# News of the World is gone



## garza (Jul 7, 2011)

Reuters is reporting today that Rupert Murdoch has shut down his most popular Sunday paper, the 'News of the World'. The announcement follows days of increasingly bitter reaction to reports of misbehaviour by NotW reporters. 

Murdoch earlier apologised, but the reaction to the apology was 'that's not enough'. Faced with increasing anger among readers, the promise of investigations first by Police and then by Government, and desertion by advertisers, Murdoch, according to Reuters, has pulled the plug.


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## Lavender (Jul 7, 2011)

Blimey. I'd heard advertisers had stopped using the paper and yes it is totally wrong what the journalists allegedly did but I'm a little surprised to hear the paper is completely ceasing publication - although it probably should considering the whole phone hacking scandal. I'm not fond of tabloids anyway so doesn't bother me much.


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## BoredMormon (Jul 7, 2011)

Another case of death by facebook


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## garza (Jul 7, 2011)

Bored Mormon - I'm curious. I've been following this story from the beginning. What does facebook have to do with anything?

Here is the link to the full story: *Reuters

*


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## Baron (Jul 7, 2011)

This is a case of justice against a "title", the News of the World, while no action is taken against the real culprits.


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## garza (Jul 7, 2011)

Brooks reportedly will not be fired and Murdock will probably end with full control of BSkyB. Already there is talk that the Sun will expand to a Sunday edition, so at the end of the day little will change.


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## Sam (Jul 7, 2011)

Brooks, Murdoch junior, and Murdoch senior will all keep their jobs while the hard-working men and women who have made the paper for them are tossed to the wayside like discardable chess pieces. It sickens me. I hope Murdoch's takeover bid is completely and utterly destroyed because of this. He doesn't deserve to own a candy stand, never mind a media outlet. Miserable piece of . . .


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## Offeiriad (Jul 7, 2011)

While I agree that the lengths the so-called journalists went to for the "best" story was very wrong, I think their response was a bit extreme. I think Rebekah Brooks' firing along with an investigation into those journalists who committed these acts would've gone a long way to appeasing the public.


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## garza (Jul 7, 2011)

'And we carry on the battle, for roses and bread.'


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## DuKane (Jul 7, 2011)

Cynical at best, to remove all of those who were in no way responsible, yet keep the one who was.


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## Bilston Blue (Jul 8, 2011)

> [h=2]News of the World is gone[/h]


A more fitting fate there couldn't have been for our glorious, filthy gutter press. Goodbye and good riddance.


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## qwertyman (Jul 8, 2011)

Rupert Murdoch (or NewsCorp) is attempting to buy that part of Sky, it does not own. Because of the huge UK media holdings already held by NewsCorp the attempt is likely to be referred to an independent Government Commission.

The Commission, in all probability, will ask Murdoch to reduce his UK media holdings before they will allow the Sky takeover – maybe dispose of a newspaper? 
News of the Screws has four million readers and there will be power hungry oligarchs on the phone to Murdoch as we speak write. 

The News of the World will have been de-valued and estimates of compensation payments are incalculably high. Even so somebody will pay a heady price for the title and Murdoch has improved his chances of pocketing Sky…but I’d bet against him walking away with Sky.

The danger is, Governments can't resist cosying up to Murdoch because of his media power.


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## The Backward OX (Jul 8, 2011)

Only yesterday I was thinking, not for the first time, that the *ENTIRE *concept of “news” is vastly over-rated.

According to Oxford, “news” is “information about important or interesting recent events.”

Important to whom?

Interesting to whom?

Do *you* _really_ give a toss about any of the drivel that’s dished up by the various so-called media outlets in their attempts to stay in business? Seriously? 

Think about it for a minute. That’s all it is: a way of “earning” a living by preying on the gullibility and inquisitiveness of the public. 

All the people involved in the muck that’s called “news” could be doing some _real work_ instead.


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## Bilston Blue (Jul 8, 2011)

> Do *you* _really_ give a toss about any of the drivel that’s dished up by the various so-called media outlets in their attempts to stay in business? Seriously?



