Michael Powell

Michael Powell is a national reporter covering issues around free speech and expression, and stories capturing intellectual and campus debate. Prior to that, he was the Sports of The Times columnist for six years, wrote the Gotham column for the Metro section, was a national economics writer for Business, and covered the Barack Obama and Rudy Giuliani presidential campaigns in 2008. He came to The Times in 2007.

Mr. Powell was part of the team that won the 2009 Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News for its swift and sweeping coverage of the sex scandal that resulted in the resignation of Governor Eliot Spitzer.

Before joining The Times, Mr. Powell worked for The Washington Post from 1996 to 2006, where he covered the 2000 presidential campaign and later served as New York bureau chief.

He began his career in 1984 at the Burlington Free Press, going on to positions with the Bergen Record, New York Newsday and the New York Observer.

He studied American and African history at SUNY Purchase College, worked as a tenant organizer in East Flatbush and received his master’s degree from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism in 1984.