Rukmini Maria Callimachi (born Sichitiu
on 25 June 1973) is a Romanian-born American journalist. She currently works for ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
''.
Background
![Gyantse Dzong4](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2c/Gyantse_Dzong4.jpg)
Callimachi gained her name "Rukmini" through her family's closeness to the Indian
theosophist
Theosophy is a religion established in the United States during the late 19th century. It was founded primarily by the Russian Helena Blavatsky and draws its teachings predominantly from Blavatsky's writings. Categorized by scholars of religion ...
Rukmini Devi Arundale
Rukmini Devi Arundale (née Shastri; 29 February 1904 – 24 February 1986)Sharma, Shoba and Gangadean, Ashok (January 31, 2004 Naatya.org. Retrieved on 10 December 2018. was an Indian theosophist, dancer and choreographer of the Indian c ...
, founder of
Kalakshetra Foundation
Kalakshetra Foundation, formerly simply Kalakshetra, is an arts and cultural academy dedicated to the preservation of traditional values in Indian art and crafts, especially in the field of Bharatanatyam dance and Gandharvaveda music. Based in ...
in
Chennai
Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...
, India.
Born Sichitiu, she is the stepdaughter of
Mihai Botez, a scientist and dissident against the
Romanian communist regime.
Rukmini is a matrilineal descendant of the
Callimachi family
The House of Callimachi, Calimachi, or Kallimachi ( el, Καλλιμάχη, russian: Каллимаки, tr, Kalimakizade; originally ''Calmașul'' or ''Călmașu''), was a Phanariote family of mixed Moldavian (Romanian) and Greek origins. Origin ...
of
Phanariotes
Phanariots, Phanariotes, or Fanariots ( el, Φαναριώτες, ro, Fanarioți, tr, Fenerliler) were members of prominent Greek families in Phanar (Φανάρι, modern ''Fener''), the chief Greek quarter of Constantinople where the Ecumeni ...
(and as such also
Greco-Romanian); her ancestor on that side is Eufrosina Callimachi, daughter of ''
Hospodar
Hospodar or gospodar is a term of Slavonic origin, meaning "lord" or " master".
Etymology and Slavic usage
In the Slavonic language, ''hospodar'' is usually applied to the master/owner of a house or other properties and also the head of a family. ...
''
Scarlat Callimachi.
She changed her last name to Callimachi in order to honor this legacy.
Rukmini Sichitiu left Romania at age 5, in 1979: her mother and grandmother took her on a trip to Switzerland, during which they defected; Rukmini's father remained in
Bucharest
Bucharest ( , ; ro, București ) is the capital and largest city of Romania, as well as its cultural, industrial, and financial centre. It is located in the southeast of the country, on the banks of the Dâmbovița River, less than north o ...
, to alleviate suspicions, and finally joined them in 1980.
According to her own recollections, she had a hard time fitting into Swiss society. Four years later, her parents were separated. While her father stayed in
Lausanne
, neighboring_municipalities= Bottens, Bretigny-sur-Morrens, Chavannes-près-Renens, Cheseaux-sur-Lausanne, Crissier, Cugy, Écublens, Épalinges, Évian-les-Bains (FR-74), Froideville, Jouxtens-Mézery, Le Mont-sur-Lausanne, Lugrin (FR ...
, Rukmini and her mother left for
Ojai, California
Ojai ( ; Chumash: ''’Awhaỳ'') is a city in Ventura County, California. Located in the Ojai Valley, it is northwest of Los Angeles and east of Santa Barbara. The valley is part of the east–west trending Western Transverse Ranges and ...
, where Rukmini attended primary school.
She is a graduate of
The Oak Grove School and
The Thacher School
The Thacher School is an elite private co-educational boarding school in Ojai, California. Founded in 1889 as a boys' school, it is now the oldest co-educational boarding school in California. Girls were first admitted in 1977. The first co-ed gra ...
. She took diplomas from
Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College (; ) is a private research university in Hanover, New Hampshire. Established in 1769 by Eleazar Wheelock, it is one of the nine colonial colleges chartered before the American Revolution. Although founded to educate Native ...
and from
Exeter College of the
University of Oxford
, mottoeng = The Lord is my light
, established =
, endowment = £6.1 billion (including colleges) (2019)
, budget = £2.145 billion (2019–20)
, chancellor ...
