Barton David Gellman is an acclaimed American journalist and author renowned for his investigative reporting on national security issues. Born on November 3, 1960, in New York City, he grew up in Flushing, Queens, and developed an early interest in journalism. Gellman graduated from Wesleyan University in 1982 with a Bachelor of Arts degree. His career began at The Washington Post in 1989, where he covered a wide range of topics, including the September 11 attacks and the vice presidency of Dick Cheney, earning him a reputation for meticulous and impactful reporting. Over the years, he received numerous awards, including the Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting in 2002 for his work on the Bush administration's post-9/11 policies. Gellman's most prominent contribution came in 2013 when he co-revealed the Edward Snowden leaks, authoring The Washington Post's coverage of the U.S. National Security Agency's global surveillance programs based on top-secret documents provided by the former NSA contractor. This series exposed widespread surveillance practices and sparked international debate on privacy and security. He collaborated with filmmaker Laura Poitras and continued to delve into the implications of the surveillance state. In 2019, Gellman left The Washington Post after nearly three decades to join The Atlantic as a staff writer, where he focuses on technology, national security, and democracy. In May 2020, Gellman published 'Dark Mirror: Edward Snowden and the American Surveillance State' with Penguin Press, a book that chronicles the Snowden revelations and the broader rise of the surveillance-industrial complex. His work has also touched on cybersecurity threats, including reporting on Israeli intelligence unit Unit 8200. Gellman's reporting exemplifies rigorous journalism, often drawing from primary sources and challenging powerful institutions, and he remains an influential voice in media discussions on civil liberties and government accountability.