Dean Jelani Cobb sits on stage with journalist Masha Gessen during their live conversation at Columbia’s Journalism School.
Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Soundcloud
“To be a journalist, you just have to figure out ways to ask really uncomfortable questions. And the whole trick of the trade is to satisfy your naturally arising curiosity, even if you think that's indelicate.”
–Journalist Masha Gessen
Masha Gessen is an award winning journalist, staff writer at The New Yorker, and author of 11 books. They have spent their decades-long career intrepidly reporting and analyzing issues facing both their native Russia and their adopted United States. This was recognized when Gessen won the 2022 John Chancellor Award for Excellence in Journalism.
Gessen and Columbia Journalism School Dean Jelani Cobb spoke before students last November in an event following the Chancellor ceremony. In this edited version, they discuss Gessen’s road to journalism, the delicate balance of being both a human and a journalist, and how to best navigate reporting on prominent figures who are actively dismantling democracy as we know it.
You can read Gessen’s most recent work from The New Yorker, including articles on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine here. You can also read the book, “The Man Without a Face: The Unlikely Rise of Vladimir Putin '' which is referenced in this podcast, here. Learn more about the John Chancellor Award for Excellence in Journalism here.