Leonard Novy is a journalist as well as a political and communications consultant. He lives in Berlin and Vienna.

In his consulting practice, he provides both public policy impulses – on democracy policy and media policy – and strategic communications advice: he advises political actors, international organizations, NGOs, and companies on positioning, campaigning, media relations, and crisis communication – translating complex concerns into effective interventions in the public and political arena.

Internationally, he is committed to democracy and media innovation – including as a member of the Strategic Advisory Council of the European Forum Alpbach, a jury member of the Wiener Medieninitiative, a Senior Advisor at NewsGuard, and through advisory and capacity-development projects supporting independent media in countries such as Georgia, Armenia, and Ukraine. Through these various contributions, he has helped shape debates on the future of journalism and public interest media, both domestically and internationally – particularly regarding the reform of public service broadcasting. European Forum Alpbach, Mitglied der Jury der Wiener Medieninitiative, Senior Advisor bei NewsGuard sowie durch Beratungs- und Förderprojekte für unabhängige Medien in Ländern wie Georgien, Armenien und Ukraine. Mit diversen Impulsen hat er sowohl im In- als auch im Ausland zur Debatte über die Zukunft von Journalismus und Public Interest Media beigetragen, insbesondere zur Reform des öffentlich-rechtlichen Rundfunks.

Er ist Dozent u.a. an der Hertie School of Governance He teaches, among other places, at the Hertie School of Governance as well as at journalism schools such as the Forum Journalismus und Medien Wien (FJUM), was editor of the multi-author blog CARTA, winner of the Grimme Prize and the LEAD Award, and regularly speaks and publishes on issues of media, democracy, and political communication.FJUMHe teaches, among other places, at the Hertie School of Governance as well as at journalism schools such as the Forum Journalismus und Medien Wien (FJUM), was editor of the multi-author blog CARTA, winner of the Grimme Prize and the LEAD Award, and regularly speaks and publishes on issues of media, democracy, and political communication. CARTA und spricht und publiziert regelmäßig zu Fragen von Medien, Demokratie und politischer Kommunikation.

Novy studied history and political science in Berlin and Cambridge, where he also completed his doctorate (MPhil, PhD, International Politics), supported among others by scholarships from the Isaac Newton Trust and the Studienstiftung des Deutschen Volkes. In 2004-05, he was a Fellow at the Department of Government at Harvard University. He subsequently held various positions in the foundation sector and journalism – including at the Bertelsmann Stiftung and the stiftung neue verantwortung – and worked as an author and TV producer for outlets including WDR and Deutschlandfunk on international politics, political communication, and media. stiftung neue verantwortung – und arbeitete als Autor und TV-Produzent u.a. für WDR und Deutschlandfunk zu internationaler Politik, politischer Kommunikation und Medien.

Earlier roles include curator and advisory board member of the international media conference M100 Sanssouci Colloquium (until 2024), director of the Cologne-based Institute for Media and Communication Policy (IfM) until May 2025, and executive producer of the "ProSieben Bundestagswahlshow" in 2021, a prime-time political format covering the German federal election. In 2013, he also led the anniversary edition of the Medienforum NRW in Cologne. M100 Sanssouci Colloquium (bis 2024), die Direktion des Kölner Instituts für Medien- und Kommunikationspolitik (IfM) bis Mai 2025 sowie die Verantwortung als Executive Producer für die „ProSieben Bundestagswahlshow“ 2021, eines Prime Time-Politikformats zur Bundestagswahl. 2013 leitete er zudem die Jubiläumsausgabe des Medienforums NRW in Köln.

His books include the monograph "Imagining the Future of Europe. National Identity, Mass Media and the Public Sphere in the European Union" (Palgrave Macmillan), as well as the co-edited volumes "Journalismus in der digitalen Moderne," "Zwischen Macht und Ohnmacht – Facetten erfolgreicher Politik," and "Transparency and Funding of Public Service Media – Die deutsche Debatte im internationalen Kontext" (VS Verlag).