Murdoch swoops into U.K. tabloid offices - Lebanon Daily Star

Murdoch swoops into U.K. tabloid offices

LONDON: With the last edition of Britains News of the World tabloid in hand, Rupert Murdoch descended on the U.K. Sunday to face the growing phone-hacking scandal that prompted the papers closure.

Television footage showed the News Corp. CEO being driven into the east London offices of his U.K. newspaper division, News International. The 80-year-old Murdoch was seated in the front passenger seat of a red Range Rover with a copy of the last issue of the best-selling Sunday tabloid in his hands.

Britons, too, were snapping up the last edition of the News of the World, after the 168-year-old muckraking paper was brought down in a phone-hacking scandal.

New claims about phone hacking this week sparked national outrage but the decision Thursday to axe the publication was a shock and many were keen to buy the final edition as a souvenir.

Some shared their mixed feelings about the demise of the 168-year-old paper, part of Rupert Murdochs huge News Corp. media empire, but others were simply irritated that Sunday would be a little less entertaining from now on.

I am a bit annoyed because obviously it was an enjoyable paper with the sports supplement Sunday, said 31-year-old sales manager Martin.

The closure of the paper meant he would have to find another paper to get Sunday with the same kind of quality as it has in sport, he added.

Daniel, 20, said that he did not usually buy the paper but had decided to this week.

There is obviously a lot of stuff about the history, he said. I dont usually buy it but obviously its the last one so I thought Id get a copy.

Abul Hussain, 35, the owner of a kiosk in central London, said he had sold all his copies of the paper hours earlier than normal.

Were sold out since 9:00 oclock (0800 GMT) this morning, he said.

The 8,674th edition apologizes for letting the papers readers down, but stops short of acknowledging recent allegations that its journalists paid police for information.

We praised high standards, we demanded high standards but, as we are now only too painfully aware, for a period of a few years up to 2006 some who worked for us, or in our name, fell shamefully short of those standards, read a full-page editorial in the paper. Quite simply, we lost our way. Phones were hacked, and for that this newspaper is truly sorry. Allegations the papers journalists paid police for information and hacked into the voicemails of young murder victims and the grieving families of dead soldiers prompted Murdochs News International to shut down the tabloid.

Murdoch, who has long been considered a kingmaker in the British media establishment, is facing a maelstrom of criticism and outrage not just over the new allegations of impropriety at his tabloid, but also the decision to shut the paper and put 200 journalists out of work.

News International declined to comment on Murdochs movements or plans while in the U.K.

Closing down the News of the World, which was launched Oct. 1, 1843, was seen by some as a desperate attempt by the media conglomerate to stem negative fallout and thus save its 12 billion-pound ($19 billion) deal to take over satellite broadcaster British Sky Broadcasting.

The British government has signaled that deal will be delayed because of the crisis, and the scandal has continued to unfold at breakneck pace in the media, prompting broader questions about corruption at the newspaper and media regulation in the U.K.

Soul-searching has extended to the highest levels of government, with Prime Minister David Cameron conceding politicians developed too cozy a relationship with the tabloid press. Camerons former communications chief, Andy Coulson, is an ex-editor of the News of the World and was one of three men arrested this week as part of a police investigation into the phone-hacking and corruption allegations.

Cameron has called for a new media regulation system and pledged a public inquiry into what went wrong; the head of Murdochs U.K. newspaper operations has hinted that more revelations are to come.

As the News of the Worlds final issue went to press, Assistant Police Commissioner John Yates expressed his extreme regret that he did not act to reopen police inquiries into phone hacking two years ago. In an interview with the Sunday Telegraph, he said its clear I could have done more.

Opposition Labor Party leader Ed Miliband warned Sunday that a Murdoch takeover of BSkyB should not be allowed while the phone-hacking investigation is ongoing.

When the public have seen the disgusting revelations that we have seen this week, the idea that this organization, which engaged in these terrible practices, should be allowed to take over BSkyB, to get that 100 percent stake, without the criminal investigation having been completed frankly that just wont wash with the public, he told the BBC.

Murdoch has opted to remain largely silent amid the fallout, issuing one official statement describing the allegations as deplorable and unacceptable. Many journalists and media watchers have expressed astonishment that Rebekah Brooks, who was editor of News of the World when some of the hacking allegedly occurred, was keeping her job as head of News Corp.s U.K. newspaper operations while the papers employees were laid off.

Murdoch told reporters in Sun Valley, Idaho, Saturday that Brooks had his total support.

The scandal exploded this week after it was reported that the News of the World had hacked the mobile phone of 13-year-old murder victim Milly Dowler in 2002.

Brooks told lawmakers she had no knowledge whatsoever of the Dowler hacking or any other case while she was editor, according to a letter published by Britains home affairs select committee Saturday.

The News of the Worlds last edition contained a 48-page souvenir pullout section highlighting the papers scoops and its coverage of big moments in history. Despite the recent scandal, many viewed the paper as a force for good, exposing numerous political, celebrity and sports scandals.

The paper has been praised for its role in getting a sex offender law passed in Britain. Sarahs Law was named after 8-year-old British girl Sarah Payne, murdered in 2000 by a pedophile. It is modeled on Megans Law, the U.S. legislation named for Megan Kanka, a New Jersey child murdered by a repeat sex offender.

The last editions back page had 1946 quotes from British author George Orwell, an admirer of the paper. You put your feet up on the sofa, settle your spectacles on your nose and open the News of the World, Orwell said.

The back page also had quotes running beside Orwells from Jeannie Hobson, a loyal reader from Lymington, England, which read as an epitaph.

I cannot imagine Sundays without you, the 68-year-old Hobson said. I will always remember the News of the World for the good things you have brought to light. Im sad to say goodbye to my Sunday favorite.

A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Daily Star on July 11, 2011, on page 11. Your feedback is important to us! We invite all our readers to share with us their views andabout this article.

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