Robert Draper
Writer at Large
The New York Times Magazine
Education
University of Texas at Austin
Podcasts
30: What It’s Like to be a NYTs Magazine Writer With Robert Draper, NYTs [Main T4C Episode]
Robert Draper has been a writer at large for the New York Times Magazine, for the last decade, where he covers domestic politics. He's also worked as a contributing writer to National Geographic since 2007. For the latter, Draper has traveled to the all-male monastic community of Greece’s Mount Athos..
Career Path
Interview Highlights
“You have to realize that when you talk to sources that they are not just doing this in fulfillment of the First Amendment, they have reasons for their own. You should take that into account, but that’s just part of the whole process rather than a deal ender or a deal maker.”
Best Career Advice
“You can’t control necessarily how your work is published. You can’t control how many people read it. You can’t control how well it’s reviewed, how well it’s received by either critics or the public at large. So if you don’t really enjoy the things you can control: going out and reporting, sitting at home and writing, then you should think twice about being in the business because everything else is beyond your ability to control.”
Career Challenge
Related Professionals
Adam Moser
VP, Head of Ad Sales Operations
The Walt Disney Co.
Industry: Journalism, Media & Podcasting