Lead reporters on Peace & Security issues. Flashcards
Keith Rogers
Las Vegas Review-Journal
Rogers covers general military news in Nevada, reporting on the state’s many military bases as well as veterans’ issues. Regarding nuclear issues, he frequently covers the Nevada National Security Site, formally known as the Nevada Test Site. Topics include nuclear-related illness, worker compensation, and security at the site. He has also addressed the Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan and, specifically, the role Nevada nuclear workers have had in its recovery. Rogers is likely to quote local nuclear weapons experts. Any pitches to him should address the local impact of national policies. Rogers is active on Twitter, where he tweets about local news, veterans, and the impact federal politics has for Nevada.
For more ReThink Intel, bio, and contact info click here: rethinkmedia.org/node/176
Peter Beinart
The Atlantic
Beinhart is a prolific and opinionated writer, particularly when it comes to Israel, but support for the Iran nuclear agreement has been among his most frequent subjects of late. He has focused his writing on the debate itself, particularly the lack of viable alternatives to the deal, and comparisons between the situation in Iran and the situation in Iraq prior to the Iraq war. Pitch him information relating to trending news that can be woven into broader, historically-mindful narratives, particularly angles that aren’t being widely covered. Beinart is very active on Twitter.
For more ReThink Intel, bio, and contact info click here: rethinkmedia.org/node/3748
James Fallows
The Atlantic
Fallows is a prolific writer whose blog covers a broad range national and international topics. However, he is notable for his coverage of the Iran deal. A more opinionated source, Fallows expressed support for the deal, but sought to explain the positions of various parties to it. He particularly focused on Israel, and the “existential threat” perceived by Benjamin Netanyahu (the headline, “What If Barack and Bibi Are Both Right?” is indicative of his interests as well as his authorial style). He has put his support for the deal in terms of welcoming Iran back into the diplomatic fold – what he calls “the normalization of Iran.” He has also expressed significant interest in the debate itself, including how politicians and the media discuss Iran, how this compares to past diplomatic efforts, and how this debate is viewed from Central Asia, Europe, and elsewhere. Fallows participates in community events, a recent example being his moderation of a Center on Global Interests panel discussion of the Iran deal, which he later blogged about. Pitch him with takes on news, rather than breaking stories, especially if the aim is correcting misinformation in a constructive, open-minded way. New, underrepresented, or global perspectives are key, as is factual evidence that can be developed into a broader conceptual take on events. Fallows is active and engaging on Twitter, where in addition to tweeting his own articles he will provide opinions on political headlines and promote stories he finds informative. He has a large following and regularly responds to others.
For more ReThink Intel, bio, and contact info click here: rethinkmedia.org/node/3747
Dan Williams
Reuters
Williams is Reuters top reporter for Iran issues involving Israel. Like other Reuters reporters, he turns to Peace and Security’s community of experts for interpretations of Israeli officials statements on Irans nuclear program. He follows the U.S.-Israel-Iran red line debate closely. He sometimes writes in-depth analysis on the implications of Iran nuclear developments for the U.S. and Israel. This analysis includes an unusually high level of technical details about nuclear enrichment. Williams is active on Twitter, where he almost exclusively tweets Middle East headlines.
