Amol Rajan appointed as BBC's first media editor

Amol Rajan, the former editor of The Independent, has been appointed as the BBC's first media editor.

The 33-year-old, who presents on the BBC's Asian Network, will take up the position on 12 December.

In his new role, Rajan will cover stories about the media industry and their impact on business, politics and culture.

After the news was confirmed, Rajan tweeted, external to say he was "beyond thrilled" to have been appointed.

In addition to presenting The Big Debate on the BBC's Asian Network, Rajan has recently presented Radio 4's Start The Week and will present the station's Any Answers programme on 10 December.

James Harding, the BBC's director of news and current affairs, described Rajan as an "exceptional journalist".

"Amol has a proven record both as a story-getter and as a broadcaster, which he demonstrated repeatedly to the recruitment board," Harding said.

"At a time when traditional media across print, television, radio and advertising face unprecedented challenges, and new digital disrupters and social media platforms are acquiring immense power, it is essential we tell our audiences the story of the rapidly changing industry."

Rajan said: "I am thrilled to accept this challenge. The revolution in media is upending politics, business and culture across the globe.

"From the role of fake news in elections, to the filter bubbles created by Facebook, Snapchat, Twitter and the rest, the new news is changing how we live."

He added: "It's a vast brief but I am relishing the chance to get stuck in."

Rajan, who grew up in Tooting, south London, became editor of The Independent in June 2013.

The newspaper ceased production as a daily print newspaper in March this year and became an online-only service, at which point Rajan became editor-at-large.

He has appeared on ITV's Lorraine and Channel 5's The Wright Stuff, as well as BBC news programmes including The Andrew Marr Show and Question Time.

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