Letter: Newspaper closure a warning to us all

I can only hope it did so for reasons of contrition and regret and not merely as a cynical ploy to regroup, consolidate and launch it under another name with a similar down-market profile, in other words for reasons of sheer economics and nothing else.

However, let us also hope that Rupert Murdoch, who has been king-maker for two British prime ministers and is the ultimate head of the company, sees that he is answerable for the acts of his media outlets and learns a lesson from what has occurred.

The hurt inflicted in the name of journalism on innocent people, especially the families of murdered children, is inexcusable under any circumstances and those responsible should be prosecuted to the limits of the law.

If nothing else, what has occurred should serve as a warning to all of us, and give us cause to reflect on the values of the society in which we live.

Brian Allan

Keith Street

Alloa, Clackmannanshire

So farewell then, News of the World. It remains to be seen if this will just be a quick paint job and a re-badge.

A while ago, I spent six months reading the Sun and News of the World every day (afterwards, I had my brain removed and put through a carwash).

This affair leaves several burning issues behind. One of these is the market for this type of paper. This still exists.

News International (NI) would say that it is merely giving people what they want. So we must ask why people want articles about sex, violence (better, much better if the two are combined), fawning, strangely masochistic reports on what's happening in gangland with a sprinkling of politics, football and celebs.

I find it odd that a paper that took great pride in outing "perverts" and the like catered to a market with such perverse tastes. Are these things people want or has NI sculpted the environment in which people choose which newspapers to read?

As a liberal, I would like to think the former; as a cynic, I fear the latter is true.

David Millar

Tytler Gardens

Edinburgh

Though the good books say: "Greater love hath no woman than this, that she lay down her scribes for her life" I doubt that News Corporation's Rebekah Brooks can survive.

After all, it was on her watch that Milly Dowler's phone was hacked, the police were bribed and such sensitive headlines as "Bonkers Bruno Locked Up" appeared.

She also oversaw a campaign - which the authorities called "grossly irresponsible" - of naming and shaming paedophiles, which led to pediatricians being attacked.

Only the truly delusional can now believe News Corporation is a fit and proper business and should be allowed control of the 10 billion broadcaster BSkyB. (Dr) John Cameron

Howard Place

St Andrews

WE sit surrounded by supervisory bodies, assured that because we possess ombudsman authorities and every breed of watchdog imaginable we won't be exposed to the predations of entrepreneurial or whatever unscrupulous avarice.

We have "of-this" and "of-that": Ofgem and Ofcom, the Press Complaints Commission and the Police Complaints Commission to protect us.

And just look at the abuses - from phone-hacking hacks to coppers on trial for perverting the course of justice, to domestic energy providers hiking up electricity and gas prices while raking in millions, to bankers still being awarded bonuses on taxpayers' bailouts.

Is there enough in this to tell us that maybe all these protectors of ours are either not up to the job or else they are getting payoffs from those they are meant to protect us from?

As was said by someone in parliament when enlightening a new colleague to the chamber of elected power: "That's the opposition over there. Your enemies are seated around you here."

Ian Johnstone

Forman Drive

Peterhead

So the News of the World has gone. But when the manure hits the fan, switching off the fan does no good.

The fan is not the problem; it's the manure that is the problem.

J A Carruthers

Dormont

Lockerbie