, where she did a graduate course in
linguistics
Linguistics is the science, scientific study of human language. It is called a scientific study because it entails a comprehensive, systematic, objective, and precise analysis of all aspects of language, particularly its nature and structure ...
.
Career
![Dakars Mamelles (5824544243)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/99/Dakars_Mamelles_%285824544243%29.jpg)
After publishing some poetry, Callimachi became a freelancer in
New Delhi
New Delhi (, , ''Naī Dillī'') is the capital of India and a part of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). New Delhi is the seat of all three branches of the government of India, hosting the Rashtrapati Bhavan, Parliament Ho ...
, India, including for ''
Time
Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, ...
'' magazine.
In 2003, she joined the
Associated Press
The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. ne ...
in
Portland, Oregon
Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the list of cities in Oregon, largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette River, Willamette and Columbia River, Columbia rivers, Portland is ...
. After a year in
documenting the aftermath of
Hurricane Katrina, in 2006 she began reporting out of
Dakar, Senegal
Dakar ( ; ; wo, Ndakaaru) (from :wo:daqaar, daqaar ''tamarind''), is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Senegal, largest city of Senegal. The city of Dakar proper has a population of 1,030,594, whereas the population of the Dakar ...
, as a
West Africa
West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of Africa. The United Nations defines Western Africa as the 16 countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mali, M ...
n correspondent for the
Associated Press
The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. ne ...
. There she focused on investigating the exploitation of children in West and Central Africa, for which she was named a Pulitzer Finalist in International Reporting in 2009. Callimachi later became known for her work on extremism, and was again named Pulitzer Finalist in 2014 for "her discovery and fearless exploration of internal documents that shattered myths and deepened understanding of the global terrorist network of al-Qaida."
In 2014, Callimachi was hired by ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
''. Her reporting focused on
Islamic extremism, which helped the ''Times'' earn a Pulitzer Finalist accolade in 2016 as part of a group entry. Callimachi's work in investigative journalism was recognised in 2016, as she won the inaugural
International Center for Journalists
International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) is a non-profit, professional organization located in Washington, D.C., United States, that promotes journalism worldwide. Since 1984, the International Center for Journalists has worked directly with ...
' Integrity in Journalism Award, for her "exceptional contribution to exposing crimes against humanity".
In 2020, Callimachi was reassigned at the ''Times'' and will no longer cover terrorism.
ISIS reporting
''Caliphate''
The serialized audio documentary ''Caliphate'', first released in April 2018, follows Callimachi as she reports on the Islamic State, and the accounts of
Abu Huzaifa al-Kanadi
Shehroze Chaudhry (born 1994/1995) is a Canadian who gained international attention under the pseudonym Abu Huzaifa al-Kanadi ("Abu Huzaifa the Canadian") as the subject of Caliphate (podcast), ''Caliphate'', a podcast hosted by Rukmini Callimachi ...
, who claimed to have murdered people while fighting for the Islamic State, and since returned to Canada where he was living freely. The podcast won a
Peabody Award in the radio/podcast category that year. Her work on ''Caliphate'' also made her a Pulitzer Finalist again, "
r dissecting the power and persistence of the ISIS terror movement, through relentless on-the-ground and online reporting, and masterful use of podcast storytelling."
In May 2018, the reliability of Huzaifa's story had received concerns from television journalist
Diana Swain
Diana Swain is the executive producer of CBC's investigative documentary program ''The Fifth Estate''. She has held various roles at the public broadcaster, including most recently as the senior editor of the network Investigative Unit. Before t ...
of
CBC News
CBC News is a division of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the news gathering and production of news programs on the corporation's English-language operations, namely CBC Television, CBC Radio, CBC News Network, and CBC.ca ...
, who suggested that he may be "lying" to ''The New York Times''. In September 2020, the Canadian Abu Huzaifa whose real name was Shehroze Chaudhry, was arrested by Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and charged under Canadian hoax laws for fabricating his story on social media of traveling to Syria and joining ISIS, which was covered by the ''Caliphate'' podcast produced by ''The New York Times''. His case is ongoing. In response to criticism of ''Caliphate''s depiction of Chaudry's story, the ''Times'' announced on September 30 that the paper would begin a "fresh examination" of the series's reporting.
