David Cay Johnston, Pulitzer Prize winner and bestselling author, joins RIT faculty as a Professor of Practice

Rochester Institute of Technology welcomes David Cay Johnston, Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter and bestselling author, as a new Professor of Practice. A world-renowned expert in his field, Johnston will use his wealth of knowledge and experience to teach courses on law and journalism in RIT’s College of Liberal Arts beginning in fall 2024.

Johnston's 13 years of reporting in The New York Times on taxes, executive compensation, and inequality had a profound impact. His work prompted two presidents to change their tax policies, Congress to pass numerous laws, a federal appeals court to reverse an opinion, and news organizations to change how they report on CEO pay. He was awarded a Pulitzer Prize in 2001 and was named a finalist three other times.

“Every student at RIT embarks on their educational journey with a unique dream of making a personal impact in their chosen field. By learning from David’s extensive investigative journalism experience and his esteemed reputation in opinion media, our students will gain invaluable practical knowledge. This will help empower them to envision and pursue their own groundbreaking work,” said Kelly Norris Martin, interim dean of RIT’s College of Liberal Arts.

Johnston, of Rochester, N.Y., comes to RIT after 15 years at the Syracuse University College of Law, where he taught the law of the ancient world and the principles of modern law. His classes emphasize the benefits of competitive market capitalism and classic virtues, especially integrity. He previously taught reporting and writing at the University of Southern California and the University of California at Los Angeles. During the upcoming fall semester at RIT, Johnston will teach Introduction to Journalism and Timely Topics: Law in Action.

“For three decades I’ve watched RIT grow the breadth, depth and quality of its programs,” Johnston said. “I’m honored to join its outstanding faculty and help develop America’s future leaders in technology and beyond.”

Johnston is a frequent guest on CNN, MSNBC, and a host of overseas news outlets. The Washington Monthly called Johnston “one of America's most important journalists.” He was the first journalist to systematically investigate the Los Angeles Police Department, exposing brutality, inefficiency, and a massive political spying operation. Congress credited him with shutting down tax dodges that it valued at more than a quarter of a trillion dollars.

Johnston worked at newspapers across the country: The San Jose Mercury, Detroit Free Press, Los Angeles Times, and The Philadelphia Inquirer. He was also a columnist for Reuters, Tax Notes magazine, Al Jazeera America, The Daily Beast, Investopedia, and the Columbia Journalism Review.  Johnston is a former president of his professional association, Investigative Reporters & Editors (IRE), and he speaks at each biennial Global Investigative Journalism Conference.

Additionally, Johnston is a well-known press critic. After he exposed decades of news manipulations and blackouts at an exceptionally profitable television and radio broadcast chain, the publicly traded company shut down, a unique accomplishment in American history.

Four of Johnston’s eight books on economics, tax policy, and Donald Trump were New York Times bestsellers. His 2003 tax exposé, Perfectly Legal, won the 2004 Investigative Book of the Year award, and his biography, The Making of Donald Trump, received the 2016 Political Biography of the Year award in Britain.

Johnston’s next book will propose a simplified federal tax system that is virtually cheat-proof and would allow a much smaller IRS.

Go to Johnston’s website for more information about his work.