Steve Benen | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1973-05-15)May 15, 1973 (age 51) Miami, Florida, United States |
| Education | Florida International University (BA) George Washington University |
| Occupation(s) | Political writer and blogger, producer ofThe Rachel Maddow Show |
| Awards | TwoEmmy Awards |
Steve Benen (born May 15, 1973) is an American progressive political writer, blogger,MSNBC contributor, and the producer ofThe Rachel Maddow Show, for which he received twoEmmy Awards in 2017.[1] Benen's first book,The Impostors: How Republicans Quit Governing and Seized American Politics, was published in 2020.[2] His latest book isMinistry of Truth: Democracy, Reality, and the Republicans' War on the Recent Past, which was published in August 2024.
Benen was born and raised inMiami, Florida. He earned a B.A. inPolitical Science fromFlorida International University, where he served in thestudent government alongside future Maryland state legislatorKirill Reznik.[3] He then earned a master's degree in Political Management fromGeorge Washington University, and served as aWhite House intern for PresidentBill Clinton.[4]
In 1996, he was the communications director for an unsuccessful Democratic congressional campaign in Pennsylvania. From 1997 to 2002, Benen worked as a staff writer atChurch & State magazine, published byAmericans United for the Separation of Church and State.[4][better source needed]
From August 2008 to January 2012, Benen was the lead blogger for theWashington Monthly's "Political Animal" blog,[5] taking over from founderKevin Drum. He was the publisher of the political blogThe Carpetbagger Report for five years[6] and was the lead editor ofSalon.com'sBlog Report.
In July 2009,The Atlantic named Benen one of the top 50 most influential political commentators in the United States.[7] In 2012, Benen wrote the introduction to the e-book,Elephant in the Room: Washington in the Bush Years.[8]
Digital Pamphleteer, a short film about Benen's work as a blogger, was created by Bill Simmon[9] and won an award at the Vermont International Film Festival[10] in 2008.
Benen's articles and op-eds have appeared in a variety of publications, includingThe New York Times,[11] theWashington Monthly,The American Prospect,The Huffington Post, and theNew York Daily News. He has been a contributor toTalking Points Memo,Crooks and Liars,The Guardian,AlterNet,Political Wire, andSeven Days.
He has been a guest on several radio and television programs, includingNPR'sTalk of the Nation,[12]MSNBC'sThe Rachel Maddow Show,MSNBC'sThe Ed Show, MSNBC'sMartin Bashir, MSNBC'sLive with Thomas Roberts,Current TV'sCountdown with Keith Olbermann,Air America Radio'sThe Sam Seder Show, andXM Satellite Radio'sPOTUS '08.
As a producer ofThe Rachel Maddow Show, Benen received Emmy nominations in 2013,[13] 2017,[1] 2018,[14] 2019,[15] and 2020.[16] 2021,[17] winning two Emmys in 2017 for production of the episodes, "An American Disaster: The Crisis in Flint", and "One-on-One with Kellyanne Conway".[1]
Following the June 2020 publication of his book,The Impostors: How Republicans Quit Governing and Seized American Politics, the book reached the top 100 on theUSA Today best selling books list.[18]
In August 2024, Benen publishedMinistry of Truth: Democracy, Reality, and the Republicans' War on the Recent Past, a book that examines the Republican Party's strategies for shaping public perception and historical narratives in the Trump era, receiving praise fromKirkus Reviews,[19] for its incisive analysis of contemporary political tactics.[citation needed]Ministry of Truth debuted at number nine onThe New York Times Best Seller list for nonfiction.[20]
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