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Michael Weiss (journalist)

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Michael Weiss
Investigative journalist Michael Weiss, 2024
Born
New York City, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
EducationTownsend Harris High School
Alma materDartmouth College (BA)
Occupation(s)Journalist, analyst, investigative reporter, author, podcaster
Employer(s)The Insider
Yahoo News
New Lines Magazine
Free Russia Foundation
Known forAuthor, ISIS: Inside the Army of Terror
Security analyst, CNN
Senior editor, The Daily Beast
Editor-in chief, interpreter (online magazine)
Websitemichaelweissjournalist.com

Michael D. Weiss is an American journalist, author, and media commentator. He specializes in international affairs, in particular the Middle East and Russia.[1][2] He is a contributing editor at New Lines magazine,[3] a senior correspondent for Yahoo News,[4] and editor of The Insider.[5] He is a regular network guest on several CNN shows.[2] He is also director of special investigations at the Free Russia Foundation.

Weiss rose to prominence in 2015 with the publication of the New York Times bestseller ISIS: Inside the Army of Terror,[6][7] co-written with Hassan Hassan. He is a former investigative reporter at CNN,[1] and has also written for numerous other publications including The Daily Telegraph, Foreign Affairs, The Wall Street Journal, The Guardian, Slate, The Weekly Standard, and The New Republic, among others.[8] He was a columnist for Foreign Policy magazine, The Daily Beast and NOW Lebanon.[9]

Background

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Weiss was born to a Jewish family[10] and educated at Townsend Harris High School, a public magnet high school in Flushing, Queens in New York City, from which he graduated in 1998,[11] followed by Dartmouth College in 2002 with a B.A. in History.[12]

Career

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Journalism

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Weiss spent his early career as a war reporter covering the Syrian revolution for news publications including The Daily Telegraph, Foreign Affairs, and Foreign Policy. He was on the ground in Aleppo in 2012, just days after the city fell to the rebels.[2]

In 2013, Weiss launched The Interpreter, an online magazine that translates and analyzes Russian media.[13][14] He has been its editor-in chief since launch.[15]

Weiss worked as a contributing editor at The Daily Beast until 2017, where he focused on world affairs and culture.[16][2][1]

He started contributing to CNN in 2015, and joined the network full time in April 2017 as an investigative reporter for international affairs.[1]

Weiss was part of the team that launched New Lines Magazine, an international affairs magazine, in October 2020.[3] He is a contributing editor for the magazine.

Weiss currently serves as the editor-in-chief of the English edition of The Insider,[5][17] which specializes in Russia related investigative journalism, fact-checking and political analytics. A 2024 investigation into Havana Syndrome, conducted by The Insider in collaboration with the U.S. network CBS and the German news magazine Der Spiegel, led to senators calling for the case to be reopened in a joint letter to U.S. President Joe Biden.[18][19]

He is a senior correspondent for Yahoo News.[4] He has also written for a number of other publications, including The Wall Street Journal, The Guardian, Slate, The Weekly Standard, The New Republic and The Atlantic, among others.[8][20]

Media commentary

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Weiss is a regular guest on network TV, including on Wolf Blitzer’s The Situation Room, Anderson Cooper 360°, and CNN Tonight with Don Lemon.[2] He has also appeared on The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell, Hardball with Chris Matthews, Morning Joe, Way Too Early, and Ronan Farrow Daily on MSNBC; Newsday on BBC World News; and Kennedy, America’s Newshour, and The O’Reilly Factor on Fox News, as well as on Charlie Rose and Real Time with Bill Maher.[21][22][23]

He also used to write regular columns with Foreign Policy, The Daily Beast and Beirut-based Lebanese news website NOW Lebanon.[9]

In 2010, in a commentary piece for the Weekly Standard, Weiss criticized British Prime Minister David Cameron after Cameron, during a speech delivered in Ankara, referred to Gaza as a "prison camp". Weiss wrote that Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan "is the man whom David Cameron was out to please ... Brutal occupation of Cyprus, subjugation of a Kurdish minority in everything from politics to linguistics, and ongoing denial of the Armenian genocide are evidently Maastricht-compatible initiatives to the new British prime minister".[24]

