Mark Preston | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1971-07-21)July 21, 1971 (age 54) |
| Education | Arlington High School University of Massachusetts Amherst (BA) |
| Occupation(s) | Executive Editor,CNN Politics; CNN Senior Political Analyst; Journalist |
| Years active | 1997—present |
| Employer | CNN |
| Known for | CNN Senior Political Analyst (Jan. 2017—) Vice President of Political & Special Events Programming (2014—) CNN Political Director (2011—2014) CNN Political Editor (2005—2011) Congressional Correspondent,Roll Call (1999—2005) |
| Spouse | Meredith Preston (née Ray Bonner) m. July 8, 2000 |
| Parents |
|
| Website | Official webpage at CNN |
Mark Preston (born July 21, 1971) is Vice President of Political & Special Events Programming atCNN, and a CNN Senior Political Analyst. His role is to oversee CNN’s election night coverage across its broadcasting and online platforms, organize CNN’s presidential debates and forums, and serve as CNN's main contact with political campaigns at both the state and national level,[1][2] and to lead the conception and execution of CNN's political events.
Preston also provides political analysis for CNN,CNN International and CNN.com,[3] regularly appearing on CNN's major news analysis shows such asNew Day,Erin Burnett OutFront,Anderson Cooper 360°,Cuomo Prime Time andCNN Tonight with Don Lemon, and was promoted to Senior Political Analyst in January 2017.[4] He was formerly CNN's Political Director, a post subsequently taken byDavid Chalian in 2014.[5]
Preston was born in July 1971 and is the son of Eugene Preston and Mary Preston.[6]
Preston was educated atArlington High School, a public secondary school in the town ofArlington, Massachusetts, from which he graduated in 1990, followed by theUniversity of Massachusetts Amherst, where he studied journalism and history. While there, he worked on the MassachusettsDaily Collegian and freelanced for theAssociated Press. He also worked in the office of SenatorEdward Kennedy.[7]
Preston started his career as a print journalist. He was a correspondent atStates News Services, a wire service in Washington, D.C., and at theMarietta Daily Journal inMarietta,Georgia, during which he won several Georgia Press Association and Georgia Associated Press reporting awards.[1][2]
Preston was a senior staff writer for theCapitol Hill newspaperRoll Call, during which he was a congressional correspondent revealing important policy and political decisions made behind closed doors. He appeared on many media outlets as a guest analyst, including CNN,C-SPAN,Fox News,ABC Radio,National Public Radio andRadio America, as well as local media outlets.[1][2]
Early in his career, Preston saw the collapse of the newspaper industry and the rise of24-hour news. He decided to leave print journalism to join CNN.[8]
Preston joined CNN in 2005 as political editor. He played a key role in the network’s election night coverage in 2006, which won anEmmy Award, and of CNN’s 2008 campaign coverage, which won aPeabody Award.[1][2] In 2011, he became CNN’s Political Director. The network received anotherEmmy Award for its coverage in 2012. Preston's work contributed to CNN receivingSyracuse University’s i-3 Mirror Award for theYouTube presidential debates and anEPpy Award for Best News/Politics Blog. In 2014, he became Executive Editor ofCNN Politics while retaining his work as an on-screen political analyst, appearing on a wide variety of CNN programs.[1][2] In January 2017, he was promoted to CNN Senior Political Analyst.[4]
Preston co-hosted with Chris Frates the weekly satellite radio programPolitics Inside Out, onSirius XM Satellite Radio's Channel 124, known asP.O.T.U.S.[9] In July 2017, he left the program, which was retitledPolitics Inside Out with Chris Frates, while Preston began single-hosting a new political program,Full Stop with Mark Preston.[10]
Preston married Meredith Ray Bonner on July 8, 2000, while a reporter at theCapitol Hill newspaperRoll Call, at the Holy Spirit Catholic Church inAtlanta,Georgia, the U.S. state in which they first met as reporters at theMarietta Daily Journal, in the city ofMarietta. The couple spent their honeymoon inNorth Carolina.[6]