Fay Schlesinger will join the Guardian as head of national news and will be responsible for managing editorial teams including the national newsdesk, the UK politics team and the Guardian’s network of regional and specialist reporters across the UK. Fay will report to Guardian executive editor of news, Nick Hopkins.
Fay joins from OZY, a digital news and entertainment company based in California, where she has been managing editor since 2018.
Prior to joining OZY, Fay was at The Times for seven years, where she was appointed head of news in 2015 – the first woman, and the youngest person, to hold that role in the organisation’s history. She and a Times colleague won Scoop of the Year at the 2012 Press Awards for their investigation into tax avoidance.
Previously she worked as a reporter at the Guardian, the Daily Mail and regional papers in Yorkshire and Greater Manchester. She is also a former winner of the Scott Trust bursary, in 2007.
Katharine Viner, editor-in-chief, the Guardian, said: “National news matters more than ever, and I’m delighted that Fay has agreed to join the Guardian in one of our most important roles at this crucial time.
“Fay is a highly talented editor who brings excellent news judgment as well as a wealth of experience in leading editorial teams.”
Fay Schlesinger said: “This is an extraordinary and important time for Britain and its place in the world. The Guardian, as one of the globe’s most influential news websites and newspapers, is uniquely placed to cover it, and I’m thrilled to be joining.
“I look forward to working with the Guardian’s highly talented journalists and editors on sharp, powerful and insightful reporting and uncovering of facts that others want to remain hidden.”
Fay will join the Guardian in February 2020. Her appointment follows a series of appointments to the Guardian’s senior editorial team announced in December 2019.