Really?

No, not at all.


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## Olly Buckle (Jul 8, 2011)

Another cynical ploy on Murdoch's part, the group was already planning to launch The Sun as a seven day paper, this would probably have led to the demise of the News of the Screws anyway, they have simply brought it forward a bit. About as sincere as their backing of servicemen through the British Legion while they hacked the phones of bereaved families I think. I was pleased to see piles of The Sun and The Times unsold in the newsagents yesterday, hit *them* where it hurts, in the wallet, they don't do emotion and decency, other than as a pretence for money.


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## Bilston Blue (Jul 8, 2011)

People have long memories, too. The Sun still sells far fewer copies in Liverpool than anywhere else in the country following their coverage of the Hillsborough disaster, and some newsagents still refuse to stock it. I think a world without the red-tops would be a better place, even their sports journalists insist on making up lies when they can't get the story they want.


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## BipBopRealGoodNop (Jul 8, 2011)

I never read the news of the world. I think the best paper is the i.


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## scarletlight (Jul 8, 2011)

I think the news of the world just lost all its credability with the whole bribing scandal that was going on. Those responsibly should really have been directly punished but..given their economic and political influence I doubt anything will come of it.
I hope the Sun doesn't become a 7 day thing.. there was a study by some linguist who showed that the Suns reading age was 7..


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## Bilston Blue (Jul 8, 2011)

I can't remember a time when the thought that the NotW had any credibility even entered my head. Even my granddad refused to have it in his house, going way back to the '50s and '60s.


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## Olly Buckle (Jul 8, 2011)

> I hope the Sun doesn't become a 7 day thing..


 Of course you will, News international grabbed all the relevant web names and titles a week or so ago. This is win, win, win for them:-
First win, they distance themselves from the "nasty" things and are still in with a chance at their b-sky-b deal.
Second win, They get to shut down the NoW and save lots of money by laying off lots of staff who had nothing to do with the "nasty" stuff.
Third win they turn the Sun into a seven day paper and claw back the lost profit from the NoW at very little extra cost as they use the existing infrastructure.

There is very little to be done, boycott his papers? I never bought them in the first place. Those who do fall either into the class of person who sees the world as every man for himself free market capitalism and approve of their smart business sense, or have such a limited view of the world that such things rarely enter their heads. The sheer brutality of tapping the phones of murder victims and relatives of dead soldiers horrified even them. One group empathises strongly with the parents, the other regards the armed forces with almost religious respect. It's down to the readers really, do they accept his gesture and carry on buying the Sun and The Times?


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## Offeiriad (Jul 8, 2011)

qwertyman said:


> Rupert Murdoch (or NewsCorp) is attempting to buy that part of Sky, it does not own. Because of the huge UK media holdings already held by NewsCorp the attempt is likely to be referred to an independent Government Commission.
> 
> The Commission, in all probability, will ask Murdoch to reduce his UK media holdings before they will allow the Sky takeover – maybe dispose of a newspaper?
> News of the Screws has four million readers and there will be power hungry oligarchs on the phone to Murdoch as we speak write.
> ...



After reading the latest on this story, closely followed by what you've said here, qwertyman, I'm thinking you might be right.




> Sky News has obtained an audio recording of Rebekah Brooks talking to News Of The World staff where she was accused of "contaminating" the paper's journalists.
> During the meeting, there were suggestions of discontent among workers over the shutting down of the paper after Sunday amid the ongoing phone hacking scandal.
> News International chief executive Mrs Brooks said she was aware of worse revelations to come and the workers would understand in a year why the paper is soon closing, Sky sources say.




Since that's one part of a company reporting on itself....


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## Writ-with-Hand (Jul 8, 2011)

I think the hacking of the phones was a really low thing. I can't believe any one with scruples would do such a thing to the family of a young murdered girl.


