News of the World | British Tabloid, Rupert Murdoch, Scandal (2024)

British newspaper

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Article History

News of the World, British tabloid newspaper (1843–2011) headquartered in London. It was published weekly by News Group Newspapers Ltd. of News International, a subsidiary of Great Britain’s largest newspaper publisher, News Corporation Ltd., the media conglomerate founded and headed by Australian-born publisher Rupert Murdoch.

Founded in 1843, News of the World achieved broad circulation through its low price and sensational content. It had by the 20th century cemented its position as Britain’s best-selling Sunday newspaper under the leadership of Sir Emsley Carr, who was editor from 1891 until his death in 1941. The paper passed the one million circulation mark shortly after 1900, and by the 1950s it had reached a circulation of well over eight million, the largest in the Western world.

Murdoch acquired News of the World in 1969 and placed an emphasis on crime, sex, scandal, and human interest stories with boldface headlines, prolific sports reporting, and outspokenly conservative editorializing. In July 2011 it was announced that the newspaper would cease publication; the announcement followed intensifying allegations that members of its staff were responsible for the illegal hacking of telephones of celebrities, politicians, the British royal family, and private citizens. News of the World published its last issue on July 10, 2011.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica This article was most recently revised and updated by Adam Augustyn.