NI appoints Mohan as editor of The Sun

News International today confirmed that Dominic Mohan will replace Rebekah Wade as editor of The Sun.

Mohan will step up from his current role as deputy editor of the red-top paper on Septmber 2 as Wade assumes her new role as chief executive of News International.

On Monday, reports suggested that Mohan was the favourite to step into Wade’s shoes, however, it is understood that Rupert Murdoch had doubts and was considering other candidates, such as Richard Wallace of TMG and editor of thelondonpaper Stefano Hatfield.

Wade, on the other hand, had always backed her right-hand-man as the right person for the job.

James Murdoch, News Corporation’s chairman and chief executive for Europe and Asia, said: “Dominic has proved himself a very capable deputy to Rebekah, sharing her passion for campaigning journalism on the issues that connect with the country.

“Under Rebekah’s leadership, The Sun has gone from strength to strength, cementing its position as the most popular UK newspaper by taking share from rivals. I am very pleased to announce Dominic’s promotion and look forward to seeing him build on that success.”

Wade added: “Dominic has been an outstanding leader at the paper, supporting me with energy and enthusiasm. He has an unrivalled understanding of what makes the paper tick and a real grasp of what makes a great Sun headline. I am delighted to be handing the reins over to such a talented successor. I look forward to continuing to work with him in my new role.”

In the latest ABC release, for July 2009, The Sun recorded a period on period increase of 3.1%, taking its total to over 3.1 million copies .