NEW YORK (AFP) ― Media mogul Rupert Murdoch said Wednesday that News Corp. would donate $1 million to help victims of superstorm Sandy in New York and New Jersey, and urged other firms to follow suit.

“Newscorp. giving $1million to help families in NY and NJ badly hurt by Sandy. Hope other companies will do same,” Murdoch wrote on Twitter.

The devastating storm left more than 50 Americans dead and millions of people along the U.S. East Coast without power. New York City and neighboring New Jersey were the hardest-hit areas, with much of the Big Apple still paralyzed.

Murdoch has faced criticism over his handling of a phone hacking scandal that erupted at the heart of his media empire in Britain. One newspaper was closed and a major investigation of the alleged hacking is ongoing.