News Corp: Rupert Murdoch has board's 'full confidence'

Rupert Murdoch has the "full confidence" of News Corporation's board of directors, the company said in a statement issued late yesterday.

The statement comes after Murdoch was accused by the culture, media and sport select committee of not being "a fit person to exercise the stewardship of a major international company" in their report into phone hacking.

In its report, the committee concluded by way of a majority vote that "if at all relevant times Rupert Murdoch did not take steps to become fully informed about phone hacking, he turned a blind eye and exhibited wilful blindness to what was going on in his companies and publications".

"This culture, we consider, permeated from the top throughout the organisation and speaks volumes about the lack of effective corporate governance at News Corporation and News International. We conclude, therefore, that Rupert Murdoch is not a fit person to exercise the stewardship of a major international company."

The committee also concluded that "by ignoring evidence of widespread wrongdoing" both News International and parent company News Corporation "exhibited wilful blindness" for which directors including Rupert Murdoch and James Murdoch "should ultimately be prepared to take responsibility".

In its latest statement News Corporation said: "The board of directors of News Corporation met today and announced its full confidence in Rupert Murdoch's fitness and support for his continuing to lead News Corporation into the future as its chairman and CEO.

"The Board based its vote of confidence on Rupert Murdoch's vision and leadership in building News Corporation, his ongoing performance as Chairman and CEO, and his demonstrated resolve to address the mistakes of the Company identified in the Select Committee's report."

In its statement responding to the phone-hacking report on Tuesday 1 May News Corporation described some of its remarks as "unjustified and highly partisan".

"Hard truths have emerged from the select committee report: that there was serious wrongdoing at the News of the World; that our response to the wrongdoing was too slow and too defensive; and that some of our employees misled the select committee in 2009.

"News Corporation regrets, however, that the select committee's analysis of the factual record was followed by some commentary that we, and indeed several members of the committee, consider unjustified and highly partisan. These remarks divided the members along party lines."

Free daily newsletter

If you like our news and feature articles, you can sign up to receive our free daily (Mon-Fri) email newsletter (mobile friendly).