Dusty Christensen

M.A., New York University

Dusty Christensen is an investigative reporter whose work has appeared in outlets including The Nation magazine, NPR, The Boston Globe, Haaretz, WNYC radio, The Appeal, In These Times and PBS. He is the investigations editor at the independent local news outlet The Shoestring and is a frequent contributor to New England Public Media, the region’s NPR affiliate. He previously worked as a staff writer for the Daily Hampshire Gazette, where in 2018 he was one of the organizers of a successful campaign to unionize workers at the newspaper. He also worked as a member organizer with the NewsGuild, helping other journalists across the country unionize their newsrooms.

Dusty has won regional and national awards for his investigative reporting. In 2019 and 2021, the New England Newspaper & Press Association named him a finalist for best investigative reporting. In 2024, the Public Media Journalists Association awarded him second place in best digital writing for his New England Public Media investigation into 10 years of civilian complaints against the Holyoke Police Department. 

Dusty served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Ukraine from 2012 to 2014.