{"id":819,"date":"2011-07-08T10:12:00","date_gmt":"2011-07-08T00:12:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.frostglobal.com\/?p=819"},"modified":"2013-06-02T16:36:52","modified_gmt":"2013-06-02T06:36:52","slug":"it-had-to-happen-the-end-of-news-of-the-world","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.frostglobal.com\/?p=819","title":{"rendered":"The end of the News of the World"},"content":{"rendered":"

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The United Kingdom’s biggest selling newspaper is set to close this Sunday. In an unprecedented move News International Chairman James Murdoch<\/strong> has ordered the closure of the 168 year old News of the World (NOTW<\/em>) <\/strong>tabloid. Despite a circulation<\/a> of nearly 3 million <\/strong>and a readership estimated at 7.5m<\/strong> every Sunday, the News Corporation<\/strong> group newspaper had had its reputation severely damaged from the phone hacking scandal that has left the British public and politicians in uproar.<\/p>\n

According to the BBC<\/strong><\/a>,<\/strong> the first story published to raise concerns of phone hacking by NOTW was a November 2005 article about a knee injury Prince William<\/strong> sustained, which prompted fears that his aides’ phone voicemail messages were being intercepted. Whilst the turmoil over the hacking has been brewing in the United Kingdom for many years, it was not until this week that News International<\/strong> and parent-company News Corporation <\/strong>took the decisive move to shut down NOTW as more phone hacking allegations came to light. Allegations that the phones of a murdered girl and the relatives of dead soldiers had been hacked on top of the hundreds of celebrities, politicians and royals was enough for James Murdoch<\/strong> to close the curtain on the paper this weekend.<\/p>\n

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The allegations that the hacking had gone beyond public figures this week also saw many advertisers withdraw their ad spend in the Murdoch daily. Companies such as Halifax<\/strong>, Virgin Holidays<\/strong>, Renault<\/strong>, Vauxhall<\/strong> (UK’s General Motors<\/strong> brand), Mitsubishi<\/strong>, Aldi<\/strong>, Ford<\/strong>, O2<\/strong>, 3 mobile<\/strong>, supermarket Sainsbury<\/strong> and Boots<\/strong> all withdrew advertising from the newspaper in the last few days. According to reports<\/a> NOTW<\/a> takes about ?660,000<\/strong> in advertising income each weekend.<\/p>\n

In a statement released <\/a>on Thursday (7 July) James Murdoch<\/strong> said that the steps taken to close the paper were to address a very serious problem and that News Corporation<\/strong> is committed to journalism and a free press. He said,<\/p>\n

“…The good things the News of the World does, however, have been sullied by b<\/strong>ehaviour that was wrong. Indeed, if recent allegations are true, it was inhuman and has no place in our Company. <\/strong>The News of the World is in the business of holding others to account. But it failed when it came to itself.<\/p>\n

In 2006, the police focused their investigations on two men. Both went to jail. But the News of the World and News International failed to get to the bottom of repeated wrongdoing that occurred without conscience or legitimate purpose. Wrongdoers turned a good newsroom bad and this was not fully understood or adequately pursued.<\/p>\n

As a result, the News of the World and News International wrongly maintained that these issues were confined to one reporter. We now have voluntarily given evidence to the police that I believe will prove that this was untrue and those who acted wrongly will have to face the consequences….”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Mr Murdoch<\/strong> went on to confirm in his statement that the Company had paid out-of-court settlements and that there are two major and ongoing police investigations, which News International<\/strong> are cooperating with “fully and actively”. Other key steps which News International<\/strong> have taken to repair the fallout from the scandal includes:<\/p>\n