Alex J. Rouhandeh lives in New York City where he serves as a special correspondent for Newsweek. In 2025, he earned his Master of Arts within the politics concentration at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism where he served as the school's student University Senator as well as the lead writer of the Columbia Journalism School Student Government (CJSSG) Constitution.
Alex was previously based in Washington, D.C. where he covered Congress for Newsweek. His writing has also appeared in The American Prospect, Vice News, and a number of regional publications.
Alex graduated from Syracuse University in 2020 as a Remembrance Scholar where he earned degrees in Magazine Journalism from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and both Policy Studies and Citizenship & Civic Engagement from the Maxwell School of Citizenship & Public Affairs.
A native of Crystal Lake, Illinois, a suburb 50 miles northwest of Chicago, Alex keeps his heart at home as an avid fan of the Chicago Bears, Bulls, and deep-dish pizza. Outside of work, Alex enjoys reading, dining, going for walks, and spending time with his family in Sarasota, Florida.
About
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Honors
Vivian Award; National Press Club (2024)
Paul Miller Washington Reporting Fellowship; National Press Foundation (2024)
Finalist, Region One; Society of Professional Journalists Mark of Excellence Awards (2020):
The American Dream hides somewhere along the U.S.-Mexico borderFirst Place, Places; Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication Student Magazine Contest (2020):
The American Dream hides somewhere along the U.S.-Mexico border -
Affiliations
The National Press Club; Washington, D.C.
Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ)
Investigative Reporters & Editors (IRE)
Congressional Press Credentials; Senate & House of Representatives Periodical Press Galleries
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Highlights
2024
Autumn: David Jang's Olivet University Ordered to Shut Down in California; Newsweek
Summer: Meet the Republican Millennials Warring for Trump's Mind; Newsweek
Springtime: How a Union Battle Could Decide Who Wins the U.S. Senate; Newsweek
Winter: Border Bill Negotiators Say Deal Could Help Trump—Will MAGA Listen?; Newsweek
2023
Autumn: Kevin McCarthy Removed as Speaker Following Historic Vote; Newsweek
Summer: Why Joe Biden Needs Joe Manchin More than Ever; Newsweek
Springtime: Can Kyrsten Sinema's Border Crusade Save Her Seat?; Newsweek
Winter: The Debt Ceiling: How Bad Might Things Get, and Will Congress Raise It; Newsweek
2022
Autumn: Shatter-proof Glass Fortifies Ballot Count As Trump Looms Over Arizona Vote; Newsweek
Summer: Olivet Student's Desperate 911 Call Led to Federal Trafficking Probe; Newsweek
Springtime: Trump's Nuclear Cruise Missile Plan Pits Biden Against His Generals; Newsweek
Winter: Exclusive: U.S. Warns Ukraine of Full-Scale Russian Invasion Within 48 Hours; Newsweek
2021
Autumn: Joe Manchin's 'Good Friend,' Union Leader Cecil Roberts, Says Eliminating Fossil Fuels Is a Deal-Breaker; Newsweek
Summer: Scoop: Vaccine Passport: The Government Can't Share Your Data, But Airlines Can; Newsweek
Springtime: Flee or Die—Why Refugees are Flocking to Tijuana's Tent City; Newsweek
Winter: Border Patrol Grappling with Immigrant Surge Love Trump's Wall; Newsweek
2020
Autumn: Big Pharma’s Game of Control; The American Prospect
Summer: Free Military Equipment: Parts Not Included; The American Prospect
Springtime: The American Dream hides somewhere along the U.S.-Mexico border; The NewsHouse
Winter: “That Could Be Me”: Students and Faculty at Syracuse University Aren’t All That Shocked by the Racist Incidents on Campus; Vice News