Image source: (Wikimedia)

BY: JENNIFER MECKLES

The Murdoch family is feeling the heat on both sides of the Atlantic.

In the states -- an FBI probe investigation alleges that Murdoch-owned company “News of the World” hacked into the phones of 9/11 victims, families of soldiers who died in Iraq and Afghanistan, and even the phone of a missing teenager, later found dead. (Video: Wall Street Journal)

Now, in Great Britain -- A Parliamentary committee has requested both Rupert and James Murdoch’s presence, as well as News of the World Chief Executive Rebekah Brooks, to answer a few questions. Brooks consented, but the Murdoch’s cited scheduling conflicts. But Parliament didn’t back down -- The Guardian reports:

“Accordingly, the Committee has this morning decided to summon Rupert Murdoch and James Murdoch to appear before the Select Committee in Parliament at 2.30pm on Tuesday 19 July 2011.”

Very quickly, the Murdochs rearranged their schedules to meet with the Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee. But the New York Times says -- they didn’t have to:

“This gets difficult because James and Rupert Murdoch are American citizens, and are - theoretically at least, under British law -- not obliged to answer a Parliamentary summons, which Ms. Brooks is obliged to do."

They’re expected at the Palace of Westminster Tuesday, where the Huffington Post says -- they will face a tough audience:

“The summons came the day after he withdrew his $12 billion bid for BSkyB amidst an extraordinarily united show of disapproval of the deal from all sides of the House. The chamber then held a debate in which Murdoch was scathingly criticized.”

And now, media outlets are guessing what type of questions will be fired their direction. CNN reports:

“There are a lot of questions about just how far this culture of phone-hacking may have gone. Did it extend to other papers within the News International empire? ... People want to get to the bottom of this and find out just how bad is it? Just how many times, how many incidences were these phone hacking allegations going on?”

As far as coverage, the Telegraph says -- its no wonder media outlets smell blood on this story -- Murdoch is a competitor, and bitter enemy in the liberal news world:

“He owns the Wall Street Journal, the NYT’s main up-market rival. He owns the New York Post, its main down-market rival... Murdoch owns Fox News, the enormously profitable television station which is the NYT’s main ideological rival... Trouble for Mr Murdoch is good news for the American liberal establishment.”

Thursday morning, police arrested Neil Wallis, a former executive editor at the News of the World, for questioning. Wallis is the 7th person arrested in relation to the phone-hacking scandal -- but so far, no one has been charged.

Transcript by Newsy.