'Thank You & Goodbye'

The last of 8,674 editions of News of the World hit the stands in Britain Sunday morning.

It’s the end of a publishing era. Amid shocking allegations of illegal eavesdropping and bribery, Rupert Murdoch’s News of the World has released its final edition, 168 years after its inception. “Quite simply, we lost our way,” an unsigned editorial read. “Phones were hacked, and for that this newspaper is truly sorry.” The editorial welcomed Prime Minister David Cameron's two public inquiries, but urged that the Press Complaints Commission be reformed rather than disbanded. “Self-regulation does work,” the anonymous author insisted. Former editor Colin Myler paid tribute to the paper's dedicated staff and 7.5 million readers in a heartfelt speech as he led his staff out of the News International offices. “And now in the best traditions of Fleet Street, we're going to the pub," he said.

Photo courtesy of Reuters.