In March 2015, in a commentary piece cowritten with U.S. army intelligence officer Michael Pregent for the international affairs journal Foreign Policy, Weiss accused Iran-backed Iraqi Shia militias of committing extensive atrocities against Sunni civilians in the course of their war against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. According to these reports, Weiss wrote, the militias were "burning people alive in their houses, playing soccer with severed human heads, and ethnically cleansing and razing whole villages to the ground."[25][26][27]

In 2016, Weiss interviewed Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaitė for The Daily Beast, about her claim that Russia was a terrorist state. The interview focused on Russia’s involvement in the Baltic, and allegations of corruption.[28]

Think tanks

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In 2012, Weiss served as co-chair of the Russia Studies Centre at the trans-Atlantic foreign policy think tank Henry Jackson Society.[29]

In 2016, he was a Nonresident Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Brent Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security.[2]

Weiss is a director of special investigations at the Free Russia Foundation, where he oversees a project called the Lubyanka Files, intended to translate KGB training manuals still being used to train Russian spies.[30][31][3]

Congress

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In December 2015, Weiss gave evidence to the U.S. Congress following the Islamist attacks on Paris on 13 November 2015. His testimony sought to address the question of whether the attacks signalled a change in strategy by ISIS.[32]

Publications

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Books

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In 2015, Weiss co-wrote a book with Hassan Hassan on the rise of the militant group ISIS, titled ISIS: Inside the Army of Terror.[33] The book was chosen by The Wall Street Journal as one of 10 must-read works on the evolution of terrorism in the Middle East,[34] one of the London Times' Best Books of 2015,[6] and The New York Times Editors' Choice in April 2015.[35] The book was reviewed favorably twice in The New York Times,[36][37] The Guardian,[38] and The Wall Street Journal.[39] The Times' chief book critic, Michiko Kakutani, said the book gave readers "a fine-grained look at the organization’s evolution through assorted incarnations."[37] It has been translated into over a dozen languages.[40]

Weiss is reportedly writing a book about the GRU, Russia’s military intelligence agency.[3][21]

The Interpreter

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In 2013, Weiss launched online magazine The Interpreter, under the auspices of the Institute of Modern Russia and the Herzen Foundation.[13] The magazine describes itself as “a daily translation and analysis journal covering the actions and policies of the Russian government in both foreign and domestic spheres.”[15]

Weiss is editor-in-chief of the magazine.[14] He has also authored several reports under its name.[2]

One special report, published in 2014 with co-author Peter Pomerantsev, was titled “The Menace of Unreality: How the Kremlin Weaponizes Information, Culture and Money.”[41][42][9] The report accused Russia of waging "propaganda and disinformation" campaigns, and was cited as evidence in a BBC News investigation on the matter.[43] It included recommendations on how to confront Russian propaganda which included creating an "internationally recognized ratings system for disinformation." The recommendations were criticized in an article written by James Carden – executive director of the lobbying organization[44][45][46] American Committee for East–West Accord – in The Nation as a "censorship campaign."[47]

Another report, published in 2015, was titled “An Invasion by Any Other Name: The Kremlin’s Dirty War in Ukraine.”[48][49] It was co-authored with James Miller, Pierre Vaux, and Catherine A. Fitzpatrick. The report confirmed Russia’s presence on the ground in eastern Ukraine. It was commended by former U.S. diplomat John E. Herbst, who authored the foreword.[48]

Podcasts

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Weiss hosts Foreign Office with Michael Weiss, a podcast on intelligence and international security.[4][50]

Accolades

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Weiss was nominated for an investigative reporting award at the European Press Prize in 2020, along with a number of collaborators. The nomination was for "Master and Chef," a report that proved Russia’s involvement in the Libyan civil war.[51][52]

He was described in 2017 by a CNN executive editor as having “deep knowledge and an extensive source network in two key areas of focus right now: The Middle East and Russia.”[1]

