Murdoch takes out advert to apologize for phone-hacking scandal

An advertisement will appear in major British newspapers on Saturday saying sorry on behalf of media mogul Rupert Murdoch for "serious wrongdoing" by one of his tabloids at the center of a phone-hacking scandal.

"We are sorry," the advertisement will say in bold black type on a white background, according to a copy provided by Murdoch's News International and quoted by AFP.

It is signed "Sincerely, Rupert Murdoch", and will appear in all national newspapers including Murdoch's Sun and Times newspapers, plus the Daily Mail, Daily Telegraph, Financial Times, Independent and the Guardian.

In a day of contrition Friday, Murdoch also met the family of a teenaged murder victim whose phone was allegedly hacked by his News of the World tabloid to express his deep remorse. A company lawyer said Murdoch was "humbled to give a full and sincere apology" to the family of Milly Dowler.

The advertisement that will appear on Saturday reads:

"We are sorry. The News of the World was in the business of holding others to account. It failed when it came to itself.

"We are sorry for the serious wrongdoing that occurred. We are deeply sorry for the hurt suffered by the individuals affected. We regret not acting faster to sort things out.

"I realize that simply apologizing is not enough. Our business was founded on the idea that a free and open press should be a positive force in society. We need to live up to this.

"In the coming days, as we take further concrete steps to resolve these issues and make amends for the damage they have caused, you will hear more from us. Sincerely, Rupert Murdoch."

Former News of the World editor and News International chief executive Rebekah Brooks resigned earlier Friday as the scandal claimed its biggest scalp so far.

Another ad will appear in major British papers and Murdoch's Wall Street Journal Europe on Sunday and Monday, detailing measures News International has taken to "investigate, address and compensate previous wrongdoings."

Outrage over the News of the World's alleged hacking of thousands of Britons' phone records has forced Murdoch to close the lucrative tabloid and drop a $12-billion bid to buy all of pay-TV broadcaster BSkyB.

(Read more on GP: Rupert Murdoch being undone by old-fashioned journalism)