[1] Landsberg was born November 1, 1953, in Sacramento, California, and he received a bachelor's degree in history from UCLA in 1976.
In 1980 he went to work for the Associated Press, where he was a reporter, editor, and foreign correspondent for 19 years, moving to the Times in 1999.
[2] At the Times he reported on local and national politics, including coverage of the 2000 Florida recount, the 2003 California gubernatorial recall election, and the 2010 Haiti earthquake.
[1] Landsberg was one of three journalists cited by name when the 2004 Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Reporting was given to the Los Angeles Times, for "compelling and comprehensive coverage of the massive wildfires that imperiled a populated region of southern California.
"[3] He was the lead writer for a 70-member team covering the fire stories,[1] and the next year, his reporting contributed to the newspaper's winning of the 2005 Pulitzer Prize for Public Service.