In December 2020, ''The New York Times'' admitted that much of the podcast had been based on bad information, that significant errors had been made at the newspaper, and that the Caliphate "podcast as a whole should not have been produced with Mr. Chaudhry as a central narrative character." Callimachi was reassigned as a result. On December 18, 2020, the ''Times'' also announced that, in view of the results of its investigation, it will return the
Peabody Award which had been won by the ''Caliphate'' podcast.
The ISIS Files
Over 15,000 files, now known as "The ISIS Files"—obtained by Callimachi and her "Iraqi colleagues during embeds with the Iraqi army"—were digitize
translate
analyze
and publish
d by ''The New York Times'' and
George Washington University
The George Washington University (GW or GWU) is a Private university, private University charter#Federal, federally chartered research university in Washington, D.C. Chartered in 1821 by the United States Congress, GWU is the largest Higher educat ...
in an "exclusive partnership". The two partners announced their intentions to do so in 2018, and by 2020, the files have been online.
There has been criticism of how Callimachi acquired the ISIS Files.
The documents are alleged to have been removed from Iraq without permission, displaying a "neo-imperial mindset".
After digitization, the files were given to the
Embassy of the Republic of Iraq in
Washington, DC
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan ...
.
Awards
* 2018
Peabody Award in News and Radio/Podcast (later returned by the ''New York Times'')
[
* 2016 Aurora Prize for Integrity in Journalism.
* 2014 ]Michael Kelly Award
The Michael Kelly Award is a journalism award sponsored by the Atlantic Media Company. It is given for "the fearless pursuit and expression of truth"; the prize is $25,000 for the winner and $3,000 for the runners-up. It is named for Michael Kell ...
and finalist in 2009 and 2012
* 2012 McGill Medal for Journalistic Courage from the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication
The Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication is a constituent college of the University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia, United States. Established in 1915, Grady College offers undergraduate degrees in journalism, advertising, public re ...
* 2011 Eugene S. Pulliam National Journalism Writing Award from Ball State University for her article, "Haiti-Hotel Montana".
* 2009 Pulitzer Prize Finalist "for her in-depth investigation of the exploitation of impoverished children in West and Central Africa"
* 2007 Sidney Hillman Foundation Award
The Sidney Hillman Foundation is an American charitable foundation that awards prizes to journalists who investigate issues related to social justice and progressive public policy. The foundation, founded in 1946, is named for Sidney Hillman, who w ...
, "Coverage of Hurricane Katrina aftermath," The Associated Press
* 2004 John M. Templeton Religion Story of the Year award, The Daily Herald (Ill.), "Passage from India"
* 1998 Keats-Shelley Prize for Poetry
The Keats-Shelley Prize was inaugurated in 1998 by the Keats-Shelley Memorial Association. Its purpose is to encourage people of all ages to respond personally to the emotions aroused in them by the work of the Romantics, through rising to the cha ...
Works
News
*
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*
*
*
*
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*
*
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*
*
Poetry
"The Anatomy of Wildflowers", ''Keats Shelley''
See also
* Islamic extremism
* Romanian Americans
Romanian Americans are Americans who have Romanians, Romanian ancestry. According to the 2017 American Community Survey, 478,278 Americans indicated Romanian as their first or second ancestry, however other sources provide higher estimates, whic ...
References
External links
*
"RUKMINI CALLIMACHI", ''Free Library''
"RUKMINI CALLIMACHI", ''Newsvine''
Interview, Longform Podcast #129''
The ISIS Files
These files include 15,000 pages of internal ISIS files obtained Callimachi and her team.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Callimachi, Rukmini
1973 births
Living people
21st-century American women writers
21st-century American poets
American women poets
American newspaper journalists
American women journalists
Associated Press reporters
The New York Times writers
Alumni of Exeter College, Oxford
Dartmouth College alumni
Rukmini
Rukmini ( sa, रुक्मिणी, , ) is a Hindu goddess and the first queen and chief wife of Krishna. In Vaishnava tradition, she is described as Krishna's principal queen in Dvaraka, as well as the chief of his wives. She is an in ...
Journalists from Bucharest
Writers from Bucharest
Romanian defectors
Romanian emigrants to Switzerland
Romanian emigrants to the United States
The Thacher School alumni