Ford, Renault and Vauxhall are among the automaker advertisers to pull or refuse placements with Sunday tabloid newspaper News of the World after consumers called for boycotts of that and other UK titles belonging to Rupert Murdoch, including The Sun and The Times, as a mobile phone hacking scandal widened.
Ford said in a statement to Reuters: “We are awaiting an outcome from the News of the World investigation and expect a speedy and decisive response. Pending this response we will be using alternative media within and outside News International Group instead of placing Ford advertising in the News of the World.”
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Renault UK said: “Renault acknowledges the concerns raised regarding the allegations of phone hacking by the News of the World. We can confirm that we have no media advertising planned with the News of the World.”
General Motors UK unit said: “Vauxhall has suspended advertising in the News of the World. It will reconsider its position pending the outcome of investigations into the allegations of phone hacking.”
The scandal, which has been bubbling on for months, and also encompassed papers’ payments to police for information, was originally thought to have focused on ‘hacking’ (accessing voicemails) of ‘celebrities’ mobile phones but it has been revealed in the last few days the paper may have also accessed the phones of murder victims and those caught up in the London 7 July terrorist attacks. The matter was discussed in a special session of the UK Parliament on Wednesday.
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