Dr. Leonard Novy

Leonard Novy is a publicist and political advisor. In his work, he focuses intensively on political communication and the transformation of democracy and the public sphere in the digital age. After studying and completing his doctorate in International Politics at the University of Cambridge, and undertaking research stays including at Harvard University, he held various positions in think tanks and in journalism. Until 2025, alongside his advisory work, he served as Director of the Cologne-based think tank Institute for Media and Communications Policy (IfM). He is the author of numerous publications and teaches, among other places, at the Hertie School and FJUM Vienna. Internationally, he is engaged in promoting democracy and media freedom—for example as a member of the Strategic Advisory Council of the European Forum Alpbach, a member of the jury of the Vienna Media Initiative, a Senior Advisor at NewsGuard, and through capacity-building projects in Eastern Europe. He lives in Berlin and Pressbaum near Vienna. Leonard Novy is a policy fellow at Das Progressive Zentrum.