Rebekah Brooks

Lore & Background

Rebekah Mary Wade was born in 1968 in Warrington and grew up in Daresbury, where her parents ran a tree pruning business. At age 14 she decided to become a journalist and made tea at her local newspaper. She attended Appleton Hall High School, a state comprehensive. A childhood friend described her as 'more emotionally intelligent than academic', charming and able to get what she wanted. Brooks stated in Who's Who that she studied at the Sorbonne in Paris but did not claim a degree; a 2003 Spectator article suggested she did not study there meaningfully. She briefly attended the London College of Communication but did not graduate. In 2010 she received an honorary Fellowship from the University of the Arts, London.

After school she worked for the French magazine L'architecture d'aujourd'hui in Paris, then for Eddy Shah's Messenger Group. She joined the News of the World in 1989 as a secretary, became a feature writer, and eventually deputy editor. In 1994 she prepared for the paper's interview with James Hewitt by hiring a team to install secret tape devices. She transferred briefly to The Sun in 1998, then returned to the News of the World as editor in 2000, becoming the youngest editor of a national British newspaper. While there she oversaw the 'naming and shaming' campaign of suspected child sex offenders after the murder of Sarah Payne, which led to mob violence and mistaken identity attacks. The campaign was called 'grossly irresponsible' by a chief constable, but Brooks defended it on BBC's Breakfast with Frost.

In January 2003 she became the first female editor of The Sun. On her first day the Page 3 girl was captioned 'Rebekah from Wapping'. She ran the headline 'Bonkers Bruno Locked Up' about Frank Bruno's mental health; the next day The Sun ran a reply from a mental health charity and later adopted a style guide on mental health coverage. In June 2009 she left The Sun to become CEO of News International. In September 2015 she was confirmed as CEO of News UK, re-establishing a working relationship with Rupert Murdoch.

Reader's Guide

Rebekah Brooks's career illustrates the rise of a tabloid journalist to the highest levels of British media management, as well as the intersection of journalism, politics, and scandal. As editor of the News of the World and The Sun, she wielded significant influence over public discourse and political coverage. Her role in the News of the World's 'naming and shaming' campaign and her admission before a parliamentary committee that her newspaper had paid police for information highlighted ethical controversies in tabloid journalism. The phone hacking scandal, which involved routine interception of voicemails of celebrities and public figures, led to her criminal trial in 2014, where she was acquitted on all charges. Her subsequent return as CEO of News UK demonstrated her enduring position within Rupert Murdoch's media empire. Her legacy remains contested: she is seen as a pioneering female editor and a resilient executive, but also as a symbol of the aggressive practices that led to the Leveson Inquiry and the closure of the News of the World.

Did You Know?

• Brooks was the youngest editor of a British national newspaper when she became editor of the News of the World in 2000.
• She was the first female editor of The Sun, taking the role in January 2003.
• In 2003 she told a House of Commons committee that her newspaper had paid police for information.
• She was found not guilty in 2014 of conspiracy to hack voicemails, conspiracy to pay public officials, and conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.