National Public Radio’s Chief Business Editor Pallavi Gogoi was recently appointed Executive Director of the Knight Bagehot Fellowship, a prestigious Columbia University program for mid-career journalists who want to specialize in business and economics.
In a July 23, 2026, announcement, Columbia Journalism School (CJS) announced Gogoi’s appointment to lead the Knight-Bagehot Fellowship in Economics and Business Journalism, effective August 17. She succeeds Robert Smith, who served as director of the program since 2021.
As executive director, Gogoi “will lead one of the J-School’s signature professional learning programs, which for more than 50 years has provided experienced journalists with the opportunity to enhance their understanding of business, economics, finance and technology,” the news release said.
The Knight-Bagehot fellowship pairs advanced journalism courses at Columbia Journalism School with core MBA classes at Columbia Business School and weekly private seminars with media and business leaders.
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“Gogoi’s experience leading business coverage and teaching economic journalism closely aligns with the Fellowship’s blend of newsroom practice and advanced study,” the school said.
“Pallavi’s experience as both a newsroom leader and an educator gives her a keen understanding of what working journalists need from a program like Knight-Bagehot,” said Jelani Cobb, Dean and Henry R. Luce Professor of Journalism. “She has the vision to honor what has made the Fellowship distinctive, and we look forward to seeing her build on that legacy and create new opportunities for its fellows.”
Gogoi boasts 25 years of experience in business journalism across six major news outlets and two universities –Ten years as NPR’s chief business editor, various roles at CNN, the Associated Press, USA Today, BusinessWeek and Dow Jones/The Wall Street Journal. She has taught courses on economic narratives at both Columbia Journalism School and Princeton University.
“I believe that economics undergirds every decision in life, which is why I am a torchbearer for journalism that sheds light on this topic,” Gogoi is quoted saying in the news release, adding, adding, “I’m so thrilled about bringing a lifetime of mission-driven work to this role.”
The Knight-Bagehot Fellowship is now in its sixth decade, having been founded in 1975, and named after John S. and James L. Knight, brothers who established the Knight Foundation, and Walter Bagehot, the 19th-century British economist and editor of The Economist.
The Fellowship is administered by the Columbia Journalism School. Funds are provided by an endowment from the Knight Foundation with annual tuition scholarships supported by grants from foundations and corporations, which have included Bloomberg, Brunswick Group, Citadel, Citi, Dow Jones & Co., Gladstone Place Partners, Goldman Sachs, JPMorganChase, The New York Times and Thomson Reuters.