The News Corp phone-hacking scandal has claimed another high-profile victim, and this one is in the family.
James Murdoch, son of Rupert Murdoch, has stepped down as executive chairman of News International, the print media arm of News Corp’s empire. The younger man, who oversaw operations of the company in Europe, became a familiar face last summer, while being grilled alongside his father by members of British Parliament in the wake of a massive phone-hacking scandal that ended publication of Tabloid staple News of the World.
Replaced by News International chief executive Tom Mockridge, James Murdoch will now work at the media company’s headquarters in New York.
Just this week, police investigators suggested senior executives at the Sun and News of the World had systematically paid large sums of money to police, military and government officials for news tips and gossip. Don’t expect a New York Post headline out of this one, but just in case, we suggest: “King James, Decrowned!”
