News International chair James Murdoch has reaffirmed to a British parliamentary committee he did not know illegal phone hacking was widespread at the News of the World newspaper.
Mr Murdoch said former senior colleagues had misled the committee by indicating he was aware of the extent of the hacking.
The BBC reports that Labour MP Tom Watson suggested the UK arm of the company had adopted the "omerta" code of silence.
Mr Murdoch said that was "offensive and not true" and said he was not made aware in 2008 that phone hacking went beyond one rogue reporter.
He also said two former executives had given MPs "misleading" evidence.
The session lasted two and a half hours.
