Robert McMahon

Managing Editor

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Robert McMahon has covered foreign affairs since 1990, writing for the Associated Press, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, and CFR.org. As managing editor of CFR’s Digital Content department, McMahon oversees publishing of daily news-related content on CFR.org, supervising an editorial team that produces Backgrounders, In Briefs, long-form interactives, videos, and other multimedia content. He coordinates with CFR fellows to produce web-only publications. McMahon also contributes analysis and background reporting to the website and cohosts the weekly podcast The World Next Week with Senior Fellow Carla Anne Robbins. Under his guidance, CFR.org has garnered multiple media citations, including Emmy, Overseas Press Club, Society of Professional Journalists, Webby, and Online News Association awards.

Prior to joining CFR.org, McMahon held senior editorial positions at RFE/RL, including as news director in Prague, Czech Republic, where he was a founding editor of RFE/RL’s website, and as a UN correspondent. He has written extensively on democracy promotion, public diplomacy, human rights, UN peacekeeping, and nation-building. He is a contributing writer to the Foreign Service Journal. McMahon has a master’s degree in international relations from Tufts University’s Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy.

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Explore More on International Relations

World Order

The World
An invaluable primer from Richard Haass, president of the Council on Foreign Relations, that will help anyone, expert and nonexpert alike, navigate a time in which many of our biggest challenges come from the world beyond our borders.

Book by Richard Haass May 11, 2021

Global Governance

Don’t Show the Parents: The 2018–2019 Report Card on International Cooperation
How did world leaders do in managing global challenges in 2018? Experts from twenty-eight think tanks around the world grade international cooperation a middling C.

Blog Post by Terrence Mullan May 14, 2019 The Internationalist

Turkey

Why I’m Sick of Turkey
Washington continues to claim Ankara as “strategic partner.” Let’s stop pretending it is.

Article by Steven A. Cook November 27, 2018 Middle East Program

Top Stories on CFR

Japan

The U.S.-Japan Alliance
The alliance with Japan has been the cornerstone of U.S. security policy in East Asia for decades. Now, Japan’s role in global security is growing as challenges from China and North Korea mount.  

Backgrounder by CFR.org Editors May 3, 2024

Censorship and Freedom of Expression

World Press Freedom Day 2024: Mounting Threats, Renewed Purpose

Podcast
In this special episode to mark World Press Freedom Day, Jeffrey Gedmin, cofounder and editor-in-chief of American Purpose and former president of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, joins Robert McMahon and Carla Anne Robbins to discuss the global state of press freedom. They cover the challenges that a growing number of journalists face in exile or imprisonment, the U.S. role in upholding freedom of the press, and more.

Podcast with Robert McMahon, Carla Anne Robbins and Jeffrey Gedmin May 2, 2024 The World Next Week

Ukraine

Is U.S. Aid to Ukraine Too Little, Too Late?
U.S. aid is critical not just for Ukraine, but for U.S. credibility in Russia and beyond.

Article by Liana Fix May 2, 2024