Rupert Murdoch and News Corp. are all massive twats: Discuss!

Joss

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News of the World axed by News International

  • Sunday edition of Murdoch's tabloid to be last in the aftermath of political and commercial fallout from phone-hacking scandal

News International announced on Thursday that it is closing the News of the World after this Sunday's edition, with no end in sight to the political and commercial fallout from the phone-hacking scandal after 72 hours of mounting crisis.

Sunday's edition of the paper will be the last, News International chairman James Murdoch told News of the World staff on Thursday afternoon.

Murdoch told employees at the 167-year-old title: "The News of the World is in the business of holding others to account. But it failed to when it came to itself".

Murdoch said in a statement: "Wrongdoers turned a good newsroom bad and this was not fully understood or adequately pursued."

Murdoch also conceded the company had "made statements to parliament without being in full possession of the facts. This was wrong".

He said "the News of the World and News International wrongly maintained that these issues were confined to one reporter" and that the company had passed information to the police which would demonstrate this.

"Those who acted wrongly will have to face the consequences," he said.

Murdoch also said in his statement to staff that he had authorised out-of-court payments to victims of hacking: "I now know that I did not have a complete picture when I did so."

He added: "That was wrong and is a matter of serious regret."

It is the first national newspaper to close since Rupert Murdoch shut News International mid-market tabloid Today in 1995.

The News of the World was Rupert Murdoch's first UK newspaper acquisition in 1968 and its profits helped him build his publishing and broadcasting empire in this country and the US.

The title remains the UK's biggest-selling Sunday paper, with a circulation of 2.66m in May this year. In 1962, when the Audit Bureau of Circulations began publishing regular newspaper sales figures, the News of the World was selling 6.66m.

A spokesman for the company would not comment on whether News International will continue to publish a tabloid title on a Sunday.

The News of the World has been NI's most profitable title for many years.

There are already industry rumours that the News of the World's stablemate the Sun could be turned into a seven-day operation. News International has already announced plans to move to seven-day working across its four titles – the Sun, News of the World, the Times and Sunday Times – and the internet domain name thesunonsunday.co.uk was registered two days ago, although the purchaser's identity is unclear.

Murdoch told staff some of them would be leaving the company and said that was a matter of regret. He paid tribute to their "good work".

There will be no adverts in Sunday's edition and any money already received will be donated to good causes.

The closure of the paper is a dramatic move designed to assuage public anger at shocking revelations about the behaviour of its journalists, but it is unlikely that NI's printing presses will be left idle on a Sunday.

Sky News reported that NI chief executive Rebekah Brooks was in tears as she told staff the title is to close.

Labour MP Tom Watson, who has been highlighting the phone-hacking scandal at the paper for two years, said: "Rupert Murdoch did not close the News of the World. It is the revulsion of families up and down the land as to what they got up to. It was going to lose all its readers and it had no advertisers left. They had no choice."

The News of the World, which has averaged about £660,000 in advertising income each weekend so far this year according to industry estimates, was already facing a widespread advertiser boycott on Sunday.

A revolt by advertisers gathered pace in the past 24 hours as Prime Minister David Cameron announced public inquiries into phone hacking and criticism of the paper's activities mounted from politicians and the general public.

There were also the first signs of a possible boycott by readers, with one independent convenience chain admitting on Thursday that it would not be stocking the title in its five stores across Essex and Cambridgeshire. The owner said he took the decision because one of his shops, at Ely station, is close to Soham where Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman were murdered.

Earlier this week it was alleged that Glenn Mulcaire, the private detective formerly employed by the paper, may have hacked into the phones of Wells and Chapman's parents.

The number of alleged phone-hacking incidents perpetrated by the paper in years gone by had also continued to grow, with the latest involving families of members of the armed forces killed in Iraq and Afghanistan. More details were also emerging about alleged payments by News of the World journalists to Metropolitan police officers.

Most NoW advertisers, including Sainsbury's, Asda, Dixons, Boots, Specsavers, Ford, Halifax, Co-op and Npower had already pulled their campaigns. It is understood News International only had four left – BSkyB, British Gas, Mars and Tesco.

The decision to close the paper is understood to have come following a meeting on Thursday between executives including Murdoch, who is also the deputy chief operating officer of NI-owner News Corp and oversees the UK business, Brooks, and the publisher's commercial managing director, Paul Hayes.

