About
Jess McHugh is a writer and editor who has reported from North and South America, Europe, the Caribbean, and West Africa covering culture, politics, and identity.
Her work has appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Nation, The Paris Review, TIME.com, New York Magazine, The New Republic, Washington Post's The Lily, Village Voice, International Business Times, CNN, Avidly (Los Angeles Review of Books), AFP Services, The Believer, Teen Vogue, Business Insider, InStyle, DAME, Thrillist, Man Repeller, and Travel + Leisure, among others. She has held staff reporter roles at both Time Inc. and International Business Times.
A Yale graduate, she has written hundreds of stories, ranging from the fight to preserve world heritage in Palmyra, Syria, to the story of the first American dictionary. Jess 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. Other stories have taken her from the Scottish Highlands to the coast of Senegal.
She is bilingual in French, decent at krav maga, and excellent at knitting.
Portrait by Mariah Tyler.
Highlights
Finding Open-Minded Health Care Abroad
For women and L.G.B.T.Q. people, finding friendly medical care away from home can be a challenge. There are resources they can turn to.
The nonprofit Callisto is bringing its digital reporting platform to the office. The goal: to identify repeat #MeToo offenders and protect their accusers
How 343 Women Made French History
How could women assert their independence in the spheres of politics and business if they could not even assert their independence over their own bodies?
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.
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)
Finding Open-Minded Health Care Abroad, January 2019
An Online Tool to Catch Workplace Sexual Predators, January 2019
The Nationalist Roots of Merriam-Webster's Dictionary, March 2018
The French Plan to Fix Inequality — By Ignoring It, September 2018
Why Is Arkansas Rushing to Execute Its Prisoners? April 2017
A Flower for Your Thoughts, January 2019
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
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
The Story Behind the Most Colorful Building in NYC, September 2016
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 Most Dangerous Moves From the Least Dangerous Game, October 2013
Writing (By Topic)
European Affairs
How 343 Women Made French History, TIME
Why France Is Losing the War on Anti-Semitism, The New Republic
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
A Flower for Your Thoughts, Lapham's Quarterly
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
An Online Tool to Catch Workplace Sexual Predators, The Wall Street Journal
As abortion restrictions increase, these 10 states are seeking a new route to access, Washington Post's The Lily
The Complicated Psychology Behind Bee-Stung Lips, New York Magazine (The Cut)
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
Travel
Finding Open-Minded Health Care Abroad, The New York Times
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