Rebekah Brooks to return as CEO of Murdoch’s News UK

Rebekah Brooks will be back as the CEO of News UK owned by Rupert Murdoch on Monday. The journalists who worked under Brooks in the News of the World were alleged to have accessed the voicemail of 13-year-old schoolgirl Milly Dowler, who was murdered in 2002.

The British masses reacted to the phone-hacking issue forcing the News of the World to close. Brooks had to resign from her post following the revelations in 2011.

Brooks worked at The Sun for six years and then was appointed in the parent company News UK, formerly known as News International in 2009.

One of the News UK sources confirmed that putting Brooks in charge of the company again was completely the decision of Australian-American magnate Murdoch. “He thinks she’s the best person and doesn’t care what others think,” one of the close associates told the Guardian. Brooks will replace Mike Darcey, who took over the position of CEO in 2012.

“It is a privilege to be back amongst the most talented journalists and executives in the business. I am especially pleased to be working for Robert [Thomson, News Corp chief executive],” Brooks said, indicating her happiness to return to News UK.

Due to the hacking scandal, she had to resign from her post in 2011. The company paid her £16 million (AU$35 million) as compensation. In 2014, Brooks was cleared of involvement of all phone-hacking charges. “It’s beyond parody and not the actions of a company with any willingness to put the past behind them. It’s just business as usual,” former police officer and Crimewatch presenter Jacqui Hames told the News of the World.

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