About

McGrath moved to Romania in 2014, to begin his career as a foreign correspondent, rather than following the path of internships and grunt working on Fleet Street. Between 2014 and 2021, he covered events in Romania for the likes of the BBC, The Telegraph, the Guardian, The Times, and others.

In 2021, he began working as a text reporter for The Associated Press in Romania, covering everything from international relations to politics, from environmental issues to human interest stories. His AP role — which includes covering neighbouring Moldova — has helped him develop a deep understanding of delivering fast, accurate, compelling all-format news to a global audience - and occasionally sending BREAKING news alerts. 

After Russia invaded Ukraine, he reported on the refugee crisis for AP from Romania’s northern border as part of a multi-formats team. Resulting articles ranged from the risks of human trafficking to refugees to the help offered to refugees by volunteers and countless feeds to broader regional articles. In November 2022, he covered a NATO meeting of foreign ministers, and through the coronavirus pandemic, he anchored Europe-wide stories about the virus situation. He has also extensively reported on Moldova, an EU candidate member that has faced multiple crises since the war in Ukraine started.

On top of his AP role, Stephen also contributes to news organizations including the Financial Times, BBC, and Deutsche Welle — from in-depth news features to radio packages.

Stephen is also a co-founder of Context, an independent Romanian media start-up, where, between 2022 and 2024, he edited and managed a team of four writers reporting on the war in Ukraine.