Christopher S. Wren, Veteran Times Foreign Correspondent, Dies at 89

Wren reported from Moscow, Beijing, Tehran and other hostile lands over a 28-year career at The New York Times.

Published on Mar. 2, 2026

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Christopher S. Wren, a longtime foreign correspondent for The New York Times who often reported from countries hostile to Westerners, notably the Soviet Union and China during the Cold War and Iran during the hostage crisis, died on Sunday at his home in Thetford, Vt. He was 89. Wren joined The Times in 1973 after nearly a decade at Look magazine, covering the civil rights struggle in the South and the Vietnam War. Over a 28-year Times career, he was bureau chief in Moscow, Cairo, Beijing, and Johannesburg, covering major events like the Egyptian president's trip to Israel, the Iran hostage crisis, and Nelson Mandela's release from prison.

Why it matters

Wren was known as the kind of foreign correspondent that every newspaper should have - adventurous, hard-working, and uncomplaining no matter how difficult the assignment. His reporting from hostile countries during the Cold War and other turbulent periods provided crucial insight and perspective for Times readers.

The details

Wren joined The Times in 1973 after nearly a decade at Look magazine, where he covered the civil rights struggle in the South and the Vietnam War. Within nine months, he leveraged his Russian language skills to land a posting to the Moscow bureau. Over his 28-year Times career, he served as bureau chief in Moscow, Cairo, Beijing, and Johannesburg, covering major events like the Egyptian president's trip to Israel, the Iran hostage crisis, and Nelson Mandela's release from prison. Wren also wrote several well-received books based on his foreign reporting, including 'The End of the Line: The Failure of Communism in the Soviet Union and China' and a memoir about his globe-trotting cat, 'The Cat Who Covered the World'.

  • Wren joined The New York Times in 1973.
  • Wren was bureau chief in Moscow from 1974 to 1977.
  • Wren was bureau chief in Cairo from 1977 through 1980.
  • Wren was bureau chief in Beijing from 1981 to 1984.
  • Wren was bureau chief in Johannesburg from 1988 to 1992.

The players

Christopher S. Wren

A longtime foreign correspondent for The New York Times who often reported from countries hostile to Westerners, notably the Soviet Union and China during the Cold War and Iran during the hostage crisis.

Robert B. Semple Jr.

A former foreign editor of The New York Times in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

Celia Wren

Wren's daughter, a freelance arts journalist.

Jacqueline Braxton

Wren's wife.

Johnny Cash

The country singer for whom Wren wrote two songs that appeared in the 1973 film 'The Gospel Road'.

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What they’re saying

“Chris was the kind of foreign correspondent that every newspaper should have — adventurous, hard-working, relentlessly cheerful and uncomplaining, no matter how formidable and uncomfortable the assignment.”

— Robert B. Semple Jr., Former foreign editor of The New York Times (The New York Times)

The takeaway

Wren's decades-long career as a foreign correspondent for The New York Times exemplified the kind of intrepid, adaptable, and insightful reporting that is essential for providing readers with crucial perspectives on global events, even in the most hostile environments.