About

Cognoscenti (or Cog, for short) is the essays and ideas section of WBUR, Boston’s NPR. We foster understanding and connection about the issues and life experiences that matter most.

Cog’s homebase is the newsroom at WBUR’s studios on Commonwealth Avenue in the heart of Boston University. Our editorially independent opinion page is one-of-a-kind within the public radio landscape. Since 2012, Cog has worked with more than 1,200 contributors – professors, politicians, teachers, doctors, parents, students and more – to share their perspectives and ideas online, on-air, on-stage and across our digital platforms. You can read more about our history here, a page of collected works to celebrate Cog’s 10th anniversary, including four essays by the editors that articulate our history and approach: “Celebrating 10 years of Cognoscenti,” “Making space for human voices when the news feels too big,” “Holding the ordinary and unfathomable,” and “Our work is to pay attention.”

The work Cog publishes adds perspective and depth to timely news stories and ideas, while remaining deeply personal. We publish personal essays and commentaries that are relevant but not reactive, inspiring but never cloying, and provocative but never mean. We scout for pieces that are hopeful, that seek out beauty in all its many forms, and maybe most importantly, help our readers and listeners feel a sense of connection to one another. At Cog, we do our best to be a place where people can explore the beating heart of the news and the human experience.

Cog has a small but mighty staff, and we read and reply to every submission we receive. Every week we publish three to five original works of writing. Each piece we publish goes through a rigorous editing process – whether the author is an expert in their field, a best-selling novelist or a first-time author. Learn more about how we work and our editorial process on our submission guidelines page.

In Italian, Cognoscenti is defined as “people in the know.” At Cog, we believe there are many ways of knowing and many forms of expertise. Thank you for reading and writing with us.

To keep up, follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Threads, sign up for our weekly newsletter, or watch and/or attend a Cog event at WBUR’s CitySpace.

Cloe Axelson
Senior Editor, Cognoscenti

Kate Neale Cooper
Editor, Cognoscenti

Sara Shukla
Editor, Cognoscenti