The Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY proudly announces that Distinguished Professor M. Gessen has won the Pulitzer Prize for Opinion Writing.
The prize recognizes Gessen’s “illuminating collection of reported essays on rising authoritarian regimes that draw on history and personal experience to probe timely themes of oppression, belonging and exile” for The New York Times, where they serve as an Opinion columnist.
Appointed as the Newmark J-School’s first Distinguished Professor in 2023, Gessen brings a global perspective and a deep commitment to rigorous, independent journalism.
Gessen is widely recognized for their incisive analysis of politics, power, and human rights. A staff writer for The New Yorker prior to joining the Times, Gessen has spent decades covering European and Russian life and politics, as well as issues of gender and democracy. Their body of work includes 11 acclaimed nonfiction books and they are the recipient of numerous honors, including a Guggenheim Fellowship, Andrew Carnegie Fellowship, Nieman Fellowship, and the George Polk Award for opinion writing.
“This recognition speaks to the clarity, depth, and fearlessness that define M. Gessen’s work,” said Dean Graciela Mochkofsky. “We are incredibly proud to have them as part of our faculty and to see their contributions recognized at the highest level.”
Gessen’s recognition reflects the broader impact of the Newmark J-School community. In addition to this faculty recognition, 16 alumni have been recognized by the Pulitzer Prizes in the school’s 19-year history. Alum Annie Massa (’14) was also honored this year as a finalist among a group of Bloomberg reporters honored for the Pulitzer Prize in National Reporting.
As the school approaches its 20th anniversary, this recognition is a testament to Newmark journalism’s enduring promise: to be a force for good.
Note: This story was updated on May 8, 2026 to reflect additional alum recognition.