FORMER TABLOID EXECS CONTRADICT JAMES MURDOCH

James Murdoch’s assertion on Tuesday that he now wanted News International to be “transparent” in relation to the News of the World voicemail-hacking scandal was called into question on Thursday when two former executives with the now-shuttered tabloid contradicted Murdoch’s testimony, Murdoch maintained in his testimony that he was not aware of an email intended for the paper’s former chief reporter, Neville Thurlbeck, discussing the hacking of Gordon Taylor’s voice mail. Taylor is the head of the Professional Footballer Association who received an out-of-court settlement of more than $1 million when he threatened to sue the paper when he learned of the hacking. However, Colin Myer, editor of the News of the World at the time, and Tom Crone, head of legal affairs for the newspaper, said that that Murdoch was “mistaken” in his remarks before the Culture, Sport and Media Select Committee about the email. Both said that they had told Murdoch that the email, which was shown to them by Taylor’s lawyers, showed that the voicemail hacking was not confined to just one rogue reporter, as the paper had claimed. Late today (Friday), News Corp said in a statement, “James Murdoch stands by his testimony to the select committee.” Meanwhile, the Wall Street Journal, a News Corp-owned newspaper, reported today that the Department of Justice is preparing subpoenas of News Corp personnel in its ongoing inquiry into reports that Americans may have been targeted by News of the World phone hackers.