NY Times’ “The Morning Briefing” names Leonhardt as its new host/writer

The New York Times has announced that its flagship morning newsletter, “The Morning Briefing” will now be anchored by David Leonhardt.

The news was announced to staff in the following memo:

“Quietly, our flagship email newsletter, The Morning Briefing, has become one of our biggest and most important news products. The newsletter now has more than 17 million subscribers, one of the largest daily audiences of any kind in journalism, across television, radio, print and digital.

“That’s why we are turning to one of our most authoritative and nimble journalists to take the helm. We are thrilled to announce that David Leonhardt will return to the newsroom to become the new writer, host and anchor of our flagship newsletter, which will be rebranded as The Morning.

“We couldn’t imagine someone better equipped to act as the guide through the day’s news. David is the rare reporter with expertise in economics, statistics, politics, health care, education, the ways of Washington and more. He has spent his career breaking down complicated ideas and he writes clearly, conversationally and eloquently. He has superb news judgment, and an endless curiosity about the world and about how to connect with today’s news consumers.”

Leonhardt is currently an op-ed columnist at the Times. He is also the founder of The Upshot section, which focuses on data visualization and graphics to offer an analytical approach to the day’s news.

He has also served as a Washington bureau chief and wrote “Economic Scene,” a weekly economics column for the business section. He also wrote an e-book titled, “Here’s the Deal: How Washington Can Solve the Deficit and Spur Growth.”

Prior to joining the Times, Leonhardt has worked for Business Week magazine and The Washington Post.

He is a Pulitzer Prize winner and also the recipient of the Gerald Loeb Award for magazine writing.

Leonhardt is a graduate of Yale University.