by Sunny Hundal

Post updated

Courtesy of someone at Sky News, I’ve now managed to get an extended version of the audio of Rebekah Brooks facing angry News of the World staff.

Highlights

– Staff accuse Rebekah Brooks “of calling our newspaper toxic”

– She is also accused of “making the whole News International toxic”

– Whatever she says ends up at the Guardian website, she claims

– “No one wanted to be in it” – she admits with regards to advertisers.

– She admits lots of advertisers were pulling out

– She says there is more to come and it will then be “another very difficult moment for this company”.

– Staff member says: “a lot of people think you should resign”.

Listen to part 1

LC EXCL: Rebekah Brooks faces angry NotW staff pt1 (mp3)

Listen to part 2

LC EXCL: Rebekah Brooks faces angry NotW staff pt.2 (mp3)

Listen to part 3

LC Excl: Rebekah Brooks faces angry NotW staff pt.3 (mp3)

Partial transcript (courtesy of yerialc)

Rebekah Brooks: …and I remember the team spirit of the paper where you all, who were there came alongside me and we fought for something we believed in, and I remember when we saw all the news headlines that came in the next day – we were rubbished everywhere and there was an opinion poll that said “ninety-seven percent of the British public agree with you”.

And we were like “right, here we are, we’re up and running”. And so I feel very strongly exactly the same as you, and that’s why I said “mounting anger”. And you know, I’m not saying- you know, this is not exactly the best time in my life, but I’m determined to get vindication for this paper. And for people like you.

Staff member: Will the paper come out again once you’ve got vindication for it? What I don’t understand is, can’t you see that by your actions yesterday, you’re calling our newspaper toxic, right? We’re all contaminated by that toxicity, by the way we’ve been treated. But can’t you see the bigger picture? You’re making the whole of News International toxic, and the arrogance there that you think we’re going to work here again.

[applause]

Rebekah Brooks: You know what there’s not an arrogance about wanting you to work for us again at all and I’m sorry that came across. All I meant was that if any of you did want to, that I was going to try and find opportunities, but please believe me, there’s no arrogance coming from this standpoint. On your point about- you know, you said will the paper come out again? We have a belief in journalism, we have invested in journalism throughout our history, yes we’re in a very bad moment, but we will continue to invest in journalism. And we haven’t made a decision on any new publications, or existi- strengthening or expanding existing ones yet.

It’s too soon, we just don’t know what to do. But in those circumstances – I don’t see there’s any of you in this room here looking at me now – that we wouldn’t want to work because we know there’s no toxicity attached to you guys in the room and that’s the sadness. It wouldn’t be sad, we wouldn’t all be feeling like this if you guys were up to your neck in it like previous colleagues. We wouldn’t be feeling like this would we?

Staff clap in response.