Media365
Veteran Indian-origin business journalist and journalism educator Pallavi Gogoi has been appointed executive director of the Knight-Bagehot Fellowship in Economics and Business Journalism at Columbia Journalism School.
Gogoi will assume charge of the programme on August 17, succeeding Robert Smith, who has led the fellowship since 2021. She will now oversee one of Columbia Journalism School’s most prestigious professional development programmes, which has trained experienced journalists in business, economics, finance and technology for more than five decades.
The Knight-Bagehot Fellowship combines advanced journalism coursework at Columbia Journalism School with core MBA classes at Columbia Business School. It also features weekly seminars with senior figures from the media and business sectors.
Gogoi brings more than 25 years of experience in journalism to the role. She was NPR’s chief business editor for nearly a decade and has previously worked with CNN, The Associated Press, USA Today, BusinessWeek and Dow Jones/The Wall Street Journal in reporting and editing roles.
In addition to her newsroom career, Gogoi has also been active in academia. She has taught courses on economic narratives at Columbia Journalism School and Princeton University.
“I believe that economics undergirds every decision in life, which is why I am a torchbearer for journalism that sheds light on this topic,” Gogoi said. “I’m so thrilled about bringing a lifetime of mission-driven work to this role.”
Jelani Cobb, dean and Henry R. Luce Professor of Journalism at Columbia Journalism School, said Gogoi’s background made her a strong fit for the position.
“Pallavi’s experience as both a newsroom leader and an educator gives her a keen understanding of what working journalists need from a program like Knight-Bagehot,” Cobb said. “She has the vision to honour what has made the Fellowship distinctive, and we look forward to seeing her build on that legacy and create new opportunities for its fellows.”
Who is Pallavi Gogoi?
Gogoi is an Indian-origin veteran journalist with experience across some of the world’s leading news organisations.
She began her career in the United States and went on to work across television, newspapers, business media and public radio. Her professional journey includes stints at CNN, The Associated Press, USA Today, BusinessWeek, Dow Jones/The Wall Street Journal and NPR.
At NPR, she served as chief business editor for nearly 10 years. Her reporting has focused on business, economics and the wider impact of corporate decisions and economic policy on people and society.
Gogoi has also maintained strong academic links with leading US universities. She has taught courses on economic narratives at Columbia Journalism School and Princeton University.
She is an alumna of the University of Delhi. She holds a master’s degree in English Literature from Hindu College and a bachelor’s degree from Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Khalsa College.
Knight-Bagehot Fellowship enters sixth decade
The Knight-Bagehot Fellowship was established in 1975 and is administered by Columbia Journalism School. It is designed for experienced journalists seeking advanced training in business and economic reporting.
The programme is named after John S. and James L. Knight, founders of the Knight Foundation, and Walter Bagehot, the 19th-century British economist and editor of The Economist.
The fellowship is supported by a Knight Foundation endowment. Annual tuition scholarships are also backed by grants from foundations and corporations, including Bloomberg, Brunswick Group, Citadel, Citi, Dow Jones & Co., Gladstone Place Partners, Goldman Sachs, JPMorganChase, The New York Times and Thomson Reuters.
With Gogoi at the helm, the fellowship enters its sixth decade with a renewed focus on strengthening journalists’ understanding of business and economics. The programme aims to help reporters produce sharper, more informed public-interest journalism at a time when financial markets, corporate decisions, technology and economic policy increasingly shape everyday life.
Her appointment also comes at a time when news organisations around the world are under pressure to explain complex economic developments to wider audiences. Gogoi’s experience in major newsrooms and academic institutions is expected to bring both editorial depth and classroom insight to the fellowship’s next phase.
