I am an award-winning independent journalist who specializes in international development, human rights issues and investigative reporting. I am fascinated by follow-the-money stories, the business of international development, and the mechanics and true human impact of sustainable business practices.

In addition to my freelance writing (see publications below), I am a regular contributor to Devex, where I write about sustainability, international development, gender and the business of doing good. I also regularly write about white collar crime, fraud and sustainability issues for Financial Management Magazine.

For three years, I worked as a feature-writer at Mint, India’s second-largest financial newspaper, where I wrote about international development, strategic philanthropy and impact investing.  Additionally, I wrote feature articles on immigration, health and gender.

As a Stabile Fellow for Investigative Journalism and the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism, I contributed to a group investigation about cybercrime by online pharmacies.  I’ve also written about smuggling networks in Punjab, exploitation in in the clinical trial industry in India, and visa abuse by India’s biggest IT companies.

I have reported from Spain, Germany, The Netherlands, Greece, Italy, Turkey, Nigeria, Niger, South Africa, Morocco, India, China, Macao, Hong Kong, South Korea, Mexico and the United States.

You can find my articles in the following publications:  Time Magazine, The Guardian, The New York Times, Huffington Post Highline, The Economist, The Wall Street Journal, Vogue India,  Mint, Far Eastern Economic Review, Foreign Policy, Reason Magazine, and the Village Voice publication the Phoenix New Times.

I have an M.S. journalism from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, where I was a Stabile Fellow for Investigative Journalism, and a B.A. from Hampshire College. I am a PhD candidate in Migration Studies at the University of Granada, where I am very close to completing my doctorate. I am fluent in Spanish, and once spoke decent Mandarin and Hindi. I am learning French.

Awards include: An honorable mention from the Eddie and Ozzie Awards for feature writing for my reporting on detecting and preventing forced labor in supply chains (2020), an Ellie and Overseas Press Club Award for my refugee reporting in Europe, Africa and the Middle East (2017), and 1st place in feature writing, Society for Publishers in Asia (2011).  1st place immigration reporting, Arizona Press Club (2010). 1st place social issues reporting and 3rd place profile writing, Arizona Press Club (2009).

My reporting has been supported by: The Alicia Patterson Foundation, The Nation Fund, The Pulitzer Center for Crisis Reporting and The Institute for Current World Affairs, among others.

You can contact me at: malia.n.politzer@gmail.com.