James Murdoch Quits Newspaper Boards

James Murdoch is pulling back. Rupert’s heir apparent has quit the boards of the companies that publish Britain's Sun, Times, and Sunday Times, filings showed on Wednesday. He will stay on as executive chairman of News International and chairman of British broadcaster BSkyB. The announcement is the latest in a string of departures for Murdoch—who is said to be lightening his plate amid scrutiny from Parliament over his role in the Murdoch empire’s phone-hacking scandal—and it leaves the family completely absent from the board of any major British newspaper. Next week James will stand for reelection at BSkyB, and despite the Murdochs’ control of 39.1 percent of voting shares, he’s far from a shoo-in.