will publicly testify about the tactics of the British press.

Morgan will face questions Tuesday before the Leveson Inquiry about the News of the World hacking scandal. According to the Associated Press, the TV star will appear via video link.

The 46-year-old British native used to be actively involved in the British tabloid scene. The then-28-year-old journalist was hired as editor of News of the World by News Corp. CEO Rupert Murdoch in 1994, but left after one year to become editor of the Daily Mirror.

Morgan was fired in 2004 after the Mirror showed a photograph, which turned out to be fake, of a British soldier urinating on an Iraqi detainee. That incident led Morgan to leave the newspaper business and create a second personality in television.

In a 2007 interview with GQ magazine, before media attention of the scandal escalated, Morgan said he couldn't be overly concerned about telephone hacking, saying the News of the World reporter initially accused of hacking, Clive Goodman, has been made the scapegoat for a very widespread practice.

In July of 2011, Internet blogger Paul Staines accused Morgan of knowing about a Mirror reporter who hacked into a phone to get a scoop. Morgan has denied he was involved with any incidents of phone hacking.

Morgan's employer, CNN, has repeatedly stood by Morgan despite questions regarding his knowledge of unethical and illegal journalistic practices.

The Leveson Inquiry was established in July by British Prime Minister David Cameron at the height of the News of the World hacking scandal, which has led to the arrest of countless employees and the closing of the newspaper. The hearings, which began last month, look into the practice and ethics of the British press. Cameron appointed Lord Justice Brian Leveson as chairman of the inquiry.

Other celebrities that have testified about press abuse include Hugh Grant, Sienna Miller and J.K. Rowling.