Following his shutdown of News of the World and the arrest of Rebekah Brooks for her role in that publication's phone-hacking scandal, Rupert Murdoch spoke before British lawmakers today and addressed the controversy surrounding his media empire, News Corp.
In response to the allegation that his newspaper broke into the voicemail of a kidnapped 13-year old, Murdoch said he was "shocked, appalled and ashamed" by the development. He also claimed to have no evidence that reporters did the same to relatives of those who died on 9/11.
Murdoch took very little personal responsibility overall.
The Fox News chief said he only spoke to Brooks about once per month during her time as editor, and that News of the World only employed about 1% of the total work force at News Corp., which is valued at around $3.5 billion.
Despite his insistence that he isn't liable, Murdoch did refer to this session at Portcullis House in London as "the most humble day of my life."
James Murdoch, the CEO's son, also testified. He apologized for the scandal and emphasized that "these actions do not live up to the standards our company aspires to."
In a separate hearing, meanwhile, politicians grilled police over reports that officers took bribes from the journalist to provide inside intel on various crimes and stories. The entire mess makes American tabloid culture seem almost tame/clean by comparison.
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