Michael Kelly

Who was Michael Kelly?

Michael Thomas Kelly was an American journalist for The New York Times, a columnist for The Washington Post and The New Yorker, and a magazine editor for The New Republic, National Journal, and The Atlantic. He came to prominence through his reporting on the first Gulf War, and was well known for his political profiles and commentary, but suffered professional embarrassment for his role in the Stephen Glass scandal at The New Republic. Kelly was the first US journalist to be killed while covering the invasion of Iraq, in 2003.

During a journalism career that spanned 20 years, Kelly received a number of professional awards for his book on the Gulf War and his articles, as well as for his magazine editing. In his honor, the Michael Kelly Award for journalism was established, as well as a scholarship at his alma mater.