Ex-British officials say Murdoch tabloids hacked them to aid corporate agenda

https://www.npr.org/2023/12/05/ [login to see] /ex-british-officials-say-murdoch-tabloids-hacked-them-to-aid-corporate-agenda
The Murdoch family's British tabloids hacked the voicemails of thousands of people in the U.K.: Crime victims. War dead. Politicians. Sports stars. Celebrities. All to generate headlines, sell papers and inspire clicks.

Controlling owner Rupert Murdoch has publicly apologized. His larger media empire — which includes Fox News, the New York Post and the Wall Street Journal — has paid out more than a billion dollars in handling the claims and legal fees since 2011.

Now, his British operations have paid again — this time to a former senior government official who says his voicemails were hacked not only for scandalous copy, but also as part of an effort to block the company's $15 billion takeover of a huge European broadcaster.