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## Baron (Jul 8, 2011)

Writ-with-Hand said:


> I think the hacking of the phones was a really low thing. I can't believe any one with scruples would do such a thing to the family of a young murdered girl.



the fact these people had no scruples is pretty well established, Writ.  I notice reporting of the police bribes is a little subdued right now.


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## Olly Buckle (Jul 8, 2011)

Baron said:


> the fact these people had no scruples is pretty well established, Writ.  I notice reporting of the police bribes is a little subdued right now.


The role of the police has not been wonderful but my initial reaction was not held up when I considered, they were alleging £100,00 in bribes in a year, that wouldn't buy you a small flat in London, it does not exonerate News International, but it hardly suggests widespread police corruption either.


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## Rustgold (Jul 8, 2011)

The Backward OX said:


> Only yesterday I was thinking, not for the first time, that the *ENTIRE *concept of “news” is vastly over-rated.


Except that news (& newspapers), can & do control governments.  No this isn't a conspiracy theory; Rubert Murdock himself said _(several years ago)_ that the only reason why he keeps The Australian paper is because of it's political influence.


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## spider8 (Jul 9, 2011)

I love The Sun but not TNofTW. Glad to hear The Sun's gonna be 7 days a week.


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## garza (Jul 10, 2011)

So has everyone rushed out to your local news agent for a collector's edition? How many years before a carefully preserved Last Issue goes under the hammer at Sotheby's and fetches a fantastic sum? 

You may hate what Rupert Murdoch stands for, but you have to admit he is one shrewd old man.


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## Olly Buckle (Jul 10, 2011)

> You may hate what Rupert Murdoch stands for, but you have to admit he is one shrewd old man


.I hate the idea that an entire newspaper staff who probably had nothing to do with the scandal lose their jobs. I do hope those responsible are brought to account, though I doubt it, more probably there will be another sacrificial lamb. Tell me if I am wrong garza, but it seems truly incredible that an editor can claim they did not know the source or provenance of the stories they were printing.


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## Baron (Jul 10, 2011)

I suspect that many of the News of the World staff will find jobs on the new Sunday edition of the Sun.  

Editors should have their fingers on the pulse.  It doesn't mean that they have first hand knowledge of everything that's going on.  It's like assuming the admin on this site have knowledge of every post.  They're dependent on their staff to keep them informed.  Even so, I don't believe any editor could have been kept in the dark about an issue like this one.


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## Winston (Jul 10, 2011)

People have a RIGHT to read drivel.  It keeps the Proles busy, perhaps distracting them from paying attention to issues of merit.

Now, there is one less outlet for the Unwashed Masses to addle their brains.  Some, nay, many will pick up a real newspaper now (even if by accident.)  _ News of the World _has destroyed enough of their brain matter that it's probably too late anyway.

As long as they sit quietly, eating their choco-ration, and stay out of my way.


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## spider8 (Jul 10, 2011)

garza said:


> You may hate what Rupert Murdoch stands for, but you have to admit he is one shrewd old man.


I love what he stands for - a bloody good newspaper. It has a sense of fun, it has its finger on the pulse, it has page 3! Anyone who loves sport (like me) and peruses many other papers (like my good self) knows that The Sun's where it's at. 

 Of course it's biassed, manipulative, sometimes crass, But often it's insightful, clever, original, imaginative and different. If you want bare facts, read The Telegraph. If you want a bit of Ooomph, a bit of life, a bit of fun, read your number-one-Sun.

btw, I'm not getting a backhander here (I wish I was...).


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## Baron (Jul 10, 2011)

[video=youtube;OO687AiGIvU]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OO687AiGIvU[/video]


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## spider8 (Jul 10, 2011)

Just like The Sun, ol' Jasper knows how to pander to the masses prejudices. £££££££'s and ££££££'s!

Liked the clip. 

I _can_ actually see why people are contemptuous. But wonder at them taking The Sun so seriously that it generates such contempt for 'the masses'; Someone revelling in The Sun's reading age being 7 etc. Is it insecurity? (comfort) 

I don't know. But something appears skew-whiff to me.

EDIT: Should the first 'masses' be mass's?


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