Murdoch-Owned Tabloid To Close Down After Public Outcry Against Hacking Scandal

One of Britain’s oldest newspapers, the tabloid News of the World, will shut down after printing its Sunday issue, according to CNN.

The tabloid’s parent company, News International, is owned by the massive Rupert Murdoch media conglomerate News Corp. News international Chairman James Murdoch, who is Rupert Murdoch’s son, said the tabloid had been “sullied” by a hacking scandal that has rocked the foundations of the newspaper industry.

“Police launched a special investigation into the allegations of phone hacking on behalf of the newspaper in January of this year. It was the second police probe into the issue,” CNN reported. “On Thursday, shortly before James Murdoch’s announcement, police said they have identified the names of nearly 4,000 potential victims.”

The tabloid is accused of employing a private investigator who exploited security issues in cellphone voicemail boxes to gain access to private messages. Among the alleged victims of the hacking are many families: those of murdered girl Milly Dowler, of terror attack victims and of British soldiers killed in Afghanistan and Iraq.

“The paper’s roughly 200 employees are now out of jobs, but are free to apply for other positions within News International, the company said,” the article read. “The 168-year-old newspaper” was extremely successful, selling “more than 2.5 million copies every Sunday.”