The 43-year-old Brooks, a former editor of the scandal-hit News of the World and of flagship daily tabloid The Sun, was a close confidante of Murdoch, who described her as his first priority when he flew in to London this week to manage the crisis at News Corp’s British newspaper unit. In her place, he named a trusted News Corp. veteran, New Zealander Tom Mockridge, who has spent the past eight years running the group’s Sky Italia television interests in Italy.
The public disgust that erupted over reports that the News of the World may have hacked into the voice-mails of murder victims and other vulnerable people prompted Murdoch to shut down the paper and pull a $12-billion bid to buy the 61 percent of British pay-TV broadcaster BSkyB he does not own.
Speaking before Brooks’s resignation to the Wall Street Journal, which he owns, Murdoch defended the way his managers had handled the crisis. He spoke of “minor mistakes” and dismissed suggestions, floated by some shareholders that he should sell off the troublesome newspaper businesses on which his empire was founded but which bring in only limited profits.
Struggling to quell the crisis, News International chairman James Murdoch, 38-year-old son of the founder, said the company would take out adverts in rival newspapers this weekend to say sorry: “We will apologize to the nation for what has happened,” James Murdoch said in a statement. His father endorsed his handling of a crisis.
Brooks, whose youth, mane of red hair and sharp tongue have helped give her a high public profile in Britain, said in a message to staff: “My desire to remain on the bridge has made me a focal point of the debate. This is now detracting attention from all our honest endeavors to fix the problems of the past.
“Therefore I have given Rupert and James Murdoch my resignation. While it has been a subject of discussion, this time my resignation has been accepted.” She said she felt “a deep sense of responsibility for the people we have hurt.”
Prime Minister Cameron welcomed Brooks’ resignation. Cameron often socialized with Brooks and her husband in their country homes, but has sought to distance himself from her as the scandal tarnished his image
Meanwhile, Murdoch met with the family of murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler, whose phone was hacked by the News of the World.
The BBC showed images of the media mogul walking into a building to attend the meeting.
