Katharine Viner becomes the first woman editor-in-chief of The Guardian

London: The Guardian newspaper on Friday appointed Katharine Viner, currently editor of Guardian US, its new editor-in-chief. Viner is only the 12th editor in the Guardian’s 194-year history and the first woman to hold the post. She replaces Alan Rusbridger, who is stepping down this summer after 20 years. [caption id=“attachment_2166343” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational Image.[/caption] As editor-in-chief of Guardian News & Media she will oversee the Guardian, its Sunday sister paper the Observer and the guardian.com website. Viner said she intended “to lead a media organization that is bold, challenging, open and engaging.” A graduate of Oxford University who joined the Guardian in 1997, Viner edited the newspaper’s hefty Saturday  edition and launched the paper’s Australian operation before moving to New York last year. She won a ballot of staff on who should lead the paper, but the final decision was made by the Guardian’s owner, the Scott Trust. The trust’s chairwoman, Liz Forgan, said Viner was “an inspiring and courageous leader. She has embraced the huge changes in the industry with creativity and relish.” Under Rusbridger, the liberal London-based newspaper expanded its digital presence and international impact. It was instrumental in publishing documents obtained by the anti-secrecy site WikiLeaks and last year shared a Pulitzer Prize with the Washington Post for stories based on files leaked by ex-National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden. The scoop brought the paper into conflict with British intelligence services, but Rusbridger said it had prompted a debate about the extent of poorly regulated snooping. AP