The Evening Standard is doubtful about both the employment prospects for ex-News of the World staff and about the chances of News International launching a new Sunday title to replace the News of the World.
News International said in a statement 12 July that the “vast majority” of former News of the World staffers will be found jobs elsewhere in the group. Estimates vary on the total number of staff involved – but Press Gazette understands the total is around 280, some 150 of whom are journalists.
According to the Evening Standard: “it is understood, News Corp bosses want to cut all ties with the NoW – even though almost all the staff who lost their jobs were not at the newspaper when phone-hacking was alleged to be endemic.”
It also quotes “sources” as saying that News International has decided against launching a Sunday edition of The Sun.
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It does seem extraordinary that after closing the News of the World a month ago, News International has simply gifted 2.6m newspaper sales to the Mail on Sunday, Sunday Mirror, Daily Star Sunday and The People. But with the Premier League season due to kick-off on Sunday there is still no word from Wapping on a new Sunday title.
The latest sales estimates show that the Sunday Mirror has nearly doubled its circulation since the News of the World went out of business.
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