E-mail: rmcmahon@cfr.org
Washington, DC
Robert McMahon has covered foreign affairs since 1990 for the Associated Press, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, and CFR.org. As Editor of CFR.org, Mr. McMahon oversees publishing of daily news-related content on the web site, supervising an editorial team and coordinating with CFR Fellows to produce web-only publications. Mr. McMahon also contributes analysis and background reporting to the web site and regularly participates in a weekly podcast series, "The World Next Week."
In his time at CFR.org, the web site has garnered multiple media awards, in particular for its interactive crisis guide series. Crisis Guide: Pakistan won the 2011 Overseas Press Club award for multimedia and an honorary citation from the 2011 Webby Awards. The Crisis Guide on the Global Economic Crisis won an Emmy Award and a 2010 honorable mention citation from the Overseas Press Club. The Crisis Guide on Darfur won an Emmy Award. In addition, the web site's work won a 2007 Online News Association award.
Prior to joining CFR.org, Mr. McMahon held senior editorial positions at RFE/RL, including news director in Prague, Czech Republic, where he was founding editor of RFE/RL's web site, and UN correspondent. He has expertise in international organizations and has written extensively on U.S. foreign policy, democracy promotion, public diplomacy, human rights, UN peacekeeping, and issues related to nation-building. His work has been published in the Foreign Service Journal, Weekly Standard, and the Fletcher Forum, and he has been interviewed frequently by national and international media. Mr. McMahon has a master's degree in international relations from Tufts University's Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy.
A preview of world events in the coming week from CFR.org: The threat of a U.S. government shutdown looms over Congress; Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu visits the White House; and the twentieth anniversary of the Battle of Mogadishu is marked.
See more in Global; Politics and Strategy
A preview of world events in the coming week from CFR.org: Syria faces a deadline for listing its chemical weapons stockpiles; the UN General Assembly convenes in New York; and Germans go to the polls.
See more in Global; Politics and Strategy
A preview of world events in the coming week from CFR.org: Diplomacy intensifies over chemical weapons in Syria; the 20th anniversary of the Oslo Accords is observed; and economies take stock five years after the Lehman Brothers collapse.
See more in Global; Politics and Strategy
A preview of world events in the coming week from CFR.org: The United States remembers the attacks of September 11, 2001; the U.S. Congress is expected to vote on Syria; and Australia holds general elections.
See more in Global; Politics and Strategy
A reported devastating chemical weapons attack stirs new debate in Washington and global capitals about intervention in Syria. This Issue Guide provides background and analysis.
See more in Syria; Humanitarian Intervention
A preview of world events in the coming week from CFR.org: Anticipation mounts over outside military action in Syria; the G20 summit begins in St. Petersburg; and President Obama visits Sweden.
See more in Global; Politics and Strategy
A preview of world events in the coming week from CFR.org: Trade officials debate the Trans-Pacific Partnership; Afghan president Hamid Karzai visits Pakistan; the UN Security Council reviews several missions; and the U.S. Open tennis tournament begins.
See more in Global; Politics and Strategy
Al Jazeera America arrives on the U.S. cable TV scene in a bid to win goodwill and market share through an increasingly rare news-heavy format, says expert William Youmans.
See more in Middle East and North Africa; Media and Foreign Policy
A preview of world events in the coming week from CFR.org: Egypt remains in a state of emergency; Japan and Russia hold talks over territorial disputes; and Al Jazeera America makes its debut.
See more in Global; Politics and Strategy
A preview of world events in the coming week from CFR.org: U.S. diplomatic missions are set to reopen throughout the Middle East and Africa; U.S. and African officials discuss extending trade ties; and Mali holds a runoff presidential election.
See more in Global; Politics and Strategy
A preview of world events in the coming week from CFR.org: Iranian president-elect Hassan Rowhani is sworn into office; President Obama marks six months into his second term; and Japan sends the first robotic astronaut into space.
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A preview of world events in the coming week from CFR.org: Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe tours Southeast Asia; Mali and Cambodia hold elections; and Congress continues immigration and spending debates.
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A preview of world events in the coming week from CFR.org: India and China convene talks on Depsang border security; President Obama hosts Vietnamese president Truong Tan Sang; and Pope Francis visits Brazil.
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In this special edition, CFR.org Editor Robert McMahon and CFR's Director of Studies Jim Lindsay start off the summer with a list of books that they will be reading in the weeks ahead. Listen in for recommendations from their reading lists, as well as reviews on books recently published by fellows at the Council on Foreign Relations.
See more in United States; Politics and Strategy
A preview of world events in the coming week from CFR.org: President Obama visits Africa; the U.S. expands sanctions on Iran; NATO's Secretary General goes to Georgia; and the U.N. reports on its Millennium Development Goals.
See more in Global; Politics and Strategy
Iranians' choice of Hassan Rowhani as president stirs hope he will moderate domestic and foreign policy but other regime sectors could interfere, says CFR's Ray Takeyh.
A preview of world events in the coming week from CFR.org: Presidential elections are held in Iran; the G8 convenes in Northern Ireland; and President Obama goes to Berlin.
See more in Global; Politics and Strategy
Global support for the "responsibility to protect" doctrine weakened after the UN-endorsed no-fly zone that helped topple Libya's regime, and debate continues over the threshold for mounting armed humanitarian interventions, explains this Backgrounder.
See more in Global; Humanitarian Intervention
Are Iran's presidential elections too tightly controlled, or will they offer an opportunity for reformist voices to emerge? This Issue Guide traces the campaign and essential background.
The United States and a growing number of countries have intensified sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program, weakening its economy, but debate persists over their impact.
See more in Iran; Proliferation; Sanctions
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