London ( CNN ) -- Rupert Murdoch apologized to the British public with full-page advertisements in seven national newspapers Saturday , a day after two senior executives resigned over a phone hacking scandal that has engulfed his media empire . `` We are sorry , '' Murdoch says in Saturday 's ad , which will also run in newspapers Sunday and Monday . `` The News of the World was in the business of holding others to account . It failed when it came to itself . We are sorry for the serious wrongdoing that occurred . We are deeply sorry for the hurt suffered by the individuals affected . '' Murdoch 's apology comes after his media empire lost two top executives Friday . Former News of the World editor Rebekah Brooks resigned from her post as chief executive at News International , the British arm of Murdoch 's News Corp. , early Friday . Hours later , her predecessor , Les Hinton resigned . Murdoch also visited the family of Milly Dowler , a murdered British teenager whose voice mail was allegedly hacked by staff working for the News of the World . Police in the United Kingdom have identified almost 4,000 potential targets of phone hacking in documents recovered from a private investigator working for the paper . There were also allegations that News Corp. reporters may have bribed police officers . Murdoch 's campaign of contrition comes 12 days after the scandal first broke and barely a week after the News of the World , Britain 's best-selling Sunday tabloid , was shut down by News International in the face of public outrage . The advertisement expresses regret for not acting more quickly `` to sort things out , '' but Murdoch acknowledges that apologizing is not enough . `` Our business was founded on the idea that a free and open press should be a positive force in society . We need to live up to this , '' he says . The media mogul pledged to take `` concrete steps '' to resolve issues and make amends . `` You will hear more from us , '' his message concludes . Murdoch , his son , James , and Brooks are to appear before British politicians Tuesday to answer questions over the phone hacking scandal . Some of the claims Brooks faces relate to the News of the World 's alleged hacking , while she was editor , into Dowler 's mobile phone account . She has warned that her answers may be limited by ongoing police and judicial inquiries . `` As chief executive of the company , I feel a deep sense of responsibility for the people we have hurt , and I want to reiterate how sorry I am for what we now know to have taken place , '' she said in a statement Friday . Hinton , who most recently served as chief executive of Dow Jones , publisher of The Wall Street Journal , wrote to Murdoch to say that although he had been unaware of alleged misconduct when he was executive chairman of News International , which operated the now-defunct News of the World , he had to take responsibility . `` The pain caused to innocent people is unimaginable , '' he said in a letter provided by Dow Jones . British Prime Minister David Cameron has been among those publicly decrying the hacking , blasting Murdoch 's company Wednesday as he launched a high-powered judge-led investigation into the nation 's press . Yet he has his own ties to the scandal , given his relationship with Andy Coulson . Coulson resigned as News of the World editor in 2007 , after his former royal editor and a private detective were convicted of conspiracy to hack into royals ' voice mails . But while offering his resignation , he insisted he had been unaware of the crimes and he was not charged at the time . After last year 's election , Cameron became prime minister -- and appointed Coulson as his communications director . Coulson resigned as Cameron 's spokesman in January when the scandal blew up afresh . Cameron hosted Coulson overnight in March at Chequers , the prime minister 's country estate , a Downing Street source said Friday . The aim of the invite , added the source , was to thank his former communications director for his work on Cameron 's behalf . Earlier this month , Coulson was arrested in connection with claims of phone hacking and corruption dating to his days as the News of the World editor . After the arrest , the prime minister took full responsibility for hiring Coulson . But while not denying this personal connection , Cameron has maintained public pressure against News Corp . Meanwhile , the FBI is also investigating News Corp. after a report that employees or associates may have tried to hack into phone conversations and voice mail of September 11 survivors , victims and their families . Murdoch 's News Corp. encompasses Fox News , The Wall Street Journal , the New York Post and Harper Collins publishers in the United States . News International -- a British subsidiary of News Corp. -- owns the Sun , The Times and The Sunday Times in Britain .
Murdoch 's full - page ad , run in every national newspaper , says : ` ` We are sorry '' He apologizes in person to the parents of a teenage girl whose phone was allegedly hacked . Two senior News Corp. executives resign immediately over the phone hacking scandal . They are alleged to have hacked people 's voice mails and called police officers .