News International rebrands by changing name to News UK

The publisher of The Sun and The Times today announced that it was dropping its name News International and rebranding itself as News UK.

The change comes in the wake of the phone-hacking and bribery scandals which have badly damaged the reputation of Rupert Murdoch’s stable of British newspapers and cost parent company News Corp more than £200m.

It also comes as News Corp splits its global business into two divisions at the end of this week. The television and entertainment side of the business will be known as 21 Century Fox, while the portfolio of around 130 newspapers will retain the old name of News Corp.

The logo for the British company features the word “News” in black handwriting format, alongside the letters “UK” in pale blue. In a statement, the company said the design “reflects the company’s roots in the United Kingdom and its ongoing commitment here”.

It acknowledged that the company was seeking to begin a new chapter after the phone hacking scandal. “The change follows the fundamental changes of governance and personnel that have taken place to address the problems of the recent past. News International apologised to its victims and set up a compensation scheme; closed the News of the World and co-operated with all the relevant authorities,” it said.

The News UK chief executive Mike Darcey said: “With new people and a new strategy, we will take our place within a new company determined to secure a sustainable future for professional journalism around the globe.”