News of the World goes down in flames – but will a ‘Sunday Sun’ replace it?

Media Integrity

The News of the World has been well and truly screwed - this Sunday will be the last edition - but will it be replaced by a 'Sunday Sun' asks Shamik Das.

As the Sun would have put it, Gotcha! The News of the World has been well and truly screwed; it is no more, it has ceased to be. But before we celebrate too much, remember this is Murdoch we’re dealing with – and he may have a joker up his sleeve.

This Sunday will be the last ever edition of the NotW, the pressure from public, politicians and campaigners finally tolling on Rupert Mudoch and his News International empire – not least the pressure bearing down on companies to pull their adverts from this Sunday’s edition.

Onto the future later, but first, the demise of the NotW – how did it happen? And happen so quickly?

Editor of Political Scrapbook Laurence Durnan, who led the way in pressuring companies to withdraw their ads, told Left Foot Forward:

“Nowadays, Twitter makes it easy. Using this kind of medium you can bring pressure to bear directly on companies.

“We created a tool by which people can accept something easily.

“It wasn’t long before it went viral and the pressure really began to bite – they were getting absolutely bombarded; companies do not want to be associated in the same sentence as the hacking of the phones of bereved families.”

So, then, what happens next? And was this decision coming anyway, regardless of the phone hacking scandal?

Reacting to the news, Michael White tweeted:

“News Corp still lying. Closing the NoW will allow them to streamline the operation, save cash and launch the seven day Sunday Sun”

Furthermore, the circulation of the NotW has sunk dramatically in the last decade – down 31 per cent.

And what of Rebekah Brooks, who, as John Prescott told Sky News tonight:

“Is now only supported by two people – Rupert Murdoch and David Cameron”

It seems perverse in the utmost, even allowing for the prospect of a relaunched seven-day Sun, that hundreds of journalists, not all of them dodgy, not by a long straw, will be thrown out on their ear – while Rebekah Brooks stays in her job.

It’s about time Cameron grew some and called for her to go.

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25 Responses to “News of the World goes down in flames – but will a ‘Sunday Sun’ replace it?”

  1. Carl

    You didn’t mention the Murdoch empire share prices Shamik, which has taken a hit over this crisis (and possibly today todo). As the Guardian has it:

    “More than half a billion pounds has been wiped off the value of BSkyB since this week’s phone-hacking allegations emerged and threw News Corporation’s proposed takeover bid into confusion.”

    http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2011/jul/07/bskyb-share-price-news-of-the-world-scandal

    and:

    “Shares in broadcaster BSkyB are down 5% in the last week, wiping some £666m off the value of the business, while News Corp had lost 2.6% – slicing some $400m off the value of the News of the World’s ultimate parent company.”

    http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2011/jul/07/shares-rupert-murdoch-companies

  2. mr. Sensible

    If it is replaced by a ‘Sun on Sunday’ then they will just be replacing like with like…

  3. DrKMJ

    News of the World goes down in flames – but will a 'Sunday Sun' replace it? http://bit.ly/nXa6Zl by @ShamikDas #NotW #hacking

  4. Jim Bliss

    According to an article in The Guardian from 10 days ago (i.e. before all this pressure on the NoTW started), News International was already gearing up for “a move towards a form of integration of daily and Sunday titles”.

    So in a strange way, the decision to “axe” the paper today is merely allowing Murdoch to carry out a pre-existing business strategy while giving the appearance of taking a moral stand.

    See: http://bit.ly/mVSOfs

  5. links for 2011-07-07 « The NRB

    […] News of the World goes down in flames – but will a 'Sunday Sun' replace it? | Left F… […]

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