Jonathan Alter
Bloomberg Editor & Columnist, Historian, Best-Selling Author
Jonathan Alter is an award-winning author, columnist and MSNBC analyst. The author of two New York Times best-sellers, he wrote a widely acclaimed Newsweek column that examines politics, media and social and global issues. Now he writes a weekly column that appears on Fridays for Bloomberg View, a commentary site housed under Bloomberg News.
His 2010 book, The Promise: President Obama, Year One, jumped to #4 on the New York Times best-seller list and received unanimously rave reviews. Offering what The New York Times called “a keen sense of what it’s like to work in the White House,” and what the Washington Post described as “brimming with fresh and judicious ideas,” Alter was named “the new Theodore H. White” by The San Francisco Chronicle and “a diligent political reporter with more sources than the Mississippi,” by The Chicago Sun Times.
Alter’s 2006 best-selling book, The Defining Moment: FDR’s Hundred Days and the Triumph of Hope, also earned exceptional reviews. It received fresh attention when the White House announced that it had been read by President Barack Obama and much of his team.
The 2008 presidential campaign marked the seventh presidential election Alter has covered for Newsweek. He frequently interviews American presidents and other world leaders, regularly breaks news and has authored more than 50 Newsweek cover stories. In 2004, Alter wrote the first cover story on Obama in a national magazine, one of several he has authored on the new president.
Alter is the originator and creative force in writing Newsweek’s “Conventional Wisdom Watch,” which uses up, down and sideways arrows to measure and lampoon the news. As a senior editor, he helps shape the magazine’s overall news coverage.
In his role at NBC News, Alter has appeared on all NBC broadcasts including TODAY, NBC Nightly News, Meet the Press, NBC News specials, MSNBC and CNBC. He is a regular commentator on Countdown with Keith Olbermann, The Rachel Maddow Show, the Ed Show, Hardball with Chris Matthews, Andrea Mitchell Reports, and other MSNBC shows. Alter has appeared on The Colbert Report, as well as Late Night with David Letterman, Real Time with Bill Maher, the documentary Waiting for Superman, among others.
The recipient of more than a dozen major journalism awards and three honorary degrees, Alter served as a visiting professor at Princeton (1997) and Arizona State University (2009).
Known at the podium for his insight, wit and first-hand anecdotes, Alter offers a unique behind-the-scenes take on life inside the Obama White House, analyzing where the President has succeeded and failed. His presentation is as fresh as the day’s headlines, but informed by a deep knowledge of history and a razor-sharp analytical mind.
Prior to joining Bloomberg Alter was an editor at The Washington Monthly. He has also freelanced articles for such publications as The New Republic, Esquire, Slate, PARADE and The New York Times.
A Chicago native, Alter received his B.A. in history with honors from Harvard in 1979. In addition to The Promise and The Defining Moment, he is the author of Between the Lines: A View Inside American Politics, People, and Culture (a collection of his 20 years of Newsweek columns), Selecting a President and the coeditor of Inside the System.
Alter lives in Montclair, New Jersey with his wife, Emily Lazar, and their children. His most exciting appearance to date? Throwing out the first pitch at a Chicago Cubs vs. Atlanta Braves game in August 2010.
Interested in booking Jonathan Alter to speak at your next event?
His 2010 book, The Promise: President Obama, Year One, jumped to #4 on the New York Times best-seller list and received unanimously rave reviews. Offering what The New York Times called “a keen sense of what it’s like to work in the White House,” and what the Washington Post described as “brimming with fresh and judicious ideas,” Alter was named “the new Theodore H. White” by The San Francisco Chronicle and “a diligent political reporter with more sources than the Mississippi,” by The Chicago Sun Times.
Alter’s 2006 best-selling book, The Defining Moment: FDR’s Hundred Days and the Triumph of Hope, also earned exceptional reviews. It received fresh attention when the White House announced that it had been read by President Barack Obama and much of his team.
The 2008 presidential campaign marked the seventh presidential election Alter has covered for Newsweek. He frequently interviews American presidents and other world leaders, regularly breaks news and has authored more than 50 Newsweek cover stories. In 2004, Alter wrote the first cover story on Obama in a national magazine, one of several he has authored on the new president.
Alter is the originator and creative force in writing Newsweek’s “Conventional Wisdom Watch,” which uses up, down and sideways arrows to measure and lampoon the news. As a senior editor, he helps shape the magazine’s overall news coverage.
In his role at NBC News, Alter has appeared on all NBC broadcasts including TODAY, NBC Nightly News, Meet the Press, NBC News specials, MSNBC and CNBC. He is a regular commentator on Countdown with Keith Olbermann, The Rachel Maddow Show, the Ed Show, Hardball with Chris Matthews, Andrea Mitchell Reports, and other MSNBC shows. Alter has appeared on The Colbert Report, as well as Late Night with David Letterman, Real Time with Bill Maher, the documentary Waiting for Superman, among others.
The recipient of more than a dozen major journalism awards and three honorary degrees, Alter served as a visiting professor at Princeton (1997) and Arizona State University (2009).
Known at the podium for his insight, wit and first-hand anecdotes, Alter offers a unique behind-the-scenes take on life inside the Obama White House, analyzing where the President has succeeded and failed. His presentation is as fresh as the day’s headlines, but informed by a deep knowledge of history and a razor-sharp analytical mind.
Prior to joining Bloomberg Alter was an editor at The Washington Monthly. He has also freelanced articles for such publications as The New Republic, Esquire, Slate, PARADE and The New York Times.
A Chicago native, Alter received his B.A. in history with honors from Harvard in 1979. In addition to The Promise and The Defining Moment, he is the author of Between the Lines: A View Inside American Politics, People, and Culture (a collection of his 20 years of Newsweek columns), Selecting a President and the coeditor of Inside the System.
Alter lives in Montclair, New Jersey with his wife, Emily Lazar, and their children. His most exciting appearance to date? Throwing out the first pitch at a Chicago Cubs vs. Atlanta Braves game in August 2010.
Interested in booking Jonathan Alter to speak at your next event?
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- The Promise: President Obama, Year One
- The Defining Moment: FDR’s Hundred Days and the Triumph of Hope
- Between the Lines: Politics, Media and Society
- Barack Obama and John McCain: A Personal Perspective From the Journalist Who Has Known Them Longer Than Any Other
