Rebekah Brooks, Former News International Chief, To Receive $5.6 Million Payout

Rebekah Brooks, the former chief of News International who resigned this week in the wake of the phone-hacking scandal tearing through News Corp, has received a hefty $5.6 million buyout package, according to the Daily Mail. Others being handed a thick envelope on their way out the door: the final editor of News of the World, Colin Myler, two of the company's senior lawyers, and of course Les Hinton, erstwhile CEO of Dow Jones and publisher of the Wall Street Journal who resigned yesterday. The Daily Mail reports that the financial packages will also include gag orders so that the higher-ups won't discuss the cases outside of criminal proceedings.

This is coming off a flurry of News Corp scandal events this week. Yesterday, Rupert Murdoch met with the family of murdered girl and phone-hacking victim Milly Dowler and apologized for NOTW's actions. Yesterday also, News Corp released a printed apology in a number of British newspapers. We now know that the phone hacking extended to former Prime Minister Gordon Brown and may have even included 9/11 victims. News Corp had to pull out of a $12 billion bid for BSkyB.

As the scandal continues to metastasize, it'll be interesting to see where it goes next. How will the most terrifying news conglomerate of all recover? 

[rgray@villagevoice.com] [@_rosiegray]