Having already anointed a new Washington bureau chief in David Leonhardt, the New York Times is making another personnel move to gear up for the 2012 election.
Dick Stevenson, the deputy bureau chief who was passed over for top position, has been named the editor of a new Politics desk, Politico reports.
Stevenson, who will split time between Washington, D.C., and New York, will report directly to executive editor Jill Abramson and co-managing editors Dean Baquet and John Geddes.
Also read: NY Times Names David Leonhardt Washington Bureau Chief
“As the Presidential and Congressional campaigns move into high gear, so, too, is our political operation,” the three editors wrote in a staff memo.
“As head of a newly formed Political Desk, Dick will be focused entirely on our campaign coverage,” they added.
Stevenson, who has been at the Times since 1985, has been based in Washington since 1996 and oversaw coverage of the 2008 Presidential election.
With more websites and cable channels devoted entirely to politics, the Times is clearly reinvesting in its political coverage as the presidential campaign season gets underway. In addition to Stevenson, Gerry Mullany and Paul Volpe will work for the desk as deputy editors.