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| News of the World | |
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| Type | Weekly newspaper |
| Format | Tabloid |
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| Owner | News Group Newspapers (News International) |
| Editor | Colin Myler |
| Founded | 1843 |
| Political allegiance | Right-wing / Populist |
| Headquarters | Wapping, London |
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| Website: www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/ | |
The News of the World is a British tabloid newspaper published every Sunday. It is published by News Group Newspapers of News International, itself a subsidiary of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation, and can be considered the Sunday equivalent of The Sun. The newspaper tends to concentrate on celebrity-based scoops and populist news. Its fondness for sex scandals gained it the nicknames "Sex 'n' Scandal weekly", "News of the Screws" and "Screws of the World". With sales of an average of 3,445,459 copies per week in October 20061, it is the biggest selling English-language newspaper in the world. Former editor Andy Coulson resigned on the 26 January 2007 over the royal phone tapping scandal.2 He has been replaced with Colin Myler, the former editor of the Sunday Mirror who has latterly been working at the New York Post. Previous editors of the paper include Piers Morgan and Rebekah Wade who replaced Phil Hall in 2000.
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History
The newspaper was first published on October 1, 1843, in London by John Browne Bell. Priced at just three pence, even before the repeal of the Stamp Act (1855) or paper duty (1861), it was the cheapest newspaper of its time and was aimed directly at the newly literate working classes. It quickly established itself as a purveyor of titillation, shock and criminal news. Much of the source material came from coverage of vice prosecutions, including transcripts of police descriptions of alleged brothels, streetwalkers, and even so-called "immoral" women.
Despite being dismissed as a "scandal sheet" it soon established itself as the most widely read Sunday paper. Initial sales were around 12,000 copies a week. This success encouraged other similar newspapers, of which the Sunday People, the Daily Mail, the Daily Express and the Daily Mirror are still being published.
Its motto was "All human life is there".
Murdoch purchase
The newspaper passed into the hands of Rupert Murdoch's News Ltd. in 1969, snatching the paper from Robert Maxwell's Pergamon Press after an acrimonious year-long struggle. Maxwell's foreign origin, combined with his political opinions, provoked a hostile response to his bid from the Carrs and from the editor of the News of the World, Stafford Somerfield, who declared that the paper was--and should remain--as British as roast beef and Yorkshire pudding. News Ltd. arranged to swap shares in some of its minor ventures with the Carrs and by December it controlled 40 percent of the NOTW stock. Maxwell had been supported by the Jackson family (25% shareholders), but Murdoch had gained the support of the Carr family (30%) and then-chairman William Carr. In January 1969, Maxwell's bid was rejected at a shareholders' meeting where half of those present were company staff, temporarily given voting shares. It was Murdoch's first "Fleet Street" acquisition. Maxwell accused Murdoch of employing "the laws of the jungle" to acquire the paper and said he had "made a fair and bona fide offer... which has been frustrated and defeated after three months of [cynical] manoeuvring." Murdoch denied this, arguing the shareholders of the News of the World Group had "judged [his] record in Australia."
Illness removed Sir William Carr from the chairmanship in June 1969, and Murdoch succeeded him.
The News of the World remained the biggest-selling English-language newspaper in the world
The newspaper has often had to defend itself from libel charges and complaints to the Press Complaints Commission as a result of certain news-gathering techniques, such as entrapment, and contentious campaigns. Some of the best-known cases have been the "Bob and Sue" case with reporter Neville Thurlbeck, and various cases involving journalist Mahzer Mahmood. 34
Anti-paedophile campaign
The paper began a controversial campaign to name and shame alleged paedophiles in 2000 following the abduction and murder of Sarah Payne. The paper's decision led to angry mobs terrorising those they suspected of being child sex offenders,5 which included several cases of mistaken identity and one instance where a paediatrician had her house vandalised.67 The campaign was labelled "grossly irresponsible" journalism by the then Chief Constable of Gloucestershire, Tony Butler.8 The paper also campaigns for the introduction of 'Sarah's Law' to allow public access to the Sex Offenders Register.
The issue which announced the campaign also contained a centre page spread of former Atomic Kitten star Kerry Katona posing topless in a series of pictures taken when she was aged 16citation needed, which led some commentators to accuse the paper of hypocrisycitation needed, although Katona was at the time within the legal age limit for pornogaphy.
Libel actions brought against the News of the World
- In 2005, England footballer David Beckham and his wife Victoria brought a legal action against the paper seeking libel damages over an article that carried the headline: "Posh and Becks on the Rocks." The legal action was withdrawn in 2006 and "resolved on a confidential basis," according to the couple's spokeswoman Jo Milloy.
- In April 2006, England footballer Wayne Rooney received £100,000 in damages from the publishers of The News of the World and its sister paper The Sun over articles falsely reporting he had slapped his then-fiancée and now wife, Coleen. Both had always denied the reports.
- In June 2006, England footballer Ashley Cole received damages from the publishers of The News of the World over articles falsely alleging the footballer had used a mobile phone as a gay sex toy. Together with its sister paper The Sun, The News of the World paid Cole £100,000 to settle the case
- In July 2006, a libel action brought by the Scottish politician Tommy Sheridan came to court in Edinburgh. Sheridan denied allegations, made by the newspaper in November 2004 and January 2005, that he had an affair, engaged in group sex and attended a swinger's club in Manchester. Sheridan won the case and was awarded £200,000 in damages. The newspaper intends to appeal against the jury's decision 9, and has refused to pay out the money.
