*What's behind the sudden contrition at News Corp.?

From the NYT:

The public apologies seemed to follow News Corporation's acknowledgment that it had hired the public relations firm Edelman to handle the crisis. It appeared to reflect a strategy to tamp down a scandal that has already forced the closure closing of The News of the World, a tabloid, and the collapse of a $12 billion bid to assume full control of Britain's biggest satellite broadcaster. The head of crisis management at the firm, Mike Seymour, declined to comment on any work for Mr. Murdoch's company, saying "I'm sure you understand."

I wouldn't begin to speculate on what's happening behind the scenes, other than to note that CEO Rupert Murdoch sounded defensive in yesterday's interview with the WSJ, and today his tone seemed more somber.

The departure of [Dow Jones CEO] Les Hinton] and [Rebekah Brooks] began a day of stepped-up damage control by Mr. Murdoch, the chairman of News Corporation, who on Friday released a copy of an apologetic note to be published in all British newspapers over the weekend. He also visited the family of a murdered 13-year-old girl, Milly Dowler, whose voice mail was hacked by reporters at The News of the World while she was still listed as missing. According to the Dowler family's lawyer, Mark Lewis, Mr. Murdoch offered a sincere apology for the actions of his employees, who deleted phone messages after the girl's mailbox had been filled, so they could collect more messages from concerned family members. Mr. Lewis said that Mr. Murdoch apologized "many times," The Associated Press reported, and that he was "very humbled, he was very shaken and he was very sincere."

By the way, Reuters blogger Felix Salmon thinks it's possible that both Rupert and his son James will ultimately resign from News Corp., with a non-family member perhaps taking over on an interim basis.

*Murdoch biographer Michael Wolff tweets:

From a source inside News Corp: "Holy shit. Oh man. Those shells are landing closer and closer. "

More by Mark Lacter:
American-US Air settlement with DOJ includes small tweak at LAX
Socal housing market going nowhere fast
Amazon keeps pushing for faster L.A. delivery
Another rugged quarter for Tribune Co. papers
How does Stanford compete with the big boys?
Those awful infographics that promise to explain and only distort
Best to low-ball today's employment report
Further fallout from airport shootings
Crazy opening for Twitter*
Should Twitter be valued at $18 billion?
Recent Media stories:
LA Times sells out its front page to a Disney movie
THR's Stephen Galloway wins entertainment journalist of the year
Maria Elena Durazo profile names a key name *
Finke, Waxman, Penske, Min: Battle of the Hollywood trades
The real bad news from Tribune

New at LA Observed
On the Media Page
Go to Media

On the Politics Page
Go to Politics
Arts and culture

Sign up for daily email from LA Observed

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner


Advertisement
Mark Lacter
Mark Lacter created the LA Biz Observed blog in 2006. He posted until the day before his death on Nov. 13, 2013.
 
Mark Lacter, business writer and editor was 59
The multi-talented Mark Lacter
LA Observed on Twitter and Facebook