(LONDON, ZZZ) - Rupert Murdoch will use advertisements in British national newspapers on Saturday to apologise for "serious wrongdoing" by his News of the World tabloid, News International said.
"We are sorry," states the advertisement in large black type on a white background -- a copy of which was provided by Murdoch's British newspaper operation.
It is signed "Sincerely, Rupert Murdoch".
The advert will run in his Sun and Times newspapers. It will also run in the rival Daily Mail, Daily Telegraph, Financial Times and Independent, as well as in the Guardian, the newspaper that helped break the scandal.
In smaller letters under the heading, the apology reads: "The News of the World was in the business of holding others to account. It failed when it came to itself.
"We are sorry for the serious wrongdoing that occurred. We are deeply sorry for the hurt suffered by the individuals affected.
"We regret not acting faster to sort things out.
"I realise that simply apologising is not enough. Our business was founded on the idea that a free and open press should be a positive force in society. We need to live up to this.
"In the coming days, as we take further concrete steps to resolve these issues and make amends for the damage they have caused, you will hear more from us."
Murdoch on Friday met the parents of Milly Dowler, a 13-year-old British murder victim whose phone was allegedly hacked by the paper, reports said.
When news emerged on July 4 that Dowler was among the victims it set the touchpaper under the crisis, which on Friday led to the resignation of News International chief executive Rebekah Brooks.
A second ad will run in ten major British newspapers and in the Murdoch-owned Wall Street Journal Europe on Sunday and Monday outlining steps taken by News International to "investigate, address and compensate previous wrongdoings".
It will also set out practices to "prevent these serious problems from reoccurring," the company said in a statement.
The company released the advert hours after Brooks resigned.
