Rupert Murdoch (center) attempts to speak to the media after he held a meeting with the parents and sister of murdered school girl Milly Dowler in London, Friday, July 15, 2011. / AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth 
 
 Last Updated 2:30 p.m. ET 
 
 LONDON  Rupert Murdoch met with the family of murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler, whose phone was hacked by the now-defunct tabloid News of the World, and offered "a full and sincere apology," a lawyer for the family said. 
 
 Revelations that journalists had accessed Dowler's phone in search of information for news stories while her family and the police searched in vain for the missing girl - later found dead - inflamed the long-simmering phone hacking scandal involving Murdoch's News of the World, which was shut down last week. 
 
 Dowler family lawyer Mark Lewis said Murdoch appeared humbled and had offered "a heartfelt and what seemed to be a very sincere apology, telling them that the events that transpired at the tabloid were not in keeping with the standards set out when his own father entered the media industry. 
 
 "I don't think somebody could have held their head in their hands so many times and said that they were sorry," Lewis said. 
 
 The 80-year-old mogul emerged from the meeting at a London hotel to catcalls of "shame on you" from hecklers. He said that "as founder of the company I was appalled to find out what had happened and I apologized." 
 
 Murdoch's tone was dramatically different to that in an interview published Thursday in the Wall Street Journal, in which he said the company had made only "minor mistakes" and had handled the crisis "extremely well in every way possible." 
 
 Murdoch added that he was "getting annoyed" at all the negative headlines. 
 
 Rebekah Brooks resigns amid hacking scandal 
 
 Hacking scandal casts light on Murdoch politics 
 
 Special section: Murdoch in crisis 
 
 The meeting came hours after Murdoch released a copy of an apology that will be printed this weekend in British newspapers. 
 
 The ad signed by Murdoch says News International is "deeply sorry for the hurt" caused to phone-hacking victims. It adds that, "we regret not acting faster to sort things out." 
 
 Above: Sally Dowler (left), Gemma Dowler and Bob Dowler walk from the One Aldwych Hotel as their attorney Mark Lewis (right) looks on, after meeting with News Corp. Chairman Rupert Murdoch, July 15, 2011 in London. (Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images) 
 
 Also today, the head of Murdoch's British newspaper operation resigned, becoming the highest-ranking casualty yet in the phone-hacking scandal roiling Britain. 
 
 BBC News quotes Dowler attorney Lewis as calling the resignation of Rebekah Brooks - editor of the newspaper at the time - as "poetic justice." 
 
 Brooks, chief executive of Murdoch's embattled U.K. newspapers and his loyal lieutenant, resigned today. As she departed, Murdoch's son James signaled a new strategy for dealing with the storm that has knocked billions off the value of News Corp., scuttled its ambitions to take full control of lucrative British Sky Broadcasting, and radically changed the power balance between U.K. politicians and the feared Murdoch press. 
 
 A new chief executive untainted by the U.K. problems, Tom Mockridge, 55, was installed to replace Brooks at News International, the local unit of Rupert Murdoch's global News Corp. media empire. Mockridge, a New Zealander who has served as a spokesman for the Australian government, joined News Corp. in 1991 and has been in charge of Sky Italia since 2003. 
 
 The moves come after News Corp. brought in Edelman Communications to help with public relations and lobbying. 
 
 But with two U.K. police investigations running as well as an FBI review into the possible hacking of the phones of 9/11 victims, it remains far from clear what happened, what may yet be revealed or which of the proliferating allegations of wrongdoing circulating among Britain's papers is really true. 
 
 Murdoch had defended the 43-year-old Brooks in the face of demands from British politicians that she step down, and had previously refused to accept her resignation. He made an abrupt switch, however, as News Corp. struggled but failed to contain the crisis. 
 
 BNET: Murdoch Dumps Loyal Lieutenant  Next Step: Redemption! 
 
