News of the World political editor David Wooding: "The loss of the News of the World from our lives is a bombshell like the break-up of the Beatles, the collapse of Woolworths and the end of Concorde. Only this time, instead of reporting the story, we are it. Britain's crooks, thieves, conmen and fakers won't miss the News of the World. But everyone who loved a great story, well told, will."
Ian Dale on David Wooding and closure of the News of the World: "The media were crying out for someone to speak out on behalf of the paper – in stepped David Wooding to this vacuum. In a stroke the angry demands for justice and action in both the traditional and social media was sated, as Wooding deftly outlined, in a series of live interviews on TV and radio, how the News of the World was staffed by great journalists not linked in any way to the crimes of the past. He was robust, open, transparent and spoke with real passion. The polar opposite of the limp and evasive performances we’d seen from Simon Greenberg [New International's director of corporate affairs] earlier in the week."
Chase Carey, deputy chairman, president and chief operating officer, News Corporation: "We believed that the proposed acquisition of BSkyB by News Corporation would benefit both companies but it has become clear that it is too difficult to progress in this climate."
Stephen Glover in the Mail: "Other newspapers, not owned by Murdoch, are being dragged into this process without having been accused of having done anybody any harm. Politicians, in other words, are giving the Press a harder time than they have ever given themselves, or the bankers."
Blogger Guido Fawkes: "Momentum is building for press regulation, politicians of all parties are keen to tame the feral press. Public opinion is shifting towards them. This would be a mistake. The rich and the powerful in this country would like nothing better than to have a craven and beholden press. In many countries this is exactly what they have and ordinary people are worse off for it. Privacy laws are a Trojan horse for censorship."
Sun associate editor Trevor Kavanagh on BBC coverage of the phone hacking scandal: "The BBC's tone - driven by its fear of competition from Sky TV - is not so much 'comment' as a giant raspberry in the face of impartiality."
Simon Jenkins in the Guardian: "Britain's last leader to disregard the media was Margaret Thatcher. She did not employ tabloid journalists to hijack her agenda and pollute her diary for overnight headlines. She did not care what the press said."
Andrew Alexander in the Daily Mail: "Every few years politicians succumb to the desire to impose codes of ethics on journalists. We have had three attempts in the past half century or so to achieve this by committee of inquiry without much result.David Cameron wants us to try again. It will be like grappling with a blancmange."
The Guardian's Michael White imagines a conversation between James Murdoch and his Dad: “Pops. Is Rebekah going to be our new mum?”
A spokesperson for bookmaker Paddy Power on News Thump: “We’re renowned for taking ridiculous loss-making bets, but letting people put money on there being a Sunday version of the Sun to replace the News of the World? No, we’re not that stupid. But we are offering 4-1 on it being called ‘Not The News of the World’ if you’re interested?”
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