James Murdoch May Leave News Corp.: Reuters

News Corp. executives are contemplating a future without James Murdoch, Reuters reports.

Murdoch had long been seen as the natural successor to his father, Rupert. But he has been deeply wounded by the phone hacking scandal and, according to Peter Lauria, senior executives are beginning to think about what might happen if he wants to "step aside."

In a conference call with investors and the press earlier in August, Rupert Murdoch said that, in the event of an emergency, COO Chase Carey would take over the company rather than James—a possible sign that James' star has fallen within News Corp.

"I'm waiting for the moment when he says, 'What the hell am I doing here, I need a breather,'" a source told Lauria. "And I wouldn't be surprised if the people who are speaking to him and watching him aren't wondering if the time has come for him to drop the (corporate) act."

Murdoch has been ensnared in the scandal ever since he signed off on a huge payment to Gordon Taylor, the head of the British soccer player's union, to stave off a lawsuit over phone hacking. He has insisted that he made the payments without knowing why they were being made, and that he knew nothing about the widespread phone hacking at the News of the World until late 2010. That assertion has been the subject of major disputes between Murdoch and top former News of the World officials, who have claimed that Murdoch knew full well why he was authorizing the payments to Taylor.

On Tuesday, a letter from Clive Goodman, the jailed former News of the World reporter, cast further doubts on Murdoch's pleas of ignorance, since it dates from 2007 and implicates many top journalists on the paper. The parliamentary committee investigating phone hacking then said it is likely that he will have to make a second appearance before it to further explain his knowledge of phone hacking.

News Corp. insisted to Reuters that Murdoch was staying exactly where he is, and that there are no plans to have him step aside.

Comments

[truthocentric]

03:15 PM on 08/24/2011

Let's hope Jimmy gets more than a stiff upper lip when he goes to the bighouse.

[Gavin Saunders]

10:50 AM on 08/23/2011

As Muckmurdoch ponders.... “Were there a dozen guilty people or two dozen?" ... Will I have to let the kid go to save Cameron amd my skins?

[altohone]

09:59 PM on 08/22/2011

The article calls these people top journalists. As if journalism did not have an image problem already.

[lindaj3884]

10:45 PM on 08/20/2011

If you have enough money you can buy your way out of anything. I am sure this will fade away soon. It is the way the Murdoch empire rolls.

[sanddc]

09:16 AM on 08/22/2011

Richard Nixon believed in the same ideas when he authorized the break-in of the Watergate building. He believed he was to powerful to be taken down as potus. Hindsight is always 20/20.

[Kimberly Breeze]

03:10 PM on 08/20/2011

James Murdock is in the same position the big thieves/criminals/politicians have been in since Ronald Regan: they are either responsible (they knew) or irresponsible (they are getting paid for knowing and they blew it). Either way, lock 'em up and throw away the key.

[Kenz300]

08:26 AM on 08/20/2011

This article sounds like emails are the next shoe to drop.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/08/19/us-murdoch-emails-police-idUSTRE77I58B20110819

[roaringrid]

03:18 AM on 08/20/2011

Hope he shuts down his "hate-mongering" News Corp as well.

[vendorwrites]

03:50 PM on 08/22/2011

Me Too....

[Steamboater]

11:23 PM on 08/19/2011

Hopefully Murdoch will leave in chains on his way to prison.

[Margo Arrowsmith]

12:41 AM on 08/20/2011

Rupert Morley at the very least.

However, doesn't that picture look like James Carville.  after midnight it took me a while to figure this out!

[Starling5]

01:45 AM on 08/20/2011

No.
You need to go to sleep earlier.

[Steamboater]

06:17 AM on 08/20/2011

He doesn't look like Carville at all. Hes too young and Carville has an extremely thin face.

[AbstractImp]

06:59 PM on 08/19/2011

And this from the Guardian -

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/aug/19/news-corp-phone-hacking

[jimme]

02:45 PM on 08/19/2011

You can run, but you can not hide. Just because you quit, doesn't necesarilly mean it's over.

Sorry, Jimbo

[huffyfan2]

01:34 PM on 08/19/2011

He looks a little like James Carville.

[Starling5]

01:45 AM on 08/20/2011

Is that all you've got?

[ebanks84]

01:33 PM on 08/19/2011

It's going to get so hot soon that he'll have no alternative but to step down. Murdoch is just getting a minor taste of what is coming for him. He has a huge karma in store and "we" can grin for a change instead of all of the way all of them were grinning when this first hit the fan. Now their looks are "gloom and doom". And I am happy!

[outwithshelby]

12:13 AM on 08/20/2011

I am gleeful.just maybe fox will change

[vendorwrites]

03:51 PM on 08/22/2011

I surely hope so.

[blueagle8u]

01:07 PM on 08/19/2011

This guy reminds me of the dude that played the evil spy who secretly worked for Willy Wonka!

[Puffin16]

12:51 PM on 08/19/2011

When I first looked at the picture, I thought they were talking about James Carville!

[TitaniumAvatar]

12:48 PM on 08/19/2011

When a child of a Multi-Billionaire loses their job, does the unemployment rate go up?

[gael9]

01:24 PM on 08/19/2011

where does he go to sign up for UI....