For more ReThink Intel, bio, and contact info click here: rethinkmedia.org/node/2363
Yeganeh Torbati
Reuters, As a general national security correspondent, Torbati has continued her coverage of U.S. relations with Iran over its nuclear program, specifically sanctions policy. She is adept at finding unique angles on Iran negotiations, not least because she checks official statements against facts on the ground. For example, she recently reported that “the U.S. government has pursued far fewer violations of a long-standing arms embargo against Iran in the past year compared to recent years,” due to uncertainty about the terms of the forthcoming Iran deal. Before that, she reported on actions taken by individual U.S. states to sanction Iran, and how those sanctions will persist after the deal. In her years as an Iran correspondent, she was part of a team that investigated the assets of Ayatollah Khamenei, and personally produced such idiosyncratic headlines as “Back pain tips unite diplomats at Iran nuclear talks” (about subtle tone-shifts in negotiations) and “Netenyahu faces ridicule from Iranians online over ‘jeans’ comment” (about the Israeli politician’s out-of-touch view of Iranian society). She frequently quotes experts, including community members, as a counterbalance to Iranian officials statements. Torbati is active on Twitter and often engages with her followers. She tweets and retweets headlines regarding Iran and the Middle East from a number of other journalists, as well as her own articles. Like her reporting, it is left-leaning and balanced by an understanding of Iranian society. For more ReThink Intel, bio, and contact info click here: rethinkmedia.org/node/2360
Scott Peterson
Christian Science Monitor, Peterson focuses particularly on Iran, Iraq, and Syria security issues. Unlike many correspondents, he focuses less on official statements and more on the broader narrative of Irans nuclear program, often combining regional developments with developments in the U.S. on Iran policy. For this, he frequently quotes members of the Iranian public. His framing of the issues is often very helpful; headlines like �Chorus grows against Obama administration’s sanctions-heavy Iran policy� and �Imminent Iran nuclear threat? A timeline of warnings since 1979� are indicative of his reporting. Peterson has a good working relationship with officials involved in Iran nuclear negotiations and is often among the first to obtain details on the talks and proposals. He frequently quotes experts and reports from the Peace and Security community. Peterson is very active on Twitter, where he constantly retweets other reporters regarding current events in Iran and the broader Middle East, in addition to tweeting his own articles. He has been known to retweet Iranian officials, including President Hassan Rouhani. For more ReThink Intel, bio, and contact info click here: rethinkmedia.org/node/2352
Elaine Grossman
National Journal, Grossmans beat is U.S. nuclear policy and nonproliferation. She has reported on the nuclear trade pact with Vietnam, Pakistan’s nuclear program, the Iran sanctions regime, and broader WMD policy in the Middle East. She also covered the Obama Berlin speech and wrote follow-up analysis of the Nuclear Posture Review Implementation Study. Additionally, she covers nuclear budget issues, particularly related to nuclear delivery systems. She tends to cover statements by administration and Pentagon officials, but often cites think tank experts and even lobbyists from the nuclear industry. She is an ally for Peace and Security members, frequently attending community events, covering our reports, and quoting our experts. Keep in mind, however, that she has not published in the past year. Grossman engages with fellow nuclear reporters and experts on Twitter, but is only sporadically active. For more ReThink Intel, bio, and contact info click here: rethinkmedia.org/node/2257
David Sanger
New York Times, Sanger writes on foreign affairs from a policy perspective, often using administration officials as sources. He frequently covers U.S. efforts toward preventing a nuclear Iran, reporting on U.S. expectations for nuclear talks, community reports on policy options (notably the Iran Project report, �Strategic Options for Iran: Balancing Pressure with Diplomacy�) and the combination of military pressure, sanctions, and diplomacy. In 2012, he broke the story on the joint U.S.-Israel effort to create the Flame and Stuxnet computer viruses to disrupt Iran’s nuclear program. He was a consistent voice leading up to the recent nuclear agreement, and his coverage has extended to follow the impact of the Iran deal from a security perspective, and the future of IAEA inspections there. On Iran, he continues to collaborate with the Times’ chief military correspondent, Michael R. Gordon. He will very occasionally cover North Korea, and to a lesser extent Russia, particularly within the context of international negotiations. He most often quotes current and former administration officials and negotiators. Pitch him on background with insights on Iran’s nuclear program. Sanger is active on Twitter, where he will retweet and engage with those who mention his articles, in addition to promoting other journalists with similar beats to his own. For more ReThink Intel, bio, and contact info click here: rethinkmedia.org/node/178
