Judith H. Dobrzynski

Infobox journalist


name = Judith H. Dobrzynski
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birth_place = Rochester, New York
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occupation = journalist, instructor in journalism
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gender = female
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credits = CNBC, "The New York Times", "The Wall Street Journal", "Business Week"
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Judith H. Dobrzynski is an American journalist and instructor in journalism. [http://www.jrn.columbia.edu/faculty/dobrzynski.asp Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism faculty webpage] ] She is currently a freelance writer who has contributed articles on culture, the arts and business topics to "The New York Times", "The Wall Street Journal" and several magazines.

She also writes opinion columns and commentaries, and has contributed op-eds to the "New York Times", the "Los Angeles Times", the "Wall Street Journal", the "Chicago Tribune" and the "Boston Globe".

Until recently, she was executive editor and managing editor of CNBC, the cable television business network. She has been editor of the Sunday "Money & Business" section of the "Times"clarifyme|date=May 2008 and a senior editor of "Business Week".

Career

Dobrzynski, in the 1980s, while she was at "Business Week", was one of the first journalists to write about activist shareholders and the importance of good corporate governance.

While Dobrzynski was an arts reporter at the "New York Times", she wrote an investigative article about the Museum of Modern Art's [http://www.leopoldmuseum.org/index_en.html exhibition of paintings owned by Rudolph Leopold] , a Viennese doctor [Dobrzynski, Judith H. "A Singular Passion for Amassing Art, One Way or Another". "The New York Times", 24 December 1997.] It told the story of "Portrait of Wally" by Egon Schiele, which had been taken from its Jewish owner in the Nazi era and later purchased by Leopold. Soon after the story was published, the Manhattan District Attorney Robert Morgenthau started proceedings to help restore the piece to descendants of its owner. After years of legal wranglings, the ownership of the painting is still in contention.

Nevertheless, the outrage that followed Dobrzynski's articles helped persuade Austria to change its laws. Austrian Culture Minister Elizabeth Gehrer specifically mentioned uproar about "Portrait of Wally" when she announced the policy change in March 1998,Perlez, Jane. "Austria is set to Return Artworks Confiscated From Jews by Nazis". "The New York Times", 7 March 1998.] and again when she sent a draft law on the restitution of art confiscated by the Nazis to Parliament in September 1998.Perlez, Jane. "Austria Moves Toward Returning Artworks Confiscated by Nazis". "The New York Times", 11 September 1998.]

Dobrzynski has also written many other articles about Nazi-looted art.

In May 2000, Dobrzynski began a series of articles in the "New York Times" about art fraud on eBay auctions,Dobrzynski, Judith H. "Online Bid Soars to $135,805, Provenance Not Guaranteed". "The New York Times", 9 May 2000.] which later lead to an investigative piece disclosing the widespread practice of shill bidding on eBay.Dobrzynski, Judith H. "The Bidding Game: In Online Auction World, Hoaxes Aren't Easy to See". "The New York Times", 2 June 2000.] That story prompted the Federal Bureau of Investigation to step in, and resulted in the prosecution of several shill-bidders. One, Kenneth Walton, eventually wrote a book called "" in which Dobrzynski is a character.fact|date=May 2008

Personal

Dobrzynski grew up in Rochester, New York and received an honors degree in journalism from Syracuse University.

References

External links

* [http://www.linkedin.com/in/judithhdobrzynski "Judith H. Dobrzynski: Independent Writer/Editor/Consultant] , linkedin.com
* [http://kennethwalton.com/thebook.html Kenneth Walton website]