Christopher Leonard

Christopher Leonard

Christopher Leonard

Christopher Leonard is the founder and executive director of the Watchdog Writers Group.

He is the author of three books with Simon & Schuster, including the New York Times bestsellers “The Lords of Easy Money: How the Federal Reserve Broke the American Economy,” and “Kochland: The Secret History of Koch Industries and Corporate Power in America,” along with “The Meat Racket: The Secret Takeover of America’s Food Business.” Leonard graduated from the University of Missouri School of Journalism in 1998, and was a senior fellow at the New America Foundation between 2012 and 2017.

His work has appeared in The New York Times, Time, Bloomberg Businessweek, and Fortune. He is writing a book about a company at the heart of American political and economic affairs.

Bella Zielinski

Student

Bella Zielinski
Bella Zielinski is a senior at the University of Missouri studying journalism and constitutional democracy.

Workshops / Events

Lessons from the Field: Thursday, April 2, 2026
New York Times Magazine Writer Caleb Gayle
Introduction: Laine Cibulskis, senior at the Missouri School of Journalism and WWG student researcher
Lessons from the Field: Thursday, March 12, 2026
Michelle García, Winner of the American Mosaic Journalism Prize
Introduction: Ivy Reed, junior at the Missouri School of Journalism and WWG student researcher