Dr. Zeynep Tufekci, a visiting professor on Columbia Journalism School’s faculty since the fall of 2021, will become the inaugural director of the Craig Newmark Center for Journalism Ethics and Security, effective July 1.
Tufekci is a leading scholar and writer on the complex relationship between science, technology and society. At The New York Times, where she is a columnist, Tufekci has written extensively about the COVID-19 pandemic as well as social impacts of digital technology and artificial intelligence. Her writing has previously appeared in The Atlantic, The Washington Post, WIRED and Scientific American, among other publications.
“Dr. Tufekci has become one of the most important essayists of the age of disinformation, a deeply original and eclectic writer and thinker on complex social challenges,” said Steve Coll, Dean and Henry R. Luce Professor of Journalism. "Her interdisciplinary background in sociology, computation, and journalism makes her the ideal public intellectual to lead the Newmark Center as it seeks to address the future of ethical and secure journalism at Columbia and in the profession."
Tufekci completed a B.A. in sociology from Istanbul University and an undergraduate degree from Bosphorus University. She earned an M.A. and a Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin. Her appointment follows the successful completion of her transfer of tenure from the University of North Carolina.
“I look forward to establishing the Newmark Center as its inaugural director,” Tufekci said. “This work is especially crucial at a time of such major societal transition, with increasing threats to journalists and challenges to the work of journalism. The pandemic further highlighted the importance of a healthy public sphere for society, showing that once again, without that basis, everything else can crumble as well.”
Columbia Journalism School established the Craig Newmark Center for Journalism Ethics and Security and its faculty chair to advance journalism ethics education and industry practices in the digital age with a $10 million gift from Craig Newmark Philanthropies, created by craigslist founder Craig Newmark. Newmark is also a member of the Columbia Journalism Review Board of Overseers.
