News of the World ceases publication
The announcement that one of the UK’s leading tabloids, News of the World, is to close has rattled the publishing world. The shock decision was made by the management following allegations that the paper had hacked into murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler’s voicemail. The allegations were met with outrage, and saw Prime Minister David Cameron pressing […]
The announcement that one of the UK’s leading tabloids, News of the World, is to close has rattled the publishing world. The shock decision was made by the management following allegations that the paper had hacked into murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler’s voicemail. The allegations were met with outrage, and saw Prime Minister David Cameron pressing for a public inquiry into press practices, as a well as a further inquiry into the police’s handling of the investigation.
The closure of the publication, which sells 2.6 million copies a week, will affect 200 editorial positions, although, News International claims, some employees will be offered alternative positions across the publisher’s different titles. The last issue of News of the World will be published on Sunday.
Many have argued that News International’s most recent gesture may not be completely unrelated to the organisation’s controversial bid for BSkyB. Critics of the move have asserted that it will only be a matter of time before The Sun replaces the News of the World as News International’s Sunday tabloid representative, rendering Rupert Murdoch’s latest strategy as a rebranding exercise in order to bury recent accusations of privacy breaching.
