About
Jess McHugh is a writer and editor who has reported from North and South America, Europe, the Caribbean, and West Africa.
Her work has appeared in The Nation, The Paris Review, TIME.com, The New Republic, Village Voice, International Business Times, CNN, Avidly (Los Angeles Review of Books), AFP Services, The Believer, Smithsonian Magazine, Teen Vogue, Business Insider, InStyle, DAME, Thrillist, Man Repeller, and Travel + Leisure, among others.
She has written hundreds of stories with an eye on the intersection between politics, culture, and society, ranging from the fight to preserve world heritage in Palmyra, Syria, to the plight of pregnant refugees making the journey across Europe. She has interviewed U.N. diplomats, U.S. senators, and former members of the Irish Republican Army.
Following the November 2015 Paris attacks, she was sent to cover the aftermath on the ground as a reporter for International Business Times. After sending dispatches from the Saint Denis raids, she attended one of the first concerts in the wake of the attacks, writing features on the recovery of the music scene as well as a profile of a Syrian refugee.
She is bilingual in French, decent at krav maga, and excellent at knitting.
Highlights
The New Republic
The French Plan to Fix Inequality — By Ignoring It
Whether in France or in the United States, school reform alone can't fix racism and poverty. But Emanuel Macron seems to think otherwise.
The Paris Review
The Nationalist Roots of Merriam-Webster's Dictionary 
Nearly two centuries later, at a time when truth is increasingly undervalued and American exceptionalism is widely embraced, the dictionary takes on fresh significance.
The Nation
Why Is Arkansas Rushing to Execute Its Prisoners?
It’s a strange twist in America’s long relationship with the death penalty—and pressure from the pharmaceutical companies explains why Arkansas is going through a barbaric rush to execute as many death row prisoners as possible before there are no more drugs left.
International Business Times
Refugee Women Are Carrying More Than An Uncertain Future
For the first time since the refugee crisis began in the spring of 2015, women and children now account for more than half of all asylum-seekers in Europe.
Travel + Leisure
Palmyra: How a Beloved World Heritage Site Became a Battlefield
“It really is a site of all of humanity. This is one of the reasons it was put on the world heritage list: because it has traces of different cultures,” said Mechtild Rössler of UNESCO. “It contains one of the ruins of one of the most important cultural centers of the ancient world.”
Writing (By Outlet)
The New Republic
The Paris Review
The Nationalist Roots of Merriam-Webster's Dictionary, March 2018
The Nation
Why Is Arkansas Rushing to Execute Its Prisoners? April 2017
Avidly (Los Angeles Review of Books)
DAME
Policing Language Is Just Another Way to Silence Women, August 2018
What Happens When Women Don't Smile, May 2018
Man Repeller
What Katharine Hepburn and Courtney Love Taught Me About Glamour and Grunge, May 2018
Why Everyone Is Obsessed With Celebrity Airport Fashion, April 2018
Travel + Leisure
A Drive Through the Scottish Highlands, April 2018
Inside the Fight to Keep Liverpool's Punk Scene Alive, January 2018
Here's How Hotel Security Could Change After the Las Vegas Massacre, October 2017
Do Electronic Bans on Flights Make the U.S. Safer? March 2017
Palmyra: How a Beloved World Heritage Site Became a Battlefield, February 2017
Explore the Magical Ephemera of New York City's Biggest Prop House, February 2017
A Brief History of the Modern Suitcase, December 2016
Winemakers in Bordeaux Are Reinvigorating Their Traditional Terroir, November 2016
TIME
New Security Measures Could Delay You At the Airport. Here's What to Expect, October 2017
International Business Times
Refugee Women Are Carrying More Than An Uncertain Future, April 2016
What A Breakdown Of Free Travel Means For Europe's Economy, March 2016
French Anti-Radicalization Policy Questioned, January 2016
Beer, Wine, And Other Acts Of French Defiance, November 2015
One Syrian's Journey From Aleppo To Paris, November 2015
The Remaking Of Sinn Fein In Northern Ireland, October 2015
See Jess' full archive from IBT here: http://www.ibtimes.com/reporters/jess-mchugh
Village Voice
The Story Behind the Most Colorful Building in NYC, September 2016
CNN
Dole Back On Hill to Try and Push Through U.N. Disability Rights Treaty, July 2014
Perry to Texas Reps: Don't Approve Obama Border Proposal, July 2014
The Believer
The Most Dangerous Moves From the Least Dangerous Game, October 2013
Writing (By Topic)
European Affairs
The French Plan to Fix Inequality — By Ignoring It, The New Republic
Refugee Women Are Carrying More Than An Uncertain Future, International Business Times
What A Breakdown Of Free Travel Means For Europe's Economy, International Business Times
Beer, Wine, And Other Acts Of French Defiance, International Business Times
One Syrian's Journey From Aleppo To Paris, International Business Times
The Remaking Of Sinn Fein In Northern Ireland, International Business Times
See Jess' full archive from IBT here: http://www.ibtimes.com/reporters/jess-mchugh
Culture and History
The Nationalist Roots of Merriam-Webster's Dictionary, The Paris Review
The Story Behind the Most Colorful Building in NYC, Village Voice
The Most Dangerous Moves From the Least Dangerous Game, The Believer
U.S. News and Politics
Why Is Arkansas Rushing to Execute Its Prisoners? The Nation
Dole Back On Hill to Try and Push Through U.N. Disability Rights Treaty, CNN
Perry to Texas Reps: Don't Approve Obama Border Proposal, CNN
New Security Measures Could Delay You At the Airport. Here's What to Expect, TIME
Here's How Hotel Security Could Change After the Las Vegas Massacre, Travel + Leisure
Women and Identity
Surviving Summer TV: Gendered Depictions of PTSD, Avidly (Los Angeles Review of Books)
Policing Language Is Just Another Way to Silence Women, DAME Magazine
What Happens When Women Don't Smile, DAME Magazine
What Katharine Hepburn and Courtney Love Taught Me About Glamour and Grunge, Man Repeller
Travel
A Drive Through the Scottish Highlands, Travel + Leisure
Inside the Fight to Keep Liverpool's Punk Scene Alive, Travel + Leisure
Palmyra: How a Beloved World Heritage Site Became a Battlefield, Travel + Leisure
Explore the Magical Ephemera of New York City's Biggest Prop House,Travel + Leisure
A Brief History of the Modern Suitcase, Travel + Leisure
Winemakers in Bordeaux Are Reinvigorating Their Traditional Terroir, Travel + Leisure