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| Rebekah Brooks's 'unthinkable' return symbolises Murdoch's hatred of the UK establishment | Rebekah Brooks's 'unthinkable' return symbolises Murdoch's hatred of the UK establishment |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Asked what his main priority was at the height of the phone-hacking scandal – not long after the closure of the News of the World and the launch of a huge criminal investigation – Rupert Murdoch smiled at Rebekah Brooks and replied “this one”. | Asked what his main priority was at the height of the phone-hacking scandal – not long after the closure of the News of the World and the launch of a huge criminal investigation – Rupert Murdoch smiled at Rebekah Brooks and replied “this one”. |
| Four years later, the head of News Corp has made good on his promise by giving Brooks back her old job as chief executive of his British newspapers. | Four years later, the head of News Corp has made good on his promise by giving Brooks back her old job as chief executive of his British newspapers. |
| When the Guardian first reported that Brooks could return to News last October, her return was described as “unthinkable” and “unfathomable” by company insiders and her own friends. | When the Guardian first reported that Brooks could return to News last October, her return was described as “unthinkable” and “unfathomable” by company insiders and her own friends. |
| But the man responsible for the decision to put her back in charge of the Sun, the Times and the Sunday Times took no notice. One close associate said of Murdoch’s decision: “He thinks she’s the best person and doesn’t care what others think.” | But the man responsible for the decision to put her back in charge of the Sun, the Times and the Sunday Times took no notice. One close associate said of Murdoch’s decision: “He thinks she’s the best person and doesn’t care what others think.” |
| Although she was cleared of all phone-hacking charges in 2014, even company insiders describe the appointment of a woman so centre stage in a scandal that cost News hundreds of millions of pounds as well as the loss of 200 jobs as a “bold one”. She may have been found innocent, declaring herself “vindicated” by the courtroom decision, but many observers, including those representing hacking victims, have accused her of incompetence in failing to deal with allegations of criminal activity when they first emerged. | Although she was cleared of all phone-hacking charges in 2014, even company insiders describe the appointment of a woman so centre stage in a scandal that cost News hundreds of millions of pounds as well as the loss of 200 jobs as a “bold one”. She may have been found innocent, declaring herself “vindicated” by the courtroom decision, but many observers, including those representing hacking victims, have accused her of incompetence in failing to deal with allegations of criminal activity when they first emerged. |
| The company line is that there is no one better than Brooks at understanding what makes a good story and therefore a good media business. Murdoch likes promoting journalists to top positions – Robert Thomson, Brooks’s direct boss as the head of News Corp, was once a journalist at the FT. “They can make quick decisions under pressure and Murdoch likes talking to them,” said one insider. | The company line is that there is no one better than Brooks at understanding what makes a good story and therefore a good media business. Murdoch likes promoting journalists to top positions – Robert Thomson, Brooks’s direct boss as the head of News Corp, was once a journalist at the FT. “They can make quick decisions under pressure and Murdoch likes talking to them,” said one insider. |
| Related: Return of Rebekah Brooks is 'two fingers up to British public' – shadow minister | |
| Brooks’s great strength has always been her immense networking skills and that will be the hardest act to continue irrespective of the acquittal. News UK insiders say that the main focus of her time will be advertisers rather than politicians but she is nowhere near as well known in the corporate world as she is in politics. Thomson is to fly to London next week to attend a series of high-profile business meetings by her side. | Brooks’s great strength has always been her immense networking skills and that will be the hardest act to continue irrespective of the acquittal. News UK insiders say that the main focus of her time will be advertisers rather than politicians but she is nowhere near as well known in the corporate world as she is in politics. Thomson is to fly to London next week to attend a series of high-profile business meetings by her side. |
| Whatever the business logic, or lack of it, those close to the media mogul believe the decision also speaks of his hatred of what he sees as an entrenched British establishment. | Whatever the business logic, or lack of it, those close to the media mogul believe the decision also speaks of his hatred of what he sees as an entrenched British establishment. |
| He is said to be “furious” at the way she was treated by other media covering the hacking scandal. They focused on Brooks rather than Andy Coulson, who had gone on to work for David Cameron. He also believes the lack of interest in hacking at the Mirror group newspapers suggests a vendetta by the liberal elite against him and those nearest to him. “He feels she went through a terrible ordeal,” says one associate. | He is said to be “furious” at the way she was treated by other media covering the hacking scandal. They focused on Brooks rather than Andy Coulson, who had gone on to work for David Cameron. He also believes the lack of interest in hacking at the Mirror group newspapers suggests a vendetta by the liberal elite against him and those nearest to him. “He feels she went through a terrible ordeal,” says one associate. |
| Brooks is said to be under no illusions about the challenge ahead. But the appointment – guided by Thomson – of former Telegraph editor and long-term Mail man Tony Gallagher to the editorship of the Sun is a masterstroke for someone who wants to return the group’s flagship tabloid to prominence. | Brooks is said to be under no illusions about the challenge ahead. But the appointment – guided by Thomson – of former Telegraph editor and long-term Mail man Tony Gallagher to the editorship of the Sun is a masterstroke for someone who wants to return the group’s flagship tabloid to prominence. |
| Since Brooks was last in post as chief executive of the owner of the Sun and the Times, the world has changed immeasurably with the growing importance of digital. It remains to be seen whether she has evolved too. | Since Brooks was last in post as chief executive of the owner of the Sun and the Times, the world has changed immeasurably with the growing importance of digital. It remains to be seen whether she has evolved too. |