2006 phone tapping scandal
The News of the World's royal editor Clive Goodman and two associates were arrested on August 8, 2006 for allegedly tapping phones of members of the royal family, political figures and celebrities. The arrests were the result of a seven month investigation by Scotland Yard. The News of the World's London office was searched by police as a result of the investigation. Goodman was also suspended by the newspaper.10
The investigation began as a result of a November 13 2005 article by Goodman reporting that Prince William was going to borrow a portable editing suite from ITV royal correspondent Tom Bradby. When the Prince and Bradby met they tried to figure out how the details of their arrangement had leaked out, as only four people including them had known about the arrangement. Prince William noted that another equally improbable leak had recently taken place regarding an appointment he had made with a knee surgeon. After some discussion, the two concluded that someone was breaking into mobile phone answering machine messages.11 The voice mails that were broken into belonged to aides, and not Prince William himself.12
Their concerns were passed along to the police, whose investigation began as a localized incident simply involving members of Clarence House. The investigation's list of possible victims has broadened to include ministers, an MP, military chiefs, a leading media figure, top footballers and celebrities.13
On January 26, 2007 Clive Goodman was jailed for four months having pleaded guilty to the phone message interception charges. On the same day, it was announced that Andy Coulson had resigned as the editor of the News of the World, having given in his notice a fortnight earlier. He was immediately replaced by Colin Myler.
2006 Reward for information
On December 13th, 2006 the newspaper announced that it was offering up a record breaking reward of £250,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for the murders in Suffolk. The reward went unclaimed since the culprit, Steve Wright, was arrested on suspicion of murder on the 19th of the same month using unrelated information.
Famous scandals reported by the News of the World
- Caroline Cossey the transsexual "Bond Girl" in For Your Eyes Only (1981)
- Roman Catholic Bishop Roderick Wright, who eloped with a parishioner. (1996)
- Prince Harry underage drinking and drugs (January 2002)
- Angus Deayton and his indiscretion with a prostitute while under the influence of cocaine (2002)
- David Beckham and Rebecca Loos (2004)
- Mark Oaten and his relationship with a male prostitute (January 2006)
- Max Mosley's private sado-masochistic sexual acts with five prostitutes (2008). The News of the World posted a secretly filmed video on their website, and alleged that it involved Nazi role-playing. Mosley took legal action, and the High Court ruled in July 2008 that the News of the World had breached Mosley's privacy and awarded him £60,000 in damages and £450,000 in legal fees. The judge also ruled that there was no basis for the allegations of Nazism. (See Max Mosley#News of the World allegations.)
Editors
- Colin Myler (editor, replaced Andy Coulson on January 26, 2007)
- Jane Johnson, (deputy editor)
- Neil Wallis (Executive Editor)
- Stuart Kuttner (Managing Editor)
- Ian Edmondson (Assistant Editor, News)
- Jules Stenson (Assistant Editor, Features)
- Matt Nixson (Features Editor)
- Paul Ashton (Pictures Editor)
Current journalists and writers
- Neville Thurlbeck (mainly responsible for the Beckham/ Loos story) [1]
- Mazher Mahmood (Investigations Editor, aka 'the fake sheikh')
- Dan Wootton (Showbiz Editor)
- Carole Malone (columnist)
- Jane Atkinson (Chief Feature Writer)
- Neil Mcleod
- Ian Hyland (TV Critic)
- Amanda Evans
- Sara Nuwar
- Carole Aye Maung
- Ryan Sabey (Royal Reporter)
- Robert Kellaway
- Philip Whiteside
- Guy Basnett
- Matthew Acton
- Douglas Wight
- Gemma Calvert
- Phil Taylor (Associate Editor)
- David Harrison
- Ray Ryan
- Lewis Panther
- Robbie Collin (Film critic)
- Dan Evans
- Sophy Ridge (Consumer correspondent)
- Tom Latchem
- Simon Ward
References
- ^ Summary Report - News of the World
- ^ BBC NEWS | UK | Pair jailed over royal phone taps
- ^ House of Commons Hansard Debates for 9 Jun 1999 (pt 54)
- ^ Stop Press - News of the World reporter exposes himself to public ridicule!
- ^ "Police condemn vigilante violence", BBC News (2000-08-04). Retrieved on 12 October 2007.
- ^ "Vigilante attack on innocent man", BBC News (2000-07-25). Retrieved on 12 October 2007.
- ^ "Paediatrician attacks 'ignorant' vandals", BBC News (2000-08-30). Retrieved on 12 October 2007.
- ^ "Rebekah Wade: Profile", BBC News (2003-01-13). Retrieved on 12 October 2007.
- ^ BBC NEWS | Scotland | Sheridan victory in court battle
- ^ BBC NEWS | UK | Newspaper suspends royal editor
- ^ Phone tap investigation widens | Media | MediaGuardian
- ^ Phone-hacking row could draw in sports stars and ministers - Times Online
- ^ Three quizzed over royal phone tap claims - Times Online
See also
External links
- Official Site
- How the 'Screws' screwed its rivals Tim Luckhurst, The Independent, 19 February 2006
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Wikipedia content modification information:
- This page was last modified on 11 November 2008, at 14:46.
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