News International

News International
Stephen Craven · CC BY-SA 2.0 · source
Name	News International
Type	Private
Industry	Media
Fate	Defunct
Successor	News UK
Founded	February 1981
Founder	Rupert Murdoch
Defunct	June 2013
Headquarters	London, United Kingdom

News International was a British newspaper publisher established by Rupert Murdoch in February 1981, with its headquarters in London, United Kingdom. The company was a subsidiary of News Corporation, a global media conglomerate founded by Rupert Murdoch in 1979, which also owned The Wall Street Journal, The Times, and The Sun. News International was a major player in the British media landscape, publishing several prominent newspapers, including The Times, The Sunday Times, The Sun, and The News of the World. The company's publications were known for their sensationalist style, which was influenced by Rupert Murdoch's experience with New York Post and Australian newspapers.

● History

The history of News International began in the 1960s, when Rupert Murdoch acquired his first newspaper, the News Limited-owned Adelaide News, in Australia. Rupert Murdoch later expanded his media empire to the United Kingdom, acquiring The Sun in 1969 and The Times in 1981. News International was established in February 1981, with Rupert Murdoch as its chairman and chief executive officer. The company's early years were marked by a series of high-profile acquisitions, including the purchase of The Sunday Times in 1981 and Today in 1987. News International also invested heavily in new technologies, including the introduction of Wapping printing plant in 1986, which was a major factor in the Wapping dispute with the National Graphical Association and the Society of Graphical and Allied Trades. The company's growth was also influenced by its relationships with prominent politicians, including Margaret Thatcher and Tony Blair, who were frequent guests at News International's annual Summer Party at Kensington Palace Gardens.

● Corporate Affairs

News International was a private company, with Rupert Murdoch as its majority shareholder. The company's corporate affairs were managed by a board of directors, which included Rupert Murdoch, Les Hinton, and Rebekah Brooks. News International was also a major donor to various charitable organizations, including the Prince's Trust, which was founded by Charles, Prince of Wales in 1976. The company's corporate social responsibility initiatives were recognized with several awards, including the Queen's Award for Enterprise in 2009. News International also had close ties with other News Corporation subsidiaries, including Fox News Channel, The Wall Street Journal, and HarperCollins.

● Phone Hacking Scandal

The phone hacking scandal was a major crisis for News International, which began in 2005 with the arrest of Clive Goodman, the royal editor of The News of the World. The scandal involved the hacking of mobile phones of prominent individuals, including Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, Kate Middleton, and Sienna Miller. The scandal led to the resignation of several senior executives, including Rebekah Brooks and Andy Coulson, who later became the Director of Communications for David Cameron. The scandal also led to the closure of The News of the World in July 2011 and the establishment of the Leveson Inquiry, which was chaired by Lord Justice Leveson and included Lord Currie and Paul Scott-Lee as assessors. The inquiry's report, which was published in November 2012, made several recommendations for reforming the British media industry, including the establishment of a new regulatory body, Independent Press Standards Organisation, which replaced the Press Complaints Commission.

● Assets and Subsidiaries

News International owned several prominent newspapers, including The Times, The Sunday Times, The Sun, and The News of the World. The company also owned several subsidiaries, including News Group Newspapers, which published The Sun and The News of the World, and Times Newspapers, which published The Times and The Sunday Times. News International also had a significant stake in several other companies, including BSkyB, which was acquired by Sky plc in 2014, and NDS Group, which was acquired by Cisco Systems in 2012. The company's assets also included several prominent events, including the British Press Awards and the News International Sports Awards, which were sponsored by Nike and Adidas.

● Closure and Legacy

News International was closed in June 2013, following a series of scandals and controversies, including the phone hacking scandal and the Leveson Inquiry. The company's assets were transferred to a new company, News UK, which was established by Rupert Murdoch in June 2013. News UK continues to publish several prominent newspapers, including The Times, The Sunday Times, and The Sun. The legacy of News International is complex and multifaceted, with some critics arguing that the company's sensationalist style and aggressive reporting tactics contributed to a decline in journalistic standards in the United Kingdom. However, others argue that the company's innovative approach to journalism and its commitment to investigative reporting helped to shape the British media landscape and hold those in power to account, including Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, and David Cameron. Category:Defunct companies of the United Kingdom