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Malia Politzer is the executive editor of piqd.com, and an award-winning long-form journalist based out of Spain. She specializes in reporting on migration, international development, human rights issues and investigative reporting.
Originally from California, she's lived in China, Spain, Mexico and India, and reported from various countries in Africa, Europe and the Middle East. Her primary beats relate to immigration, economics and international development. She has published articles in Huffington Post Highline, The Economist, The Wall Street Journal, Vogue India, Mint, Far Eastern Economic Review, Foreign Policy, Reason Magazine, and the Phoenix New Times. She is also a regular contributor to Devex.
Her Huffington Post Highline series, "The 21st Century Gold Rush" won awards from the National Association of Magazine Editors, Overseas Press Club, and American Society of Newspaper Editors. She's also won multiple awards for feature writing in India and the United States.
Her reporting has been supported by the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting, The Institute For Current World Affairs, and the Global Migration Grant.
Degrees include a BA from Hampshire College and MS from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, where was a Stabile Fellow at the Center for Investigative Journalism.
Confessions Of A Cartel Hit Man
This riveting look into the life of an assassin for a Tijuana cartel reads like a spy thriller. The article - an excerpt from Martin Corona's recently published book with the same title - brings readers into the inner workings of a hit from start to finish. We are next to Corona as he plans out how he'll reach his targets, crosses the border, checks his weapons, and fires his killing shots.
Though critics might argue that the piece walks a fine line towards romanticizing cartel life, it's also insightful. His penchant for sensationalism can perhaps be forgiven, given the risks of telling this story: by cooperating with the US government to prosecute the Tijuana cartel - ranked among the most deadly and dangerous multinational, multibillion dollar criminal organizations - and now publishing a book about it, he's painted a target on his own back. He is currently living with his family in a police witness protection program, where he will likely have to stay for many years to come.
