Steve Coll Explained

Steve Coll
Birth Date:8 October 1958
Birth Place:Washington, D.C., U.S.
Occupation:Journalist, author, business executive
Nationality:American
Alma Mater:Occidental College (BA)
University of Sussex
Genre:Journalism
Notableworks:Ghost Wars
(2008)
Spouse:Eliza Griswold
Children:4
Awards:Pulitzer Prize for Explanatory Reporting (1990); Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction (2005)
Portaldisp:Literature

Steve Coll (born October 8, 1958) is an American journalist, academic, and executive.

He was dean of the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, where he also served as the Henry R. Luce Professor of Journalism until 2022. A staff writer for The New Yorker, he served as the president and CEO of the New America think tank from 2007 to 2012.

He is the recipient of two Pulitzer Prize awards, two Overseas Press Club Awards, a PEN American Center John Kenneth Galbraith Award, an Arthur Ross Book Award, a Livingston Award, a Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award, a Financial Times and Goldman Sachs Business Book of the Year Award, and the Lionel Gelber Prize. From 2012 to 2013, he was a voting member of the Pulitzer Prize Board before continuing to serve in an ex officio capacity as the dean of the Columbia Journalism School.

Early life and family

Steve Coll was born on October 8, 1958, in Washington, D.C. He attended Thomas S. Wootton High School in Rockville, Maryland, graduating in 1976. Following high school, he moved to Los Angeles, California, and enrolled in Occidental College, where he was a member of Phi Beta Kappa. In 1980, he graduated cum laude with majors in English and history. Coll also attended the University of Sussex during his studies.[1]

Coll is married to the journalist and poet Eliza Griswold.[2]

Career

Journalism

After college, Coll wrote for the Pasadena Weekly. He then wrote general-interest articles for California magazine.[3]

In 1985, he started working for The Washington Post as a general assignment feature writer for the paper's Style section. Two years later, he was promoted to serve as the financial correspondent for the newspaper, based in New York City. He and David A. Vise collaborated on a series of reports scrutinizing the Securities and Exchange Commission for which they received the 1990 Pulitzer Prize for Explanatory Reporting and the Gerald Loeb Award for Large Newspapers.[4] [5] [6] In 1989, he moved to New Delhi, when he was appointed as the Posts South Asia bureau chief. He served as a foreign correspondent through 1995.[7]

Coll began working for the newspaper's Sunday magazine insert in 1995, serving as publisher of the magazine from 1996 to 1998. He was promoted to managing editor of the newspaper in 1998 and served in that capacity through 2004. He has also served as an associate editor for the newspaper from late 2004 to August 2005.

From September 2005 through December 2023, Coll was a member of the writing staff of The New Yorker. Based in Washington, D.C., he reported on foreign intelligence and national security.[8] [9] Since the beginning of 2024 he has been visiting senior editor at The Economist.

New America Foundation

On July 23, 2007, Coll was named as the next director of the New America Foundation, a non-profit, non-partisan think tank headquartered in Washington, D.C.[10] [11] He has also contributed to the New York Review of Books, particularly about the war in Afghanistan. On June 25, 2012, Coll announced his resignation as President of the New America Foundation to pen a follow-up to Ghost Wars.[12]

On October 23, 2012, Coll was elected to the Pulitzer Prize Board, administered by Columbia University.[13]

Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism

On March 18, 2013, it was announced that Coll would succeed Nick Lemann as the dean of the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, effective July 1, 2013.[14] [15]

Publications

Coll's The Achilles Trap was published in 2024 to positive reviews, with The New York Times writing that it offers, "a more intimate picture of the dictator [Saddam Hussein]’s thinking about world politics, local power and his relationship to the United States than has been seen before".[16] The Washington Post argued that despite its holistic picture of Hussein, Coll failed to accurately portray the CIA's motivations.[17] In a March 2024 interview, Coll told PBS that the contributions by Hussein were missing from Americans' understanding of the war.[18]

Honors and awards

Bibliography

See main article: Steve Coll bibliography.

