Donald H. Johnston is currently the director of the Program in International Media and Communications at the School of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University. He is author of the book The Bumpy Road to Disarmament, Journalism and the Media and serves as editor-in-chief for The Encyclopedia of International Media and Communications (in progress).

He was a reporter (1951-55) and editor (1955-64) for UPI. He then became an editor and writer for The New York Times(1964-76).

Donald Johnston was an associate professor at Columbia Graduate School of Journalism from 1976-89 and associate dean for academic affairs from 1983-87.

He received his B.A. from Cornell in 1949 and went on to receive his M.S. (1950) and M.A. (1962) from Columbia University.

His research interests include interpretive news writing and international media and social issues.