Leader writer

A Leader Writer is a senior journalist in a newspaper who is charged with writing the paper's editorial either in the absence of the editor or in cases where the editor chooses not to write editorials because their editorial skills may rest more in management of the company than in writing daily editorials.

Some major newspapers have a number of leader writers. Often different individuals may write editorials in their own specialist areas, with the political editor writing some or all editorials on political matters, the business editor writing editorials on business matters, etc. For example, Dick Walsh, when Political Editor of "The Irish Times", wrote many political editorials in the newspaper and was the paper's senior Leader Writer in the late 1980s and 1990s.

Many Leader Writers are often also columnists in their newspaper.

The fact that they write editorials is often not known by readers, many of whom believe (and are not informed otherwise), that all editorials are written by editors.

Some present 'leader writers' include Daniel Finklestien, Amanda Platell, Jonathan Freedland, Eben Black, Oonagh Blackman, David Aaronovitch, Libby Purves, Matthew Parris, Simon Hoggart, Martin Bright, Francis Elliott, Andrew Grimson, Julia Hartley-Brewer, Patrick Hennessy, Alex Singleton, Melissa Kite, Quentin Letts, Rachel Slyvester, Simon Heffer, Peter Hitchens, Peter Tatchell, Melanie Philips, Alice Thompson, Trevor Kavanagh, Michael White, Nigel Nelson, Peter Oborne, Andrew Pierce, Andrew Rawnsley, Peter Riddell, Edward Temko, Michael Brown, Michael Portillo, Ann Leslie, Kevin Maguire, Elinor Goodman, Jackie Ashley, Simon Jenkins and Polly Toynbee.