Chris Hedges

Chris Hedges is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, a New York Times bestselling author, an activist, a Presbyterian minister, a university teacher, and a television host. He has authored 11 books, including "Days of Destruction, Days of Revolt" co-authored with Joe Sacco, and "America: The Farewell Tour". Another notable work, "War Is a Force That Gives Us Meaning" was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award for Nonfiction and has sold over 400,000 copies. He writes a weekly column for Truthdig and hosts the TV show “On Contact” on RT.

Hedges spent nearly two decades as a foreign correspondent in various regions including Central America, the Middle East, Africa, and the Balkans, contributing to more than 50 countries during his tenure with The Christian Science Monitor, National Public Radio, The Dallas Morning News, and The New York Times. As part of a New York Times team, he was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 2002 for coverage of global terrorism and received the Amnesty International Global Award for Human Rights Journalism in the same year.

A respected educator, Hedges has taught at Columbia University, New York University, the University of Toronto, and Princeton University. He currently teaches a unique class at a state prison in New Jersey through Princeton University, integrating both Princeton undergraduates and prisoners as students. His academic presentations have garnered significant attention, with one event attracting over 700 attendees at Salt Lake Community College. He holds a B.A. in English literature from Colgate University and a Master of Divinity degree from Harvard University. Hedges was ordained in 2014 at the Second Presbyterian Church in Elizabeth, N.J., where theologian James Cone and activist Cornel West were speakers.

In 2012, Hedges was notably involved in a legal challenge against President Barack Obama concerning Section 1021 of the National Defense Authorization Act, a case known as Hedges v. Obama. Although the decision was ultimately overturned on appeal, it underscored his enduring commitment to civil liberties. Fluent in Arabic, French, and Spanish, and with studies in the classics and ancient languages as a Nieman Fellow at Harvard, Hedges' diverse skills and deep knowledge enrich his compelling narratives and speeches. He lives in Princeton, N.J., with his wife Eunice Wong and their children. He also has two children from a previous marriage.