Stanley Reed writes about energy, business and environment for The New York Times and The International New York Times. Previously, he worked at BusinessWeek, holding several positions including London Bureau Chief as well as Middle East Correspondent. He was later a reporter-at-large for Bloomberg News. He co-authored, with Alison Fitzgerald, 2010’s In Too Deep: BP and the Drilling Race That Took it Down. He has been based in London since 1996. He won the Best of Knight-Bagehot award from Columbia Journalism School for his coverage of the Iraq war in 2003. He has lived in London since 1996 and has British and U.S. citizenship.
Hometown: New York.
Education: B.A. Yale, M.B.A. Columbia.
Languages: Arabic, French.
First job in journalism: I started as a freelancer in Cairo, but my first real job was staff editor on the foreign desk at BusinessWeek.
Countries reported from: Numerous including the United States, England, Scotland, Ireland, Germany, Austria. Sweden, Norway, The Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Portugal,
France, Italy, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Poland, Czech Republic, Egypt, Syria, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Iraq, Jordan, Turkey, West Bank, Gaza, Algeria, Libya, Republic of Congo, Russia, Brunei, China, India, Venezuela, Mexico.
When did you join the OPC? 1993.
Major challenge as a journalist: Coming up with good story ideas and ways to tell them.
Best journalism advice received: Steve Shepard, the editor of BusinessWeek most of the time I was there, once told me to “go, don’t call”. I still think that is good advice.
Worst experience as a journalist: Being asked by my editors – citing safety concerns – to leave Egypt in the midst of the demonstrations that led to the ouster of President Hosni Mubarak in 2011.
What drew you to covering the energy sector? When writing about Middle East politics and economics, I discovered that oil was behind a lot of what happened there. The oil industry is fascinating because it is political and because fast-evolving technology has led to breakthroughs like shale gas and because so much money is involved. The oil and gas beat has taken me to great places like Sakhalin Island, the austere former prison colony off the east coast of Russia.
Covering energy has also been an entrée into climate change and renewable energy sources like wind and solar. Visiting an offshore wind farm is as much fun as going to an offshore oil platform and usually easier to reach. Energy is integral to modern life.
When traveling, you like to … In the Middle East I like to go to the souks to talk to the dealers and see what is there. I learned a lot that way.
Journalism heroes: The Egyptian journalist Mohamed Sid Ahmed; David Hirst, former Middle East correspondent for the Guardian; Hunter Thompson.
Advice for journalists who want to work overseas: Try to acquire some knowledge or experience that is in demand but in short supply.
Dream job: Making feature films.
Favorite quote: It is not over until it’s over.
Place you’re most eager to visit: Namibia.
Most over-the-top assignment: Writing about making bespoke fowling pieces that can cost several tens of thousands of dollars at Purdey, the London-based firm. Mr. Purdey showed me how to shoot them.
Country you most want to return to: Iran.
Twitter handle: @Reed_INYT
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