Sun on Sunday to launch this week
The new Sun on Sunday newspaper is to launch from this Sunday in the wake of the closure of the News of the World. Channel 4 News FactCheck asks if the former NoW staff are rising again.
The company’s chief executive, Tom Mockridge, announced the new tabloid in an internal email sent to staff. The latest edition of the Sun carried the story of the launch as its front page story.
Referring to parent company News Corporation’s closure of the News of the World in the wake of the phone-hacking scandal last July, he said the new newspaper marked a “new dawn” for the Sun.
His email said: “As you know, News Corporation has made clear its determination to sort out what has gone wrong in the past and we are fundamentally changing how we operate as a business.
“This is our moment. I am sure every one of us will seize the opportunity to pull together and deliver a great new dawn for The Sun this Sunday.”
Mr Mockridge’s announcement follows the arrival of News Corp head, Rupert Murdoch, at News International’s Wapping offices last Thursday.
Mr Murdoch told staff that the new Sunday title would be published “very soon”, and that all suspensions on Sun staff arrested over alleged bribes to public officials would be lifted.
A new editor has yet to be announced, although the new post will report to Sun editor Dominic Mohan. Speculation is mounting that Victoria Newton, former deputy editor of the News of the World, will be given a senior role at the new title.
Rupert Murdoch has a "moral duty" to hire ex-News of the World reporters at the new Sun on Sunday, the NoW's former chief reporter has said.
Yet in the seven months since the tabloid's closure many ex-NoW hacks have said the "toxic brand" has tainted their job prospects.
But are they too toxic to join their sister publication's new launch? FactCheck wonders if the Sun on Sunday is answering the SOS of the ex-NoW hacks.Read more: Are NoW staff rising again at the Sun on Sunday?
