News Limited chairman and chief executive John Hartigan has issued a statement to staff condemning the behaviour of News of the World employees embroiled in the newspaper's phone hacking scandals.
The statement read:
"Dear Colleague,
The behaviour that has been uncovered at the News Of The World is an affront to all of us who value the integrity and credibility of good journalism, the reputation of the company and our own reputations as professionals.
Phone hacking is the antithesis of everything we stand for. It is a terrible slur on our craft. As the Times of London editorialised yesterday: “Journalism has a responsibility and an ethic. Its claims to public credibility rests on conducting it’s work in a way that is defensible to a reasonable person, known in the trade as a reader.”
I know, and I believe everyone here at News Limited knows that the events in the UK in no way reflect who we are, what we do and what we believe in as a media organisation.
We have obligations to do the right thing by ourselves, our colleagues, our readers and advertisers, and, more broadly, to the communities we serve in an ethical and moral way.
The decision to close the News of The World acknowledges that once the contract of trust between the newspaper and its readers had been breached, it was damaged beyond repair.
It is appropriate to remind everyone at News Limited that unethical and immoral behaviour is not tolerated. We have a Code of Professional Conduct in addition to the MEAA code.
My personal belief is that adherence to these codes is the guiding principle to everything we do.
I am confident that the practices that have been uncovered in the UK do not exist in Australia, at News or any other respectable media outlet.
Given the wider reputational impact on all journalists as a result of the events in the UK, I want to remind everyone that adherence to our ethical code is fundamental to our right to publish and a fundamental requirement of our work, every day.
Regrettably, a line has been crossed and it’s important at times like this that if we care about the power, value and relevance of responsible journalism then we must express in the strongest terms our distress and dismay at such a breach of faith."
Rupert Murdoch’s News of the World tabloid will print its last edition this weekend due to phone hacking scandals.
Acting News Corp chairman and chief executive James Murdoch told staff yesterday that the newspaper, which was established in 1843 and sells 2.6 million copies each week, had been “sullied” by the events.
Murdoch said the News of the World's entire ad spend revenue from this weekend’s edition will be donated to charity. The News of the World earns about £660,000 from advertising each weekend.
The past week saw major advertisers: Ford, Mitsubishi and Vauxhall, as well as Halifax Bank and Virgin Holidays pull out of News of the World.
Other advertisers to withdraw their spend include power supplier Npower, mobile phone operator O2, supermarket chain Sainsbury’s, household goods giant Reckitt Benckiser, Boots and Specsavers.
“While we may never be able to make up for distress that has been caused, the right thing to do is for every penny of the circulation revenue we receive this weekend to go to organisations - many of whom are long-term friends and partners - that improve life in Britain and are devoted to treating others with dignity," James Murdoch said.
“We will run no commercial advertisements this weekend. Any advertising space in this last edition will be donated to causes and charities that wish to expose their good works to our millions of readers.”
This week News of the World has faced allegations that journalists and a private investigator hired by the newspaper, hacked into the mobile phone voicemails of murdered school girls, London bomb attack victims and the relatives of dead British soldiers. There are also claims that the newspaper bribed police in order to obtain information for stories
Murdoch said, “If recent allegations are true, it was inhuman and has no place in our company." His father Rupert has described the allegations as "deplorable and unacceptable".
The closure could mean that around 200 jobs in editorial and commercial will cease to exist.
The recent allegations have also threatened the likelihood of Rupert Murdoch's News Corp, which publishes News of the World, completing a full takeover of satellite broadcaster, BskyB.
Former British Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott told ABC's Lateline program this week that Murdoch was "not a fit and proper person to be able to extend his media to take over BSkyB" and British politicians have called for the takeover bid to be put on hold.
James Murdoch claimed he empathised with staff. “I can understand how unfair these decisions may feel. Particularly for colleagues who will leave the company. Of course, we will communicate next steps in detail and begin appropriate consultations.”
Despite public outcry and calls from some ministers for News International chief executive Rebekah Brooks to step down, Murdoch maintains she will remain in her position. Brooks was editor of News of the World during the period in which it is believed the phone hacking took place. The Guardian newspaper has reported that British police are likely to arrest former News of the World editor, and former communications adviser to UK Prime Minister David Cameron, Andy Coulson, on Friday UK time. The Sydney Morning Herald has also reported that five journalists are expected to be arrested in connection to the hacking affair.
There is speculation that the News of the World’s closure is the Murdochs' answer to expanding its highest-selling daily tabloid, The Sun, to include a weekend edition.
According to ABC data, News of the World is the highest-selling Sunday newspaper in Britain and sold 2,657,232 copies in May.
News Corp also owns The Times and The Sunday Times. Rupert Murdoch's involvement in the UK media scene began in the late 1960s. He became managing director of News of the World Organisation Ltd. in January that year, and the first issue of The Sun under his ownership was published in November.
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