 Brooks was editor of the News of the World tabloid between 2000 and 2003, when the paper's employees allegedly hacked into the phone of 13-year-old murder victim Milly Dowler in 2002 as police searched for her, potentially interfering with the police investigation. 
 
 That report last week provoked outrage far beyond any previous revelations of snooping on celebrities, politicians and athletes. In quick succession, Murdoch closed the 168-year-old News of the World and abandoned his bid for full BSkyB ownership. Prime Minister David Cameron then appointed a judge to conduct a sweeping inquiry into criminal activity at the paper and in the British media. 
 
 Brooks said the debate over her position as CEO of News International  the British arm of News Corp.  was now too much of a distraction. 
 
 "I have believed that the right and responsible action has been to lead us through the heat of the crisis. However my desire to remain on the bridge has made me a focal point of the debate," Brooks said in an email Friday to colleagues that was released by News International. "This is now detracting attention from all our honest endeavors to fix the problems of the past." 
 
 Yet Brooks hinted last week that there was more to come. 
 
 "We have more visibility perhaps with what we can see coming our way than you guys can," she told staff at News of the World as they prepared their last edition. 
 
 "I am tied by the criminal investigation but I think in a year's time, every single one of you in this room might come up and say 'OK, well, I see what she saw now,"' she said, according to a recording obtained by Sky News. 
 
 The comments Friday by James Murdoch, who heads the international operations of the New York-based News Corp., were an abrupt shift in tone from an interview his father gave Thursday to The Wall Street Journal  another Murdoch paper. Rupert Murdoch had said that News Corp. management had handled the crisis "extremely well in every way possible" save for a few "minor mistakes." 
 
 Brooks has been in charge of News International's four  now three  British newspapers since 2007, following a four-year stint as editor of the market-leading daily tabloid, The Sun. Just a week ago, she faced 200 angry employees at the News of the World who had lost their jobs as she kept hers when Murdoch shut down the paper. 
 
 The news of her resignation was greeted with relief by British politicians. 
 
 "It is right that Rebekah Brooks has finally taken responsibility for the terrible events that happened on her watch, like the hacking of Milly Dowler's phone," said opposition Labour Party leader Ed Miliband. "No one in this country should exercise power without responsibility." 
 
 Cameron, who had called for Brooks to step down, said she had made "the right decision," said Steve Field, the prime minister's spokesman. 
 
 Saudi Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal Alsaud, the second-largest News Corp. stockholder, told the BBC on Thursday that if Brooks were found to be implicated in wrongdoing by the newspapers "for sure she has to go. " 
 
 Brooks has agreed to answer questions next week from a U.K. parliamentary committee. Rupert and James Murdoch initially resisted, but also agreed to appear after the committee issued formal summonses to them. 
 
 Being hauled before a hostile group of legislators marks a rapid change of fortune for the 80-year-old Murdoch, long accustomed to being courted by prime ministers and other politicians scared of provoking the wrath of his editors. 
 
 "Murdoch is like a beast or a god. He can attack you and destroy you or he can give you great power and glory," Lord Maurice Glasman said Friday in a House of Lords debate. "He was outside the constraints, outside of law. He makes and breaks kings." 
 
 British police have arrested seven people in their investigation of phone hacking, and two others in a parallel investigation of alleged bribery of police officers for information. Police say they have recovered a list of 3,700 names  regarded as potential victims  but so far have been in touch with fewer than 200 people. 
 
 News Corp. shares were down 1.3 percent at $15.78 in early New York trading. ||||| Murdoch Tells Dowler's Family: 'I'm Sorry' 
 
 Rupert Murdoch has apologised personally to Milly Dowler's family over claims the murdered girl's voicemails were accessed illegally by the News Of The World. 
 
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 It is alleged the Sunday tabloid hacked into the teenager's mobile after she was abducted in 2002, when Rebekah Brooks was editor. 
 
 Messages were deleted to make room for more recordings, it is claimed, and this gave the family false hope that she was still alive. 
 
