News Of The World Gets New Deputy Editor
Declining red-top the News of the World has a new deputy editor after the announcement that Jane Johnson is to join the Sunday title.
Johnson, who was one of Emap’s top editors who successfully launched Closer in 2002, is returning to Fleet Street after five years. She was previously an executive editor on the Sunday Mirror.
She will replace Neil Wallis, the News of the World‘s current deputy, who will become executive editor.
Johnson will also be editorial director of the paper’s Sunday magazine.
The Sunday magazine editor, Louise Oswald, in charge since January last year, resigned earlier this month and was replaced in the short term by the NoW showbusiness editor, Rachel Richardson.
Before joining Emap to launch Closer in 2002, Johnson was number three on the Sunday Mirror, appointed by its then editor, Colin Myler.
“Jane is one of the most creative, skilful and talented journalists of her generation,” he said today.
“Her success at Closer has been extraordinary and I am delighted she is returning to her newspaper roots. She will be a huge asset to the paper and the magazine.”
Johnson said she was looking forward to developing the NoW‘s “huge and exciting brand”.
“I am thrilled to be taking up the role of deputy editor at the News of the World and to be working again with Colin Myler, who was my boss when I was executive editor of the Sunday Mirror,” she said.
Wallis, a former editor of rival Sunday tabloid the People, will become the NoW‘s executive editor, with responsibility for all aspects of editorial management operations.
The managing editor, Stuart Kuttner, and the deputy managing editor, Paul Nicholas, will report to Wallis.
“Neil will be leading a new executive management structure that will put the paper in a much stronger position to identify and tackle the many challenges we are facing,” Myler said.
“His energy and breadth of editorial experience as an executive at the highest level is unparalleled.”
Myler is understood to be keen to stamp his authority on the title after taking the top job following Andy Coulson’s resignation in January over the royal phone-hacking scandal.
The Sunday tabloid is cutting 20 jobs as part of budget cuts at parent company News International.
At the latest ABCs for May, the News of the World recorded the greatest actual slide in circulation in the dismal Sunday market year on year, falling by over 245,000 copies (see ABC National Newspaper Round-Up: May 2007).
However, the title remains the most widely circulated in Britain, with a circulation of more than 3.2 million.