Robert Samuelson joined Newsweek as a contributing editor in 1984, and is one of the magazine's most recognized writers for his biweekly columns analyzing and reporting socioeconomic issues.

In addition to his Newsweek column, Samuelson writes a biweekly column which appears in The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, The Boston Globe and other papers.

Samuelson has earned many journalism awards, including the 1993 John Hancock Award for Best Business and Financial Columnist and the 1993 Gerald Loeb Award for Best Commentary. Samuelson earned the National Headliner Award for Feature Column on a Single Subject in both 1992 and 1993. He received another National Headliner Award in 1987 for Best Special Interest Column, and the Gerald Loeb Award for Commentary in 1986. He was named a Loeb finalist in 1988 for his columns on the October 1987 Wall Street crash. Before coming to Newsweek, Samuelson also won a 1981 National Magazine Award and a 1983 Loeb Award.

Based in Washington, D.C., Samuelson began his journalism career as a reporter on The Washington Post's Business Desk in 1969. After four years he left the paper to freelance. He has been published by The Sunday Times (London), The Los Angeles Times, The New Republic and The Columbia Journalism Review. Samuelson joined The National Journal as an economics correspondent in 1976 and began writing the "Economic Focus" column. He became a contributing editor in 1981 and left the magazine in 1984.

Samuelson is a 1967 graduate of Harvard University with a B.A. in government. Based in Newsweek's Washington bureau, he lives in Bethesda, Maryland with his wife Judith Herr, his daughter Ruth and sons Michael and John.