 Mrs Brooks has resigned as News International chief executive after coming under increasing pressure since the allegations about Milly's phone emerged a couple of weeks ago. 
 
 Mrs Brooks denies any knowledge of the alleged wrongdoing. 
 
 And the scandal has claimed another senior executive at News Corporation. 
 
 Les Hinton, who worked for the company for 52 years, has stepped down as chief executive officer of Dow Jones & Company. 
 
 He worked at News International from 1995 until 2007 when he told the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee he had not seen any evidence the hacking had spread beyond one rogue journalist. 
 
 Meanwhile, an apology written by Mr Murdoch over the phone hacking scandal will appear in national newspapers on Saturday. 
 
 Apology from Rupert Murdoch over hacking scandal 
 
 He had called the meeting with the Dowlers and the family's lawyer Mark Lewis at a London hotel. 
 
 Speaking afterwards about the Milly claims, Mr Murdoch told reporters: "I was appalled about what had happened and I apologise." 
 
 Mr Lewis said: "He [Mr Murdoch] was humbled to give a full and sincere apology to the Dowler family. 
 
 "The Dowler family told him that his papers should lead the way to set the standards of honesty and decency in the field, and not what had gone on before. 
 
 "At the end of the day, actions are going to speak louder than words." 
 
 Mr Lewis also said Mr Murdoch "apologised many times" and "had his head in his hands". 
 
 Mrs Brooks and Rupert and James Murdoch 
 
 The hacking claims have centred on the now closed-down News Of The World (NOTW), which was published by News International (NI), the UK subsidiary of News Corp, and officers say around 4,000 people could have been targeted. 
 
 In his letter of apology, Mr Murdoch writes: "We are deeply 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. 
 
 "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." 
 
 Among the hacking allegations are that the NOTW could have illegally accessed the phones of 7/7 victims' families as well as relatives of dead soldiers. 
 
 And the FBI has said it is investigating claims News Corp journalists tried to hack into the phones of 9/11 victims. 
 
 In a statement Les Hinton said: "I have watched with sorrow from New York as the News of the World story has unfolded. 
 
 "I have seen hundreds of news reports of both actual and alleged misconduct during the time I was executive chairman of News International and responsible for the company. 
 
 "The pain caused to innocent people is unimaginable." 
 
 Les Hinton with Mr Murdoch, Mrs Brooks and Mr Coulson 
 
 Mr Murdoch praised Mr Hinton's "extraordinary work" and said: "Les and I have been on a remarkable journey together for more than 52 years. 
 
 "That this passage has come to an unexpected end, professionally, not personally, is a matter of much sadness to me." 
 
 Earlier Mrs Brooks admitted she had become a "focal point of the debate" and had to quit to avoid distracting attention from her company's efforts to "fix the problems of the past". 
 
 The former Sun and NOTW editor, 43, said she was "sorry for what we now know to have taken place". 
 
 Her resignation came despite Mr Murdoch describing her as his first priority when he flew to London last Sunday to take charge of the crisis in his media empire. 
 
 Labour MP Tom Watson: 'Brooks had to go' 
 
 Meanwhile, Mrs Brooks' successor at the paper, Andy Coulson, stayed as a guest of the Prime Minister at Chequers in March, several weeks after his resignation as David Cameron's communications chief, Sky sources say. 
 
 Mr Coulson was arrested last week by police investigating alleged phone hacking at the publication. He was questioned and later released on bail. 
 
 Mrs Brooks received hospitality at Chequers twice last year, once in June and again in August. 
 
 In recent weeks, the share prices of News Corp, the parent company of NI, and BSkyB have fallen amid the scandal. 
 
 News Corp has withdrawn its bid to take full ownership of the broadcaster after the proposed deal was criticised by politicians. 
 
 Police are continuing their investigations into alleged hacking and there will be a public inquiry led by judge Lord Justice Leveson. 
 
