Murdoch stuns critics, shuts down scandal-hit paper

LONDON (Reuters) - In a breathtaking response to a scandal engulfing his media empire, Rupert Murdoch moved on Thursday to close down the News of the World, Britain's biggest selling Sunday newspaper.

As allegations multiplied that its journalists hacked the voicemails of thousands of people, from child murder victims to the families of Britain's war dead, the tabloid had hemorrhaged advertising, alienated millions of readers and posed a growing threat to Murdoch's hopes of buying broadcaster BSkyB.

Yet no one, least of all the 168-year-old paper's 200 staff, was prepared for the drama of a single sentence that will surely go down as one of the most startling turns in the 80-year-old Australian-born press baron's long and controversial career.

http://news.yahoo.com/uk-soldiers-targeted-murdoch-phone-hacking-scandal-report-030337129.html

Probably in the United States too. Had no choice, otherwise placeing the entire multi-platform operation in jeopardy. I'm sure Eric Holder won't do any investigating now, eh!

Hoping the investigation won't extend to his other holdings. I wonder whose phones Fox News has been hacking? Hmm...

Rupert is in deep Doo-Doo. I'd be willing to bet that what went on with that one publication, was SOP at all of his operations.

With any luck, Fox News will also be exposed. Let us pray...:rofl:

To own a company of that size and at the blink of an eye to shut it down astounds me. Its being done as a family-political expediency, nothing more and nothing less. And hundreds will be without jobs at the paper and whatever other suppliers it supports - and for what? So Rupert's name has a little less mud clinging to it. So the empire his son inherits can be just little closer to world domination?