Simon Sturdee
AFP, Sturdee focuses on nuclear issues, particularly Iran, with an international perspective. He is an important source for coverage of the UN General Assembly, the IAEA Board of Governors meetings, and IAEA reports on Iran. He has also reported on the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Organization. He often quotes diplomats and offices, and occasionally outside experts - frequently members of the community. Sturdee is active on Twitter, where he frequently tweets his own (often funny) thoughts, in addition to articles and graphics. He has been known to live tweet on location, most recently during Iran nuclear negotiations and the flight of Syrian refugees in Europe. His tone is that of a humanitarian. For more ReThink Intel, bio, and contact info click here: rethinkmedia.org/node/2359
William Broad
New York Times, Broad’s articles are rooted in science and have a strong focus on news related to nuclear weapons and energy. He has exhaustively covered the nuclear negotiations between Iran and the P5+1 and Iran and the IAEA, as well as reports on Irans nuclear capabilities. Recently, he wrote about the Iran deal’s successful effort to bar Iranian plutonium production, as well as the praise that the deal has gotten from key members of the scientific community. Both of these reports showcase Broad’s propensity to view international politics from the often underrepresented perspective of scientists and scientific activists. He occasionally covers other nuclear issues as well, particularly those related to energy or with specific technical details. He covered North Korea’s 2012 failed missile launch and, after the Fukushima disaster, he wrote a story on the MOX program that questioned its rationale due to cost overruns, a shortage of buyers, health risks, and inability to keep plutonium out of terrorists’ hands. While Broad often quotes sources from government (both elected officials and NNSA), he also regularly quotes representatives from NGOs, such as the Union of Concerned Scientists. He is a key target for stories about nonproliferation efforts and stories at the intersection of science and diplomacy. Pitch him with a technical angle. Broad is active on Twitter, where he posts a wide range of science headlines. He does not retweet or engage with others. For more ReThink Intel, bio, and contact info click here: rethinkmedia.org/node/2295
John Hudson
Foreign Policy
Hudson replaced Josh Rogin at The Cable blog in 2013. The Cable focuses on national security and foreign affairs policy inside the Beltway and covers a very broad set of issues, from the UN to rebellions in the Middle East. Pitches to Hudson should be timely and appeal to an analysis driven, foreign policy audience. He also occasionally contributes to Passport, a Foreign Policy blog that provides commentary on the biggest news stories of the day.
For more ReThink Intel, bio, and contact info click here: rethinkmedia.org/node/3689
Andrea Peterson
Washington Post
Peterson covers technology policy focusing on cybersecurity, consumer privacy, transparency, surveillance, and open government. Peterson is an ally for our community, frequently reporting on the violation of civil rights in her coverage on surveillance. She has covered the NSA scandal in depth, criticizing a lack of oversight of the program. She has also written about satellite imagery and its potential to violate human rights or protect them. She mixes reporting and opinion in her articles.
For more ReThink Intel, bio, and contact info click here: rethinkmedia.org/node/2624
Mark Hosenball
Reuters
Hosenball writes regularly on national security, particularly investigations into stories that are already on the front page. For example, immediately following the Snowden leaks in June, Hosenball wrote an exclusive that Booze Allen hired Snowden despite discrepancies in his resume and another article that revealed Snowden’s online profiles years before he leaked details on the NSA surveillance program.
For more ReThink Intel, bio, and contact info click here: rethinkmedia.org/node/280
Jonathan Landay
McClatchy
Landay began covering targeted killing and predator drones in 2013 as part of his national security beat. An extended article titled “Obama’s drone war killsothers,’ not just al Qaida leaders,” indicates that Landay is invested in investigating the targeted killing program. He also covers a broad swath of national security issues, particularly defense and counter-terrorism policy coming out of Washington.
For more ReThink Intel, bio, and contact info click here:rethinkmedia.org/node/3685
Sara Sorcher
Christian Science Monitor
Sorcher covers Internet policy throughout the federal government and military; the business of cybersecurity; and national debates over online privacy. Her articles over the past few months have focused on the relationship between DC and Silicon Valley, particularly with regard to encryption and cybersecurity. Sorcher has also extensively covered the OPM hacking scandal and its aftermath. She has also written detailed, personality-driven profiles of government officials and their roles in counter-terrorism.
For more ReThink Intel, bio, and contact info click here: rethinkmedia.org/node/2592
