Rebekah Brooks to return to News Corp

Brooks will oversee News UK, the division that publishes The Times of London and The Sun

Rebekah Brooks, the editor and publishing executive who four years ago became embroiled in a phone-hacking scandal in Britain, is set to return to Rupert Murdoch's media empire in a senior role, an executive with knowledge of the company's plans said.

Brooks will oversee News UK, the division that publishes the newspapers The Times of London and The Sun, according to this person, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. She will also have broader responsibilities that could include deal-making and various digital efforts, according to the person, though the final details of Brooks's role could change.

Just over a year ago, Brooks was acquitted of charges related to phone hacking, in which journalists at News of the World and other Murdoch papers gained access to the voice mails of various people, including a murdered schoolgirl and members of the royal family, and were accused of bribing police and public officials.

James Kennedy, a News Corporation spokesman, said in an email, "As we've said before, we've been having discussions with Rebekah Brooks, and when we have any announcements to make, we'll be sure to let you know."

Brooks, 47, is a longtime Murdoch protegee, and in media circles her return to his company has been expected since her exoneration. In recent months she has been frequently seen at News Corporation's headquarters in New York, and was even spotted at brunch with Murdoch in Brooklyn.

Her return would cap a remarkable career turnaround from the disgrace of the hacking scandal, and give Brooks a prominent role at the company. One job that had reportedly been considered for her in recent months was running Storyful, a News Corporation digital property. But her new position would give Brooks control over some of the most influential papers in Britain as well as a degree of power over some corporate deals.

News of her new role was first reported on Friday by The Financial Times.

After beginning her career as a secretary at News of the World, Brooks rose to be its editor and eventually chief executive of News International, and in her personal life she mingled with prime ministers and Britain's power elite.

That position appeared to crumble as the phone-hacking scandal erupted in 2011 with the revelation that reporters at News of the World had hacked into the phone of Milly Dowler, a 13-year-old who in 2002 was abducted and murdered. The case crystallised long-simmering public complaints in Britain about a freewheeling and unaccountable tabloid press, and had immediate ramifications for News Corporation and the broader Murdoch clan.

Brooks and others, including Andy Coulson, a former spokesman for Prime Minister David Cameron, faced charges including conspiracy, hiding evidence and bribing public officials for information.

©2015 The New York Times New Service