Elizabeth Williamson

I am a features writer for The New York Times, based in Washington.

What I Cover

I aim to offer Times readers a deeper, nuanced look at people and institutions in the news, whether holding a government official or agency to account, or showing how everyday Americans are affected by government policy. I’ve written about a farm wife widowed by suicide; a teen stalked by a TikTok follower; families battling vicious online disinformation; three women struggling to preserve Black cemeteries. Through my three-decade career I’ve met heroes, miscreants and people in between, like most of us. It is an honor to be entrusted with these stories, and a joy to write them.

My Background

I began my journalism career in 1994, spending a decade reporting from Eastern Europe for The Wall Street Journal, International Herald Tribune, Miami Herald, Chicago Tribune and other outlets, culminating in three years as The Journal’s Warsaw bureau chief. In 2003, I returned to the United States to work for The Washington Post, covering everything from the Chesapeake Bay to Congress. Five years later I returned to The Journal, reporting on the Obama White House, lobbying and the culture of Washington. I joined The Times in 2015 as a member of its editorial board, writing opinion pieces on national politics. I missed being a reporter, though, and in 2018 moved into my current job. I’m the author of “Sandy Hook: An American Tragedy and the Battle for Truth,” published by Dutton/Penguin Random House in 2022. I have a journalism degree from Marquette University.

I am from Chicago, and live with my family in Washington.

Journalistic Ethics

I take seriously the goals Adolph S. Ochs laid out when he took control of The Times in 1896: “to give the news impartially, without fear or favor, regardless of party, sect, or interests involved.” As a Times journalist, I share the values and adhere to the standards of integrity outlined in The Times’s Ethical Journalism handbook. I work hard to be accurate and fair, keeping in mind the power of Times coverage to shape perceptions and debate, and the enormous trust people place in The Times and in me when they share their stories and views. I encourage critics of my work to contact me directly for a respectful conversation. I do not participate in political campaigns or causes. I protect my sources.

Contact Me

Email: elizabeth.williamson@nytimes.com
X: @nytliz
Signal: 202-674-2463
Anonymous tips: nytimes.com/tips

Featured

Latest

Kash Patel: The Magical Rise of a Self-Described ‘Wizard’ in Trump World
The MAGA loyalist Mr. Patel aims to run the C.I.A. if Donald Trump wins the presidency. But critics say his swagger masks deep inexperience.
By Elizabeth Williamson
Why Katharine Graham’s Washington Home Has Sat Vacant for 22 Years
The home of the former Washington Post publisher was once a hub of power and comity. But after an “insane” renovation spat, its new owner is looking to sell.
By Elizabeth Williamson
Sandy Hook Families’ Fight for Alex Jones’s Money Takes an Ugly Turn
A scramble for the Infowars host’s meager assets pits Sandy Hook victims’ families against one another in court.
By Elizabeth Williamson
Judge Orders Sale of Alex Jones’s Personal Assets but Keeps Infowars in Business
The ruling will allow the conspiracy theorist to continue broadcasting on Infowars, while the Sandy Hook families pursue payment of $1.4 billion in defamation damages.
By Elizabeth Williamson
Alex Jones Seeks to Liquidate His Assets to Pay Damages to Sandy Hook Families
But money to the families would fall far short of the more than $1.4 billion they were awarded by juries for Mr. Jones’s lies about the 2012 school massacre.
By Elizabeth Williamson
He Threw ‘Spaghetti at the Wall’ for Trump. Now He’s After a Top Job.
If Donald Trump wins the presidency, Richard Grenell hopes to be secretary of state. But his work raises questions, even from his former boss.
By Elizabeth Williamson
From Pizzagate to the 2020 Election: Forcing Liars to Pay or Apologize
Michael J. Gottlieb is part of a cadre of lawyers deploying defamation, one of the oldest areas of the law, against a tide of political disinformation.
By Elizabeth Williamson
‘My Heart Sank’: In Maine, a Challenge to a Book, and to a Town’s Self-Image
Wealthy, liberal-leaning Blue Hill prided itself on staying above the fray — until the library stocked a book that drew anger from the left.
By Elizabeth Williamson
Cast as Criminals, America’s Librarians Rally to Their Own Defense
As libraries become battlegrounds in the nation’s culture wars, their allies are fighting to preserve access to their collections and keep themselves out of jail, or worse.
By Elizabeth Williamson
Alex Jones and Sandy Hook Families Enter Final Stretch in Bankruptcy Fight
Mr. Jones proposed paying the families a combined total of at least $5.5 million annually for a decade, while the families submitted a competing plan that would liquidate his Infowars empire.
By Elizabeth Williamson