New York Times’ Rebecca Blumenstein to join NBC News in news shakeup

By Helen Coster and Eva Mathews

(Reuters) -NBC News appointed New York Times Deputy Managing Editor Rebecca Blumenstein to a newly created role of president of editorial, the broadcaster announced on Wednesday.

NBC News President Noah Oppenheim, who led the division since 2017, will depart in a shake-up that includes two other executive appointments.

NBC News is part of the NBCUniversal division of Comcast Corp. It is experiencing an industry-wide decline in broadcast TV news ratings, while also seeking to capture audiences on streaming and other digital platforms.

Blumenstein spent six years at the Times. Before that, she worked for 21 years at the Wall Street Journal, where her positions included deputy editor-in-chief, page one editor, international editor and editor of WSJ.com.

As part of the restructuring, NBC News promoted Libby Leist to executive vice president, TODAY and Lifestyle, and promoted Janelle Rodriguez to executive vice president at the NBC News NOW streaming network. Leist, Rodriguez and Blumenstein will report to NBCUniversal News Group Chairman Cesar Conde.

“To prepare for a future in which we build on our role as the nation’s most viewed news organization and seize the growth opportunity in front of us, our leadership structure must also evolve and reflect these trends,” Conde wrote in a memo to staff Wednesday.

Oppenheim will develop scripts and longform productions in a production deal with NBCUniversal. He is an author, producer and screenwriter who wrote the 2016 film “Jackie” and co-wrote “The Maze Runner.” Prior to running NBC News, Oppenheim spent two years as executive in charge of the morning news broadcast TODAY.

(Reporting by Helen Coster in New York and Eva Mathews in Bengaluru; Editing by Maju Samuel and Cynthia Osterman)