A Brooklyn native, Mr. Walker is currently stationed in Los Angeles, with Richard Johnson's "Flash" gossip column. He will relocate to New York in October.

"I'm excited to bring Hunter back to New York to cover politics for NYO," Ms. Spiers said. "He's a fantastically versatile reporter and I know he'll do great things at the Observer."

Mr. Walker has written for Gawker, the Village Voice, New York, Forbes.com and Mediabistro, among others. He graduated from the Columbia School of Journalism in 2010.

"The Observer is an iconic New York media property," Mr. Walker said. "I love the direction the paper has headed under Elizabeth Spiers's leadership and I'm beyond excited to join the team."