Peggy Northrop Named Editor-in-Chief of Reader's Digest Magazine

Peggy Northrop Named Editor-in-Chief of Reader's Digest Magazine

		Peggy Northrop, named 11/9/07 as Editor-in-Chief of Reader's Digest magazine. She had been Editor-in-Chief of MORE magazine. (PRNewsFoto/Reader's Digest/Michael Waring) PLEASANTVILLE, NY UNITED STATES

PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y., Nov. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- Reader's Digest has named Peggy Northrop U.S. Editor-in-Chief, it was announced today by Mary Berner, President and CEO of The Reader's Digest Association, Inc. Northrop joins Reader's Digest from Meredith's More magazine, where she has been Editor-in- Chief since April 2004. Northrop will also serve on the company's Executive Committee. (Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20071109/NYF072 ) Northrop succeeds Jacqueline Leo, who is leaving to pursue other interests after six years with the magazine. "This is an iconic brand with the largest circulation of any magazine in the world, with 51 editions reaching nearly 80 million readers," Berner said. "As one of the premier editors in our industry, Peggy has a remarkable track record of editorial successes and circulation growth -- as recognized by many of our industry's top honors -- and she is ideally suited to take on this role as we work to strengthen and grow our flagship." Eva Dillon, President and Group Publisher of Reader's Digest, said: "I am delighted that Peggy is joining us for the next phase of our redesign and editorial repositioning as we roll out our 'Life Well Shared' positioning for 2008. With her strong ability to edit for the reader, she is the best person to reinforce the relationship with our longstanding audience while also welcoming new readers for years to come." During Northrop's tenure with More, the magazine earned many of the magazine industry's most coveted honors. It was named Advertising Age's 2006 Magazine of the Year and nominated for a National Magazine Award for General Excellence. And it achieved placement on the Adweek "Hot List" this year and last, Advertising Age's 2007 and 2005 "A List" of Top 10 magazines, and Folio's Gold prize for redesign in 2005. Prior to joining Meredith, Northrop was Editor-in-Chief of Rodale's Organic Style and held senior editorial positions at some of the most successful women's magazines in the country: Vogue, Glamour, Redbook, Real Simple and Health. She began her career in newspapers, including The San Francisco Examiner. In 2003, MIN named Northrop to its "21 Most Intriguing People" list. She is a regular contributor to The Today Show, the CBS Early Show and PBS's To The Contrary, as well as the XM radio show MoreTime. Northrop has been recognized with numerous awards for her work and service, including the inaugural 2006 "Women Who Get it Right" award from The National Breast Cancer Coalition. She serves on the Board of Directors of the American Society of Magazine Editors, the advisory board of Develop -- Don't Destroy -- Brooklyn, and is a past board member of the Observer Publishing Company in Washington, PA. She is also active with the international humanitarian organization CARE. Northrop has a B.A. degree from the University of California, Berkeley. Reader's Digest reaches nearly 40 million readers each month in the United States and twice as many worldwide. Its U.S. website is http://www.rd.com. The magazine is published worldwide in 51 editions and 22 languages, and reaches readers in more than 60 countries. It is the flagship of The Reader's Digest Association, Inc., a global publisher and direct marketer of products that inform, entertain and inspire people of all ages and cultures around the world. Global headquarters are in Pleasantville, N.Y.