After 168 years, News of the world says 'thank you and goodbye'

After 168 years, News of the worlds says 'thank you and goodbye'

LONDON- Britain's best-selling Sunday tab-loid the News of the World Signed off yesterday with a simple front-page message- ''THANK YOU & GOODBYE'', in its familiar headline style in all capital letters- leaving the media establishment reeling from the expanding phone-hacking scandal that brought down the muckraking newspaper after 168 years. The final edition's front and back pages were covered with images of passt exclusives and scoops. The 8,674th edition apologised for letting the readers down but stopped short of acknowledging recent allegations that its journalists paid the police for information. ''We praised high standards, we demand-ed high standards but, as we are now only too painfully aware, for a period of a few years up to 2006 some who worked for us, or in our name , fell shamefully short of those stand-ards,'' read a full-page editorial. ''Quite simply, we lost our way. Phones were hacked, and for that this newspaper is truly sorry.'' Allegations that the paper's journalists paid the police for information and hacked into the voicemail of yoiung murder victims and the grieving families of dead soldiers prompted News International, headed by Mr Rupert Murdoch, to shut down the tabloid. The front page bore an epitaph, ''The world's greaest newspaper 1843-2011,'' with the note ''After 168 years, we finally say a sad but very proud farewell to our 7.5m loyal readers''. On the back page were quotes from British literary great George Orwell. Throughout Saturday, journalists at the tabloid expressed their sadness and pride in working for an iconic news brand. Video of the newsroom showed desk-bound journalists tapping away at keyboards beneath television screens broadcastjng images and pictures of their task, and plight. Small clues gave the tone of the London newsroom away, like one staff member's com-memorative T-shirt bearing a ''Goodbye, cruel News of the world, I'm leaving you today''. The newspaper's editor, Mr Colin Myler, offered words of encouragement and sympa-thy to his staff on a ''very difficult day''. It's not where we want to be and it's not where we deserve to be,'' he said in a memo to staff seen by Britain's Press Association, ''But I know we will produce a paper to be proud of.'' tor who offered refreshments to journalists outside the tabloid's headquarters, described an ''extremenely emotional'' newsroom. After sending the final edition to the printing presses, reporters editors and production staff walked out of the last time at around 10pm and lined up before the world's cameras waiting to capture a piece of media history. They proudly help up a mock-up of the final edition, cheering and applauding Mr Myler. Then, before the group headed off to gether, Mr Myler told the gathered press scrum; ''In the best tradition of Fleet Street, we are going to the pub''.