Leslie Edwin Hinton, commonly known as Les Hinton, is a British-American media executive renowned for his long association with News Corporation and Rupert Murdoch. Born on 19 February 1944 in Liverpool, England, Hinton left school at age 15 to begin his career as a copy boy at the Liverpool Echo, quickly rising through the ranks in British journalism. He joined Thomson Newspapers in the 1960s before moving to News International (a subsidiary of News Corporation) in 1973, where he became a key executive. Over the decades, Hinton served in various leadership roles, including managing director of News International, executive chairman, and later CEO of Dow Jones & Company following its 2007 acquisition by News Corp. His career was pivotal in the expansion of Murdoch's media empire across print, television, and digital platforms.

Hinton's professional legacy is overshadowed by his involvement in the News of the World phone hacking scandal. As deputy chairman of News International, he authored a 2007 letter to the UK Parliament's Culture, Media and Sport Committee claiming that illegal voicemail interceptions were confined to 'one rogue reporter,' Clive Goodman, and that no further wrongdoing occurred—an assertion later disproven as the scandal revealed widespread practices. This led to intense scrutiny during the 2011 Leveson Inquiry, culminating in Hinton's resignation from News Corp's board in July 2011. He has denied knowledge of the extent of the activities and testified that he was misled by subordinates.

Post-News Corp, Hinton served as chairman of the Postmedia Network, Canada's largest newspaper publisher, from 2014 to 2019, guiding it through financial challenges and digital transitions. Throughout his career, he has been recognized for his media acumen but criticized for his role in the ethical breaches at News International. Hinton, who became a U.S. citizen in the 1990s, resides primarily in the United States and has largely stepped back from active executive roles.