Former News of the World editor Colin Myler has been made editor-in-chief of the New York Daily News – pitting him against his former employer Rupert Murdoch, owner of its fierce rival The New York Post.
Myler was formerly managing editor at the New York Post for five years before he was appointed editor of the News of the World in 2007 following the resignation of Andy Coulson when his royal editor Clive Goodman was jailed for phone-hacking.
A report in The New York Times quoted Daily News publisher and chairman Mort Zuckerman saying: 'The New York Daily News is a great institution of American journalism which will only get better under the leadership of Colin,"
A former editor of the Daily News, Martin Dunn, told The Guardian that Myler was "obviously very upset at what transpired at News of the World'and that his new appointment was 'a great opportunity for him to take his journalistic skills into battle with the Murdoch family in Rupert's own backyard".
Since the NoW was shut down last July Myler's relationship with News International executive chairman James Murdoch has become increasingly acrimonious.
After Murdoch appeared before the Culture Committee investigating phone-hacking at the tabloid, Myler issued a joint statement with former News Group Newspapers legal chief Tom Crone claiming his evidence was 'mistaken".
The dispute between the pair has since centred on the 'For Neville'email implicating other staff in phone-hacking at the NoW.
Murdoch has repeatedly denied any recollection of seeing the email – a claim strongly contested by Myler, who insists it was discussed at a meeting back in June 2008.
Murdoch has since accused Myler of misleading MPs when he gave evidence to the Culture Committee.
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