>> the news of the world was the number one english paper at that time. it prided itself on being the best newspaper in the world. >> it was astonishingly influential. >> when you join the news of the world, you're basically on call 24 hours a day. all's you've got to do is get the story. >> the first reporter to knock on the door was the reporter most likely to get the story. >> as soon as you got in that door, they were going to fold under questioning. if you can catch someone who's instantly grieving and in shock, they'll do anything you want them to. >> there's a period during the early 2000s when day after day, week after week, the murdoch papers are breaking these insane stories. >> soccer star david beckham's secret affair. >> saddam hussein in his skivvies. >> brittney spears still fodder for the tabloid. >> and people in the uk are kind of scratching their heads, and wondering how's this possible? >> murdoch's company is profit-hungry. that gets passed down from the headquarters in new york to