Chrystia Freeland has been named to the new position of editor of Thomson Reuters Digital as Thomson Reuters Corp puts more emphasis on Internet and mobile applications for its consumer news products.

Freeland, now global editor-at-large, will be responsible for online, mobile and digital properties including Reuters.com.

She will report to Editor-in-Chief Stephen Adler. The appointment marks the first senior personnel move by Adler since he was named the company's top journalist in February.

Adler has said his top priorities include focusing more on the Internet and mobile apps as a way to build readership.

With news users' habits changing rapidly, and competitors getting better all the time, we have to be distinctive, creative and contemporary as we drive to distinguish ourselves as the world's leading source for news, Adler wrote in a memo to employees on Thursday.

Keith McAllister, general manager for consumer media, will continue to be publisher.

Both Freeland and McAllister are based in New York.

Freeland, who starts her new job on April 11, joined Thomson Reuters in March 2010.

Prior to that, she was the U.S. managing editor of the Financial Times, overseeing editorial for the newspaper's print and online editions. Freeland helped launch a subscription pay model for FT.com in May 2001.

Before joining the Financial Times, Freeland was the deputy editor of the Globe & Mail in Toronto. She also wrote for the Washington Post and the Economist.

(Reporting by Jennifer Saba; Editing by Ted Kerr)