Rival publishers were said by media buying agency sources to be descending on advertisers like "ambulance chasers" looking to snap up potentially millions in ad revenue from the "toxic" News of the World, with companies responsible for more than £8m in annual spend pulling campaigns in the past 24 hours.

A number of media buying agency executives said they had been inundated with calls from rival publishers querying what the advertisers they represent might be looking to do with their budget.

"It is like ambulance chasing, calls are coming from rivals [newspapers], smaller publishers, radio and outdoor – you name it," said one senior industry source. "The NoW brand is now so toxic that by association clients definitely want out this weekend at least."

News of the World axed by News International | Media | guardian.co.uk

Other links:

News of the World: the denials - video | Media | guardian.co.uk

Andy Coulson to be arrested over phone hacking tomorrow | Media | The Guardian

Phone hacking: the hunt for corrupt officers and 4,000 possible victims | Media | The Guardian

(Unsurprisingly, The Guardian are going to town...)

Murdoch: News of the World to close after Sunday - Press, Media - The Independent

News of the World phone hacking: live - Telegraph

So this thread is to discuss whether or not you think they're all horrible twats, whether you think Murdoch's BSkyB bid will be affected badly (or strengthened), whether you think Culsen, Brooks and Murdoch will all get away with it, etc etc.
 
Good idea for a thread this, Joss!

Not sure how hard it'll affect his BSkyB bid, can see it getting delayed for a few weeks. Hope something stops it completely though, will be ridiculous to have so much of the media run by 1 man.

EDIT: And everyone should sign this! - http://www.avaaz.org/en/murdoch_messages_2/?copy
 
Like to know how Rebekah Brooks escaped all the fallout, whereas everybody else lost their jobs. Absolute bullshit (pardon my language).
 
Like to know how Rebekah Brooks escaped all the fallout, whereas everybody else lost their jobs. Absolute bullshit (pardon my language).

Given the thread title, I think you're okay swearing. ;)
 
Good idea for a thread this, Joss!

Not sure how hard it'll affect his BSkyB bid, can see it getting delayed for a few weeks. Hope something stops it completely though, will be ridiculous to have so much of the media run by 1 man.

EDIT: And everyone should sign this! - Avaaz - 24 hours to stop Murdoch's UK media takeover

I thought so!

Isn't it already getting delayed? General feeling amongst people I've talked to is that he's doing it to save his bid for BSB. Can no longer be associated (officially - of course everyone knows his affiliation but the world is so naive these days...) with NOTW and phone-hacking etc.

Of course the Gov't could show they're not taking any **** and block his takeover, but Cameron's so chummy with them all I seriously doubt it. The Guardian are having an absolute field day...

Also - reckon Brooks and co. will get away (more or less) scot-free. But the closure is more significant than some people (pointing to the already planned Sun on Sunday) think. Sponsors, employees, reputation (what they had left) - gone. People are naive, but they're not THAT naive..

Right?










RIGHT?

---------- Post added at 10:10 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:08 PM ----------

Like to know how Rebekah Brooks escaped all the fallout, whereas everybody else lost their jobs. Absolute bullshit (pardon my language).

Two words.

David.

Cameron.

---

He's practically touching her up here (god knows why!)

david-cameron-and-rebekah-brooks-469452930.jpg
 
Are advertisers abandoning them full stop? It doesn't really matter if they just take their adverts to The Sun instead.

The takeover is a farce full stop. It'll quite clearly go over the 25% market share legally allowed, but they get away with it because technically it'll be Murdoch's son running one part and Murdoch himself running the other.
 
I thought so!

Isn't it already getting delayed? General feeling amongst people I've talked to is that he's doing it to save his bid for BSB. Can no longer be associated (officially - of course everyone knows his affiliation but the world is so naive these days...) with NOTW and phone-hacking etc.

Of course the Gov't could show they're not taking any **** and block his takeover, but Cameron's so chummy with them all I seriously doubt it. The Guardian are having an absolute field day...

Also - reckon Brooks and co. will get away (more or less) scot-free. But the closure is more significant than some people (pointing to the already planned Sun on Sunday) think. Sponsors, employees, reputation (what they had left) - gone. People are naive, but they're not THAT naive..

Right?










RIGHT?

---------- Post added at 10:10 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:08 PM ----------



Two words.

David.

Cameron.

---

He's practically touching her up here (god knows why!)

david-cameron-and-rebekah-brooks-469452930.jpg

But of a munter like lol
 
Has Rebekah Brooks Been Sacked Yet?

