Humble Pie

Phone hacking: ‘Humbled’ Murdoch rejects blame

BBC, 20 July, 2011

Rupert Murdoch has said he cannot be held responsible for the scandal at the News of the World, saying he was let down by “people I trusted”.

The News Corporation boss said he was not aware of the extent of phone hacking there and had “clearly” been misled by some of his staff.

His son, James, apologised to victims, saying hacking was “inexcusable”.

The hearing was the first time Rupert Murdoch has faced direct scrutiny by MPs in his 40-year UK media career.

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Paper review: Murdoch splashed across papers

BBC, 20 July, 2011

“Murdoch eats humble pie,” is how the Daily Telegraph and the Daily Express sum up the News Corp chief’s appearance before the Culture select committee.

Rupert Murdoch’s opening that it was the most “humble” day of his life also gives the headlines for the Financial Times, the Sun and the Guardian.

Tuesday’s events at the Wilson Room in Portcullis House make the front page of every single paper.

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Murdochs face grilling by MPs

0847: Laura Kuenssberg tweets:

So plan your day! Stephenson up at 12, then Met head of press, then Yates at 1.15. Then 2.30 Rupert + James Murdoch, then Rebekah Brooks.”

MPs to quiz Murdochs over hacking

BBC, 19 July 2011

News Corporation chiefs Rupert and James Murdoch and former executive Rebekah Brooks will be quizzed by MPs later about the phone-hacking scandal.

The Murdochs agreed to appear before the Commons media committee after it issued a summons for them.

The MPs said they had questions over evidence given by Mrs Brooks and Andy Coulson – both ex-News of the World (NoW) editors – at a hearing in 2003.

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The MPs who will quiz the Murdochs

NoW whistle-blower is found dead

BBC, 19 July 2011

A former News of the World journalist who made phone-hacking allegations against the paper has been found dead at his home in Watford.

Mr Hoare had told the New York Times hacking was far more extensive than the paper acknowledged when police first investigated hacking claims.

Sean Hoare also told the BBC’s Panorama phone hacking was “endemic” at the NoW.

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Phone-hacking: Dangers lurk for David Cameron

BBC, 19 July 2011

When bloodless coups come about in dictatorships, often it’s when the head of government is away on a foreign visit.

But democracies bring their own dangers for absent political leaders.

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LIVE: Phone-hacking latest

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Murdoch lieutenant Hinton quits Dow Jones

By Paul Thomasch and Yinka Adegoke

NEW YORK, July 15 (Reuters) – Les Hinton, the top executive of Rupert Murdoch’s Dow Jones & Co, resigned on Friday after becoming a target of criticism for the phone-hacking scandal that occurred when he oversaw News Corp’s British newspapers.

Hinton stepped down as the British phone hacking scandal surrounding News Corp began to spread to the United States. He is the highest ranking executive yet to resign over a crisis that closed down the News of the World tabloid and scotched News Corp’s $12 billion attempt to buy out BSkyB.

I have watched with sorrow from New York as the News of the World story has unfolded,” Hinton wrote in a memo to staff after resigning as chief executive of Dow Jones and publisher of The Wall Street Journal.

“That I was ignorant of what apparently happened is irrelevant and in the circumstances I feel it is proper for me to resign from News Corp, and apologize to those hurt by the actions of the News of the World,” he added.

At the Wall Street Journal, news of Hinton’s departure was greeted by gasps and a stunned silence, despite much speculation in both London and New York that he could be toppled by transgressions that occurred on his watch.

Hinton’s resignation came on the same day that another top Murdoch confidante, Rebekah Brooks, stepped down as chief of News International, which is responsible for all Murdoch’s British papers. Brooks worked under Hinton when she was News of the World’s editor and he ran News International.

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Rupert Murdoch says sorry to Dowler family over hacking

15 July 2011
BBC

Click on link for video

Rupert Murdoch speaks to the media after a meeting with the family of murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler. Photograph: Stefan Rousseau/PA

A “humbled and very shaken” Rupert Murdoch has apologised to the family of Milly Dowler in a meeting in London.

The chairman of News Corporation requested the meeting after it emerged that the murdered schoolgirl’s mobile phone was hacked by the News of the World newspaper in 2002.

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Rupert Murdoch apology to Milly Dowler family was sincere, says lawyer

The News Corp boss ‘held his head in his hands’ as he apologised to the murdered girl’s family over phone hacking

Matthew Taylor guardian.co.uk,
Friday 15 July 2011 19.11 BST

Rupert Murdoch has made a “full and humble” apology to the family of the murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler at a private meeting held at a central London hotel.

The global head of News Corporation “held his head in his hands” and repeatedly told the family he was “very, very sorry”, according to the Dowlers’ lawyer Mark Lewis.

He was very humbled and very shaken and very sincere,” said Lewis speaking outside the meeting at the five-star hotel. “I think this was something that had hit him on a very personal level and was something that shouldn’t have happened. He apologised many times. I don’t think somebody could have held their head in their hands so many times and say that they were sorry.”

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Rupert Murdoch ‘sorry’ in newspaper adverts

16 July 2011
BBC

National newspapers are running a full-page advert with a signed apology from Rupert Murdoch over “serious wrongdoing” by the News of the World.

The advert states: “We are sorry for the serious wrongdoing that occurred.”

Rebekah Brooks, a former editor of the paper, and senior News Corporation executive Les Hinton both resigned on Friday over the phone-hacking scandal.

The printed apology expresses regret for not acting faster “to sort things out”.

“I realise that simply apologising is not enough. Our business was founded on the idea that a free and open press should be a positive force in society. We need to live up to this.

“In the coming days, as we take further concrete steps to resolve these issues and make amends for the damage they have caused, you will hear more from us”, says the statement, signed “sincerely, Rupert Murdoch”.

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FBI to probe ‘9/11 phone hacking’

BBC15th July, 2011

The FBI is investigating reports that Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation sought to hack the phones of victims of the 9/11 attacks.

The criminal probe follows calls from a growing number of senators and a senior Republican for an investigation.

In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Mr Murdoch defended the company’s handling of the crisis.

Meanwhile, Mr Murdoch and his son James have agreed to answer UK MPs’ questions on the hacking scandal next week.

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US politicians demand phone-hacking investigation after 9/11 claims

Politicians call for felony charges if report that News of the World hacked voicemails of victims is found to be true

Chris McGreal in Washington
The Guardian, Thursday 14 July 2011

Senator Jay Rockefeller called for an investigation into whether News Corp had invaded the privacy of Americans. Photograph: Matthew Cavanaugh/EPA

Political pressure on Rupert Murdoch has spilled across the Atlantic with a growing number of senior politicians calling for a legal investigation into whether News Corporation broke American laws over the phone-hacking scandal.

Members of Congress from both major parties have waded in to the affair with warnings of “severe” consequences if a report in the Daily Mirror that the News of the World attempted to access the voicemails of victims of the 9/11 terrorist attacks or other Americans is true.

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