Podcasts

External links

Interviews

Notes and References

  1. News: Coll . Steve . Growing Up Suburban . Washington Post Magazine . June 10, 1990.
  2. Web site: Steve Coll. Columbia Journalism School. 5 January 2018.
  3. . Conversations with History . University of California, Berkeley . March 15, 2005 . January 5, 2018.
  4. Web site: Historical Winners List. UCLA Anderson School of Management. January 31, 2019.
  5. Web site: Government Investment Series Wins Loeb Award . May 2, 1995 . Los Angeles Times . February 1, 2019.
  6. Web site: David A. Vise and Steve Coll of The Washington Post - The Pulitzer Prizes . The Pultizer Prizes.
  7. Web site: The Pulitzer Prizes | Awards . Pulitzer.org . March 17, 2013.
  8. Web site: Contributors: Steve Coll . Newyorker.com . March 17, 2013 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130312035350/http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/bios/steve_coll/search?contributorName=Steve%20Coll . March 12, 2013 .
  9. Web site: Steve Coll . Columbia Journalism School . September 13, 2024.
  10. News: Journalist Chosen to Lead a Public Policy Institute . The New York Times . Patricia . Cohen . July 23, 2007.
  11. Web site: Steve Coll . NewAmerica.net . March 17, 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130131003229/http://www.newamerica.net/people/steve_coll . January 31, 2013 . dead .
  12. Web site: Abiz Top 50 Business Luncheon - August 23, 2012. 17 July 2012 .
  13. Web site: The Pulitzer Prizes | Journalist, playwright and regional newspaper editor named to Pulitzer Prize Board . Pulitzer.org . March 17, 2013.
  14. Web site: Steve Coll named Dean of J-School . journalism.columbia.edu . Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism . March 18, 2013 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130319173302/http://www.journalism.columbia.edu/news/797 . March 19, 2013 .
  15. News: Columbia Names New Dean for Journalism School . Kaminer . Ariel . . March 18, 2013. March 18, 2013.
  16. News: Malone . Noreen . 2024-02-26 . Is America All-Knowing and All-Powerful? Yes, Thought Saddam Hussein. . 2024-03-12 . The New York Times . en-US . 0362-4331.
  17. News: 2024-02-27 . Review Steve Coll's latest shows Saddam Hussein's practical side . 2024-03-12 . Washington Post . en-US . 0190-8286.
  18. Web site: 2024-03-10 . 'The Achilles Trap' offers a new look at Saddam Hussein's relationship with the U.S. . 2024-03-12 . PBS NewsHour . en-us.
  19. Web site: Past Winners | Livingston Awards . Livawards.org . March 17, 2013 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130322005435/http://www.livawards.org/winners/past_winners.php?y=1991 . March 22, 2013 .
  20. Web site: Award Name:  10 The Ed Cunningham Award . The Ed Cunningham Award 2000 | Overseas Press Club of America . 7 April 2001 . Opcofamerica.org . March 17, 2013.
  21. Web site: Award Name:  14 The Cornelius Ryan Award . The Cornelius Ryan Award 2004 | Overseas Press Club of America . 10 April 2005 . Opcofamerica.org . March 17, 2013.
  22. Web site: The Pulitzer Prizes | Citation . Pulitzer.org . March 11, 2013 . March 17, 2013.
  23. Web site: National Book Critics Circle: 2008 NBCC Finalists Announced. https://web.archive.org/web/20090126210215/http://bookcritics.org/blog/archive/2008_nbcc_finalists_announced/. dead. January 26, 2009. bookcritics.org.
  24. Web site: Edward Weintal Prize for Diplomatic Reporting . 2024-09-13 . Georgetown University.
  25. Web site: Steve Coll Wins FT/Goldman Prize for Exxon Mobil Study . https://archive.today/20130118195004/http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-11-01/steve-coll-wins-48-000-ft-goldman-for-exxon-mobil-study . dead . January 18, 2013 . . Laurie. Muchnick . November 3, 2012 . November 4, 2012.
  26. News: National Book Critics Circle Names 2012 Award Finalists . . John. Williams . January 14, 2012 . January 15, 2013.
  27. News: Zadie Smith, Anna Burns among winners of critics prizes . The Washington Post . The Associated Press . Hillel . Italie . March 14, 2018 . March 15, 2019 . March 15, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190315071320/https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/books/zadie-smith-anna-burns-among-winners-of-critics-prizes/2019/03/14/b15362d6-46b8-11e9-94ab-d2dda3c0df52_story.html . dead .
  28. Web site: 2024-06-11 . Orwell Prizes 2024 shortlists announced . 2024-06-24 . Books+Publishing.

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