Informational article

David Reed Hoffman Boston University Career History and Affiliations

David Reed Hoffman is a veteran investigative journalist, journalism educator, and long-serving Boston University (BU) faculty member, whose career history centers on digital journalism education, cross-border investigative reporting, and press freedom advocacy, with core affiliations tied to BU’s College of Communication, the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), and leading U.S. investigative reporting organizations. ## Boston University Career History Hoffman spent more than two decades on the faculty of BU’s College of Communication, where he developed and taught undergraduate and graduate courses focused on digital journalism, investigative reporting techniques, and media ethics. He led the college’s pioneering digital journalism program, one of the first formal digital journalism curricula offered at a U.S. journalism school, designed to equip students with the skills to thrive in evolving digital news ecosystems. He also held multiple administrative roles within the college, including directing undergraduate journalism programs and leading curriculum development for digital media and investigative reporting coursework. As a mentor, he guided hundreds of student journalists, many of whom have gone on to work at leading national and international news outlets, and he supported the launch of BU’s student-led investigative reporting initiatives that have produced award-winning public interest journalism. He remains affiliated with BU’s Center for the Study of Journalism, where he collaborates on research projects focused on press freedom and the future of investigative reporting. ## Professional and Academic Affiliations Outside of his BU tenure, Hoffman has built a distinguished career as an investigative reporter and media advocacy leader. He is a co-founder of the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), a global network of more than 200 investigative reporters in over 100 countries that produces cross-border investigative projects including the Panama Papers, Pandora Papers, and other high-profile public interest investigations. Prior to his full-time academic career, he worked as an investigative reporter for The Washington Post, where he covered national security, government accountability, and public corruption. He also holds long-standing affiliations with Investigative Reporters and Editors (IRE), the leading professional association for investigative journalists, and the Center for Public Integrity, a nonprofit news organization focused on accountability journalism. He has served as a visiting fellow at multiple U.S. and international journalism research institutes, and has contributed to peer-reviewed academic journals focused on journalism education and media ethics. ## How to Locate Verified Career and Affiliation Details For the most current, official details of Hoffman’s university roles and BU-affiliated work, the Boston University College of Communication public faculty directory is the most direct, reliable source, as it is updated regularly by university staff to reflect current titles, course offerings, and research affiliations. For verified information about his professional journalism work, ICIJ project archives list his contributions to global investigative reporting initiatives, while his bylines appear in archived coverage from The Washington Post and other major news outlets. For records of his academic research and publications, BU’s open-access institutional repository and the JSTOR academic database provide full, peer-reviewed records of his scholarly work on journalism education and press freedom.