A Look Through a Century of Times Reporting From Antarctica

The New York Times • January 19, 2026 • nation

Key Points:

The Araon icebreaker is currently on an eight-week expedition to Antarctica, carrying dozens of scientists and two New York Times journalists.
Russell Owen, a New York Times reporter, spent 14 months on an Antarctic expedition from late 1928 to early 1930, providing near-daily dispatches.
Owen covered the U.S. Navy-led expedition by Commander Richard E. Byrd, including Byrd’s historic first flight over the South Pole in November 1929.
For his coverage, Owen won a Pulitzer Prize and was recognized by The Times as “the world’s first polar reporter.”
This expedition marked the start of nearly a century of continuous New York Times reporting from Antarctica.