Personal life

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He is married to Amy Thirjung.[53]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e "Former Daily Beast Editor Joins CNN as Investigative Reporter For International Affairs". Adweek. April 24, 2017. Retrieved April 13, 2019.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g "Michael Weiss - Concordia". Concordia. August 26, 2016. Retrieved June 3, 2024.
  3. ^ a b c d "Michael Weiss - New Lines Magazine". New Lines Magazine. Retrieved May 27, 2024.
  4. ^ a b c "Michael Weiss, Sr. Correspondent". Yahoo News. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
  5. ^ a b "About". Muck Rack.
  6. ^ a b Noble, Barnes &. "ISIS: Inside the Army of Terror (Updated Edition)". Barnes & Noble. Retrieved November 19, 2016.
  7. ^ "Michael Weiss: 'Beware the unintended consequence'". CNN. November 20, 2015. Retrieved September 18, 2016.
  8. ^ a b "Michael Weiss | Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs". Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs. Retrieved June 5, 2024.
  9. ^ a b c "The menace of unreality : how the Kremlin weaponizes information, culture and money - National Endowment for Democracy". National Endowment for Democracy. November 13, 2014. Retrieved June 5, 2024.
  10. ^ The Daily Beast: "Donald Trump’s Anti-Semitic Mob Came for Me – An appearance on CNN—which included some pushback against Trump’s reaction to the Orlando massacre—was enough to inspire 72 hours of online abuse" by Michael Weiss June 21, 2016
  11. ^ "The Classic (Vol. 14, No. 6 – June, 1998)" (PDF). Townsend Harris High School, Flushing, New York. June 1998. Retrieved November 24, 2016.
  12. ^ Asharq Al-Awsat (July 18, 2011). "Asharq Al-Awsat talks to Just Journalism director Michael Weiss". Aawsat.com. Retrieved November 24, 2016.
  13. ^ a b "The Interpreter: A New Online Publication from IMR - Institute of Modern Russia". Institute of Modern Russia. April 30, 2013. Retrieved June 5, 2024.
  14. ^ a b "Michael Weiss – Foreign Policy". Foreign Policy. Retrieved June 5, 2024.
  15. ^ a b "About Us - The Interpreter". The Interpreter. March 27, 2013. Retrieved June 5, 2024.
  16. ^ "Michael Weiss - The Daily Beast". The Daily Beast. Retrieved June 3, 2024.
  17. ^ "Michael Weiss - The Insider". The Insider. Retrieved June 5, 2024.
  18. ^ Aliza Chasan, Michael Rey, Oriana Zill de Granados (April 17, 2024). "Senators call for renewed Havana Syndrome assessment after 60 Minutes report". CBS News. Retrieved June 5, 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  19. ^ "Senators' joint letter to U.S. President Joe Biden on Havana Syndrome" (PDF). U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen. April 12, 2024. Retrieved June 5, 2024.
  20. ^ "Michael Weiss, The Atlantic". The Atlantic. Retrieved June 5, 2024.
  21. ^ a b "Michael D. Weiss | Michael Weiss: Journalist, Essayist, Author". Michael Weiss: Journalist, Essayist, Author. Retrieved June 8, 2024.
  22. ^ "U.N. Security Council to meet over Ukraine crisis - MSNBC". MSNBC. January 31, 2022. Retrieved June 10, 2024.
  23. ^ "U.S. says Russia 'repositioning' forces to mount offensive in East Ukraine - MSNBC". MSNBC. April 16, 2022. Retrieved June 10, 2024.
  24. ^ "What David Cameron Doesn't Know About Turkey". The Weekly Standard. July 29, 2010. Archived from the original on December 5, 2018.
  25. ^ Weiss, Michael; Pregent, Michael (March 28, 2015). "The U.S. Is Providing Air Cover for Ethnic Cleansing in Iraq". Foreign Policy. Retrieved February 2, 2019.
  26. ^ "After Liberation Came Destruction: Iraqi Militias and the Aftermath of Amerli - HRW Publications". Human Rights Watch. March 18, 2015. Retrieved June 5, 2024.
  27. ^ "28th session of the Human Rights Council: Reports (A/HRC/28/18)". United Nations Human Rights Council. March 2015.
  28. ^ Weiss, Michael (March 18, 2016). "The President Who Dared to Call Putin's Russia What It Is: A Terrorist State". The Daily Beast.
