How a former Washington Post reporter transformed the legacy of The New Yorker magazine

Countries & Cities · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Since 1998, David Remnick has steered The New Yorker through the digital revolution, evolving the publication from a print institution into a modern multimedia powerhouse. From his early days reporting on the collapse of the Soviet Union to his current role as editor, Remnick has redefined the American long-form essay.

Born in 1958 in Hackensack, New Jersey, Remnick grew up in a middle-class household where his father worked as a dentist and his mother as an art teacher. His path to journalism began at Princeton University, where he studied comparative literature and Russian, eventually finding a mentor in the celebrated writer John McPhee. After graduation, he spent time teaching in Tokyo before joining The Washington Post in 1982.

Remnick’s career gained significant momentum during his tenure as a Moscow correspondent starting in 1988. His reporting on the final years of the Soviet Union culminated in his 1993 book, which earned him a Pulitzer Prize. This success caught the attention of Tina Brown, who brought him to The New Yorker as a staff writer in 1992. He assumed the role of editor in 1998, a position he has held for over two decades.

Under his leadership, the magazine has navigated the complexities of the digital age, launching a website in 2001 and a radio program in 2015. His editorial tenure has been marked by both critical acclaim and public friction. While the magazine has secured numerous Pulitzer Prizes under his guidance, Remnick has also faced intense scrutiny, including controversy over a 2008 cover depicting the Obamas and backlash regarding his decision to invite Steve Bannon to a festival in 2018.

Beyond his editorial duties, Remnick remains a prolific author, known for his exhaustive research on subjects ranging from Muhammad Ali to Barack Obama. His work continues to balance the magazine’s traditional focus on investigative reporting and humor with the demands of a changing media landscape, ensuring the publication remains a central fixture in American intellectual life.

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