 Meanwhile, NI has denied completely a legal action by Jude Law against The Sun alleging that four articles published in 2005 and 2006 were based on information derived from illegal voicemail interception. 
 
 On Friday night the actor issued a statement through his lawyers Atkins Thomson confirming the action. 
 
 It said: "News International have put out a statement about a claim brought by Jude Law, which is currently before the court. 
 
 "We have no comment to make about this claim which will be considered by the court in due course." 
 
 News International said in a statement: "We believe this is a deeply cynical and deliberately mischievous attempt to draw The Sun into the phone-hacking issue. 
 
 "The allegations made in this claim have been carefully investigated by our lawyers and the evidence shows that they have no foundation whatsoever." 
 
 Law is already taking action against the News of the World and the case will be heard in January at the High Court. 
 
 Sky's political editor Adam Boulton said of Mrs Brooks' resignation: "It doesn't change any of News Corp's legal problems. 
 
 "It's probably too late for the sacrifices - last week the NOTW and today Rebekah Brooks - to stop any of the inquiries: the criminal inquiries, the public inquiries or the investigations in the United States." 
 
 Mrs Brooks is due to appear before MPs on the Commons Culture Committee next Tuesday where she is expected to face tough questions about hacking allegations at the paper, which was closed at the weekend. 
 
 Also giving evidence will be Rupert Murdoch and his son News International chairman James Murdoch, who both bowed to pressure after previously saying they were unavailable to attend on that day. 
 
 Labour leader Ed Miliband had been calling for Mrs Brooks to quit, and last week David Cameron said he would have accepted her resignation if she stood down. 
 
 In reaction to her leaving her job, the Prime Minister thought her resignation was "the right decision", his official spokesman has said. 
 
 Plenty of former News Of The World journalists think if she had resigned a week ago they would still be in a job. Sky's political correspondent Peter Spencer 
 
 Mrs Brooks announced she was going in an internal email to staff at the company, which also publishes The Times and Sunday Times. 
 
 In response James Murdoch said: "I want to thank her for her 22 years of service to the company. 
 
 "She has been one of the outstanding editors of her generation and she can be proud of many accomplishments as an executive. We support her as she takes this step to clear her name." 
 
 Chairman of the Commons Culture Committee John Whittingdale said he believed her resignation had been "inevitable". 
 
 Tom Mockridge is Mrs Brooks' successor at News International 
 
 "I think this is the right decision. I think many people expected it to come rather sooner, but I think her position was extremely difficult," he told Sky News. 
 
 Another committee member, Labour MP Tom Watson, who has been a leading critic over the phone-hacking scandal, said the spotlight would now shift to James Murdoch. 
 
 He told Sky News: "Her departure will now move the focus onto James Murdoch and what he knew about authorising payments to buy the silence of hacking victims." 
 
 Tom Mockridge, the chief executive of Sky Italia, has been named as her successor. 
 
 James Murdoch praised him as "a highly respected and accomplished media executive", who had shown "leadership and integrity" in creating the 24-hour TV news channel in Italy. 
 
 :: Brooks 'should have gone sooner' 
 
 :: Brooks - from teenage hack to media mogul 
 
 :: Read full resignation statement by Brooks
– Rupert Murdoch has taken a step toward convincing the world he is, in fact, a human being. The embattled media mogul has apologized to the family of Milly Dowler, the schoolgirl murdered in 2002 whose phone was allegedly hacked by Murdoch's News of the World. He met with the family in a London hotel, and will also publish an apology to all the phone hacking victims in British newspapers this weekend, reports CBS News. "I don't think somebody could have held their head in their hands so many times and said that they were sorry," says the family's lawyer of Murdoch. After Dowler went missing, the tabloid allegedly broke into her voicemail, mistakenly leading her family to believe she was still alive, Sky News reports. The family "told him that his papers should lead the way to set the standards of honesty and decency in the field, and not what had gone on before," the lawyer continues. "At the end of the day, actions are going to speak louder than words."