FORMER NEWS of the World editor Rebekah Brooks has told the newspaper’s staff that they will understand why the closure was a good decision in a year’s time.
Brooks said she had “visibility” on worse issues involving the paper and said that the decision to shut it down was not taken lightly. She said the brand was being seen as toxic by advertisers.
Staff became angry with Brooks during the meeting over the closure and accused her of arrogance.
She spoke of her recollections of the paper’s team spirit and readers’ support and said it was too soon to consider new publications or expanding existing publications, but said she would try to find jobs for those who wanted her to.
Brooks said she was working to vindicate the paper and its employees.
Listen to leaked clip of Brooks addressing NOTW staff this afternoon:
Audio via Lisa O’Carroll
A source at the NOTW told the Telegraph that staff felt they were being “hung out to dry” over the controversy after their internet access was blocked.
Brooks confirmed today that although she was initially named to lead an internal investigation into the phone hacking, alleged to have occurred while she was NOTW editor, she will no longer be in charge of it. Instead, News Corp’s executive vice president in the office of the chairman Joel Klein will oversee the inquiry, the Guardian reports.
Cameron
British Prime Minister David Cameron said today that while it wasn’t his place to say who should or shouldn’t run a newspaper, if Rebekah Brooks had offered him her resignation, he would have taken it. His comments follow the revelation that Brooks offered her resignation twice in recent days, but was turned down.
Cameron announced that a judge will lead one of the public inquiries into the allegations. A second inquiry will examine the ethics and culture of the press, the BBC reports.
The prime minister has come under pressure over his decision to hire former NOTW editor Andy Coulson as his director of communications. Cameron said the two had become and still are friends.
The Guardian reports he said: “The decision to hire him was mine and mine alone and I take full responsibility for it.”
Coulson quit the role at the start of this year. He was arrested this morning by police investigation the phone hacking claims and allegations of corruption, and was released on police bail this evening to return on a date in October, the PA reports (via the Guardian).
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