Columbia Journalism School (CJS) has appointed longtime Indian American newsroom leader and educator Pallavi Gogoi executive director of the Knight-Bagehot Fellowship in Economics and Business Journalism, effective August 17. She succeeds Robert Smith, who served as director of the program since 2021.
As executive director, Delhi University alumna will lead one of the J-School’s signature professional learning programs, which for more than 50 years has provided experienced journalists with the opportunity to enhance their understanding of business, economics, finance and technology.
The Knight-Bagehot fellowship pairs advanced journalism courses at Columbia Journalism School with core MBA classes at Columbia Business School and weekly private seminars with media and business leaders.
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Gogoi’s experience leading business coverage and teaching economic journalism closely aligns with the Fellowship’s blend of newsroom practice and advanced study, according to a school release.
“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,” said Jelani Cobb, Dean and Henry R. Luce Professor of Journalism. “She has the vision to honor what has made the Fellowship distinctive, and we look forward to seeing her build on that legacy and create new opportunities for its fellows.”
The veteran business journalist brings more than 25 years of experience across six major news outlets and two universities. She has served as NPR’s chief business editor for nearly a decade. Her career also includes roles at CNN, the Associated Press, USA Today, BusinessWeek and Dow Jones/The Wall Street Journal. She has taught courses on economic narratives at both Columbia Journalism School and Princeton University.
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“I believe that economics undergirds every decision in life, which is why I am a torchbearer for journalism that sheds light on this topic,” said Gogoi. “I’m so thrilled about bringing a lifetime of mission-driven work to this role.”
“For me, this is coming full circle, on two fronts: personal and professional,” she posted on LinkedIn. “I met my husband when he was a student at Columbia University, so I have always associated the campus with warm and sappy memories of young love.”
“On the professional front, one journalist who has had an outsized influence in my life is Stephen B. Shepard, …who co-founded the Knight-Bagehot program and was the fellowship’s first director,” she wrote.
Gogoi is a member of the Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing, South Asian Journalists Association, Asian American Journalists Association and Asian American Arts Alliance.