  29. ^ Pettengill, Julia (May 4, 2012). "A Whistleblower's story: Sergey Kolesnikov speaks to the Henry Jackson Society". The Henry Jackson Society. Retrieved November 28, 2016.
  30. ^ "About | Free Russia Foundation". Free Russia Foundation. Retrieved May 27, 2024.
  31. ^ "The Lubyanka Files | Free Russia Foundation". Free Russia Foundation. Retrieved May 27, 2024.
  32. ^ "Subcommittee Hearing: The Paris Attacks: A Strategic Shift by ISIS? - House Committee on Foreign Affairs". House Committee on Foreign Affairs. May 12, 2015. Retrieved June 8, 2024.
  33. ^ Weiss, Michael; Hassan, Hassan (February 17, 2015). ISIS: Inside the Army of Terror (First ed.). Regan Arts. ISBN 978-1-941393-57-4.
  34. ^ Russell, Anna. "10 Must-Read Books on the Evolution of Terrorism in the Middle East". WSJ. Retrieved November 19, 2016.
  35. ^ "Editors' Choice". The New York Times. April 10, 2015. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved November 19, 2016.
  36. ^ Negus, Steve (April 1, 2015). "'ISIS: Inside the Army of Terror,' and More". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved November 19, 2016.
  37. ^ a b Kakutani, Michiko (April 2, 2015). "Review: 'ISIS: The State of Terror,' by Jessica Stern and J. M. Berger, and 'ISIS: Inside the Army of Terror,' by Michael Weiss and Hassan Hassan". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved November 19, 2016.
  38. ^ Yassin-Kassab, Robin (March 28, 2015). "Isis: Inside the Army of Terror; The Rise of Islamic State – review". The Guardian. Retrieved September 18, 2016.
  39. ^ Traub, James (March 14, 2015). "The Demonic Wellspring". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved September 26, 2016.
  40. ^ "Hassan Hassan - New Lines Magazine". New Lines Magazine. January 11, 2024. Retrieved January 11, 2024.
  41. ^ Pomerantsev, Peter; Weiss, Michael (November 2014). "The Menace of Unreality: How the Kremlin Weaponizes Information, Culture and Money" (PDF). The Interpreter. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 26, 2016. Retrieved November 28, 2016.
  42. ^ "The menace of unreality : how the Kremlin weaponizes information, culture and money | Library of Congress". Library of Congress. Retrieved June 5, 2024.
  43. ^ Ennis, Stephen (November 16, 2014). "Russia's global media operation under the spotlight". BBC News. Retrieved June 5, 2024.
  44. ^ "American Committee for East West Accord Ltd (ACEWA)". lobbyfacts.eu.
  45. ^ Schlanger, Zoë (March 10, 2014). "The American Who Dared Make Putin's Case". Newsweek. Newsweek.
  46. ^ Cohen, Stephen (August 27, 2014). "Fallacies of US policy may be leading to war with Russia". The Nation. The Nation. In addition to grassroots support, we even had our own lobbying organization in Washington, the American Committee on East-West Accord, whose board included corporate CEOs, political figures, prominent academics and statesmen of the stature of George Kennan.
  47. ^ Carden, James (May 19, 2015). "Neo-McCarthyism and the US Media". The Nation. Retrieved November 28, 2016.
  48. ^ a b James Miller, Pierre Vaux, and Catherine A. Fitzpatrick. "An Invasion by Any Other Name: The Kremlin's Dirty War in Ukraine" (PDF). Institute of Modern Russia. Retrieved June 7, 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  49. ^ James Miller, Pierre Vaux, Catherine A. Fitzpatrick, and Michael Weiss. "An invasion by any other name: the Kremlin's dirty war in Ukraine | Library of Congress". Library of Congress. Retrieved June 7, 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  50. ^ "Foreign Office with Michael Weiss | Podcast on Spotify". Spotify. Retrieved June 5, 2024.
  51. ^ "European Press Prize 2020 shortlist". European Press Prize 2020. Retrieved June 5, 2024.
  52. ^ Roman Badanin, Olga Churakova, Mikhail Rubin, Michael Weiss, Pierre Vaux (September 12, 2019). "Master and Chef - European Press Prize". European Press Prize. Retrieved June 5, 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  53. ^ Michigan.com: "THIRJUNG, GARY S." February 14, 2013 Archived November 7, 2017, at the Wayback Machine
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