Murdoch says sorry for phone hacking scandal
A sullen Rupert Murdoch released a statement to British national newspapers apologizing for the phone hacking scandal that rocked the British media.
Media tycoon Rupert Murdoch apologized to the British people through a statement that was published as full-page advertisements in the country’s major newspapers on Saturday.
On the top of the advertisement were the words “We are Sorry” written in big bold letters. It was then followed by a promise that News Corp. and Murdoch himself will take “concrete steps” to quench the uproar of the public over the phone-hacking scandal that shook the company and claimed two of its top newspaper executives: Rebekah Brooks–who served as the head of News Corp.’s British newspaper arm–and Les Hinton–who headed Dow Jones, publisher of the Wall Street Journal.
In a rare act of contrition, Murdoch said in the statement: “The News of the World was in business of holding others to account. It failed when it came to itself. We are sorry for the serious wrongdoing that occurred. We are deeply sorry the hurt suffered by the individuals affected.”
On Friday, Murdoch issued a personal apology to the parents of Milly Dowler, the 13-year-old girl whose murder was one of the many news gathered by News International’s News of the World by illegally hacking into her family’s phones and voicemails. The apology appeared to be an admission of the illegal news gathering activities used by the former Sunday tabloid which, at that time, was edited by Brooks and overseen by Hinton.
Many, however, viewed the published apologies with skepticism. British parliamentarian John Prescott told reporters that the apologies are a desperate effort by Murdoch “to save his company.”
All eyes are now on Murdoch’s son and presumed heir, James, who took over the British arm of his father’s media empire just when the scandal broke. He, along with his father and Brooks are scheduled to appear before Parliament on Tuesday to answer inquiries regarding the scandal.
Short URL: http://totalnewsonline.com/?p=412
Posted by Lousie Havers
on Jul 16 2011. Filed under Business, Featured.
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The sudden reversal of fortune of Murdoch has supporters of Israel worried that a diminished Murdoch presence may mute the strongly pro-Israel voice of many of the publications he owns. It’s impotant to note that Murdoch was sympathetic to the jewish concerns over the years. Bad news for all jewish community.
There’s more rumours starting to surface around Piers Morgan and phone hacking. I want to see him being asked questions about all this as well as the Murdoch dynasty. I think its far more widespread than these rather casual enquiries have even begun to touch on yet…
So now Justice Lord Levenson is saying the Phone Hacking Affair inquiry has to be allowed more time in its deliberations. The range of the inquiry is likely to broaden, not only to other newspspers but to other areas of the media too. On the one hand, he’s right to ask for this. On the other hand, I’m worried; is this the famous British technique called ‘kicking it into the long grass’ we’re seeing here?
Amazing… now Heather Mills and Paul McCartney are implicated in the phone hacking scandal. Is there no end to it?