Mike Fleming

After watching his Sunday paper News of the World fold over a phone hacking scandal, Rupert Murdoch is now weathering another newspaper storm, this one brewing around his cash cow daily The Sun. Five senior staffers were arrested. This time, the allegations are they paid cops for tips and information. According to a Reuters report, Murdoch will head to London next week to meet with staff. Given the fast fold of News of the World, Sun staffers are understandably nervous about the prospect of seeing another Fleet Street paper get an obit.

Per Reuters, News International chief executive Tom Mockridge sent a memo to staff saying: “I have had a personal assurance today from Rupert Murdoch about his total commitment to continue to own and publish the Sun newspaper.” The BBC confirms that Murdoch will continue to back the tabloid. Besides a thorough grilling (and a pie in the face) for Murdoch and son James, the scandal has so far forced the resignation of Murdoch’s top newspaper exec Rebekah Brooks and Andy Coulson, the Murdoch editor Andy Coulson, who became media adviser to Prime Minister David Cameron. Seems like a few more cowboys who allegedly ran roughshod over accepted journalistic ethics are in for a rough time of it and there is sure to be further argument of whether Murdoch should get out of the newspaper game altogether, at least in the UK.