Staff message hidden in final ‘News of the World’ puzzle

Speaking from personal experience, I can say it’s quite difficult to sneak anything past an alert copy editor.

24 across: "Woman stares wildly at calamity"

For the final edition of the News of the World, CEO Rebekah Brooks brought in two senior executives to scour the fine print for hidden staff references to her handling of the phone hacking scandal that sunk the 168-year-old British tabloid.

Those editors must not have taken time to solve the crossword puzzle.

The Daily Mail cites a few subliminal messages that could be interpreted as unkind parting shots, including crossword clues such as “criminal enterprise,” “in prison,” “string of recordings.”

More clues are “brook,” “stink,” “catastrophe” and “digital protection.”

Printed answers include “stench,” “disaster,” “menace,” “racket,” and “tart.”

A source at the paper told the Daily Mail: “Rebekah tried everything to stop the staff having the last word and she utterly failed.”

The paper, which published its final edition Sunday with a headline reading “Thank You & Goodbye,” is caught up in a legal maelstrom — several employees are accused of hacking phones to get the inside scoop on stories.

The Sun, sister publication of the News of the World, forgets to mention the historic day on their website.

The Daily Mail seems to be taking delight in the publication’s demise. One story points out Brooks lives near “Hackers Lane.”

A responsible team of journalists — The Associated Press — has a nice visual timeline of the News of the World scandal.