Wesley Parnell
Hi, my name is Wes. Nice to meet you. I’m a regular contributor to the New York Times and a freelance reporter and photojournalist based in New York City. My clients include Rolling Stone, The Washington Post, Politico, Forbes, New York Daily News, TROUW — Denmark and others. I hold a degree in Politics, Philosophy and Economics from the King’s College and am a Fulbright scholar. I grew up in North Carolina to an Ecuadorian mother and I am fluent in Spanish.
I often write about New York. Writing about America’s largest city means covering breaking news, the first criminal trial of a former U.S. president and documenting how the arrival of 230,000 immigrants has shaped day-to-day life.
My work has led to state inspector general investigations and the resignation of public officials. In 2025, my reporting on New York State’s beleaguered prison system contributed to a George Polk Award at The New York Times. I proudly began my career as a beat reporter for The New York Daily News covering the New York Police Department and criminal justice.
Contact: Wesley.parnell@gmail.com
Client List
- The New York Times, regular contributor
- The Washington Post
- Rolling Stone
- Politico
- Forbes
- The New York Daily News
- Chicago Tribune
- Hell Gate
- AMNew York
- Syracuse.com
- Genesis Photo Agency
- MSN
- TROUW — Denmark
- The Media Project
- Religion Unplugged
- Lost Debate
- Branch Media
Awards, Grants, Fellowships
- Associated Press First Place Breaking News Award 2019
- Fulbright Berlin Special Journalism Programs Grantee 2021
- Poynter MJF Fellowship Recipient 2020
- European Journalism Institute — Charles University, Prague 2018
- American Political and Economic Systems Fellow, The Fund for American Studies — 2019
- CMA Multimedia Package Second Place 2019
- CMA Photo Feature News First Place 2019
- John McClandish Phillips Excellence in Journalism Award, King’s College 2019