---------- Post added at 10:25 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:23 PM ----------

Lol, George Michael tweet:

Rebekah Brooks sat two feet from me in my own home and told me that it was never the public that came to them with information.....
 
I would try to contribute something, but Cameron's *** face in the picture above scares me too much.
 
I think it is more an economic decision by News international and the Murdoch's. It is clear costs needed to be cut and they felt this was the right decision. Obviously what they have done is disgusting, immoral, and just pure wrong however by doing this it won't sort anything out. Rebekah Brooks has to take the blame yet she is getting off with this and the people who are taking the hit are the journalists who had nothing to do with anything that happened back in 2003. Hundreds of jobs will be lost because the errors of a few senior reporters. Such a shame.
 
I think it is more an economic decision by News international and the Murdoch's. It is clear costs needed to be cut and they felt this was the right decision. Obviously what they have done is disgusting, immoral, and just pure wrong however by doing this it won't sort anything out. Rebekah Brooks has to take the blame yet she is getting off with this and the people who are taking the hit are the journalists who had nothing to do with anything that happened back in 2003. Hundreds of jobs will be lost because the errors of a few senior reporters. Such a shame.

Well it didn't JUST happen in 2003. It's been happening for ages, and more recently too.

Although I do agree that the majority of the blame has to be put on the senior figures - the journalists are under huge pressure to get out stories so they do things like tap phones. These tactics are either actively encouraged by Brooks and Coulsen and co. or are simply ignored because they generate stories.
 
Sunday edition of The Sun will replace it and take back on board all/most of the staff, mark my words. Brooks keeps her executive office at the apparent cost of 250 jobs, then she has the nerve to cry in front of them? Wow.
 
In Australia they own all 12 national newspapers and dominate cable tv, and are still trying to buy another network on Australian TV... Unbelievable power.
 
Murdoch manages to get away with unbelievable amounts of false competition, it's pretty insane.
 
I was listening to Chris Moyles this morning and Comedy Dave is like "It was gripping, watching it on the news, it felt like I was watching a massive part of History unfold before my eyes!" What they did was bad, but come on..
 
People here forgetting Murdoch is funding the EPL through Sky? He's a brilliant business man who is keeping a lot of people in work.

Whine all you want, he's doing more for the UK's unemployment rate than any gov't could.
 
Erm, sort of.

Without Murdoch BSkyB is worth 8 Billion alone as a company on the market, he doesn't fund any of it really Chaz he is a majority shareholder but the company is ran seperate to News Corp to an extent. Plus if he didn't pay for the rights of exclusivity for the BPL in England/Italy/Germany then Virgin Media subscriptions would sky rocket and I would bet all my money that without BPL coverage Sky Sports would lose viewership and Branson would probably setup a Virgin Sports channel or ITV would pay the money for rights plus the real increase we see in Premier League TV money every year is from overseas TV rights rising by 8 pct+ every season...

Murdoch is not really needed in this country, if the Guardian Media Group ran the NOTW then none of these procedures would ever have taken place...Fact. The government see's what he has done to the American market and wants to stop him doing that here, and on the point of jobs 500 people lost their jobs when he ended the NOTW with 300 of them 'replaced within the organisation' and 200 of them out the door permanently so he doesn't create that many jobs...

In fact through NOTW/Sun scandals over the years Murdoch's probably lost people more jobs than he has created to be honest.
 
I was listening to Chris Moyles this morning and Comedy Dave is like "It was gripping, watching it on the news, it felt like I was watching a massive part of History unfold before my eyes!" What they did was bad, but come on..

The point isn't that they've done something a) pretty despicable and b) they're all massive twats as the thread title suggests, but that one of the best known newspapers of the last century and a half (168 years old) is completely shutting down (regardless of replacement paper) - this IS going to be a massive part of history.

People here forgetting Murdoch is funding the EPL through Sky? He's a brilliant business man who is keeping a lot of people in work.

Whine all you want, he's doing more for the UK's unemployment rate than any gov't could.

What? He's a brilliant businessman who happens to be involved in Sky, and also happens to generate interest and money in his (former - that feels so good!) paper through completely immoral and unethical methods. Are you suggesting we simply ignore all the phone-hacking and general cuntishness because he has connections to the Premier-League?

He's everything that's wrong with business - setting up a monopoly where he controls 100s of media outlets and has so much power that he feels he can do whatever the **** he wants. Luckily, Hugh Grant and co. have ensured that he CAN'T do whatever the **** he wants for the time-being. That's a good thing.
 
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