David Landsberg, a lifelong Miami Herald employee who is described as unassuming and a good listener, climbs to the newspaper's highest position.

BY JOHN DORSCHNER

A native Miamian who has spent virtually all of his career at The Miami Herald, new publisher David Landsberg will now lead a newspaper with sinking circulation in a troubled industry while dealing with deep divisions within the company.

''It's a very tough moment right now,'' said former publisher Dave Lawrence, ``but there have been a lot of tough moments here. . . He's the ideal person for Miami because he's a good listener and he'll listen to everyone.''

Landsberg, 44, replaced Jesús Díaz Jr. on Monday. Díaz resigned after it was announced that three El Nuevo Herald journalists would be invited back to work after being fired or dropped with his approval for working for Radio Martí.

''I enjoy a good challenge,'' said Landsberg. ``I want to listen, get the facts, get advice, and that helps me make a decision.''

The Miami Herald has been consistently losing circulation, even as it led the old Knight Ridder news group for profits.

And the stock prices of major newspaper companies, including The McClatchy Co., The Miami Herald's new owner, have been falling steadily.

Landsberg believes there is still a profound need for news, particularly local news, whether it be on newsprint, on the Internet or elsewhere. And he remains ''bullish on the industry,'' looking for new opportunities and focusing on growth.

Landsberg quickly got a taste of his new job when he spoke to the staffs of both The Miami Herald and El Nuevo Herald on Tuesday. Many in the English-language newsroom were upset that the rules appeared to have been bent to allow the El Nuevo Herald journalists to return. Many in the Spanish-language newsroom were upset that journalists were fired in the first place and their reputations demeaned.

''We are at war between the two newsrooms,'' El Nuevo Herald reporter Rui Ferreira told Landsberg.

Born at Baptist Hospital, Landsberg, the son of a dentist, attended Coral Gables High and graduated from the University of Florida with a degree in business administration.

He went to work for The Miami Herald right after, moving through a series of business jobs in the accounting, planning and circulation departments, earning a master's in business administration from the University of Miami along the way.

In 1995, he was transferred to corporate parent Knight Ridder, where he helped design a reengineering of the newspapers' shared financial services, streamlining the operation and saving the company $23 million annually.

He returned to The Miami Herald as chief financial officer from 1996 to 1999, when then-Publisher Alberto Ibargüen made him vice president of advertising.

''That was a department in disarray,'' Ibargüen said. ``It had had like five vice presidents in seven years. He brought it around by doing basic things. It just wasn't rocket science.''

Landsberg learned why ads were valuable and sold that message, building up a strong team to help him do it.

''He's an unassuming type of guy,'' said Ibargüen. ''He's not somebody who's going to get the most attention, but he's going to make the most money'' for the company. ``He moves deliberately, listening, assembling his facts, then acting.''

Both Díaz and Ibargüen said Landsberg turned down several opportunities to be promoted by going elsewhere.

''But he put family and Miami first,'' said Ibargüen.

In July 2005, Landsberg was named general manager, overseeing all the business operations, when Díaz was promoted from general manager to publisher.

Since then, Díaz noted, Landsberg has been taking Spanish lessons and is ''almost fluent.'' He also serves on the boards of Goodwill Industries and the United Way and is a member of the Orange Bowl Committee.

''There's not a bit of flash in him,'' said Lawrence, the former publisher. ``He's not going to promise miracles, because there are no miracles to be done. But he's very thoughtful, and he has a competence that people trust.''

Landsberg is married to the former Anoly Traval, who was born in Cuba and worked in various business sections of The Miami Herald for about 20 years before becoming a full-time homemaker. They have three daughters, ages 9, 7 and 4.