Ben Smith (journalist) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ben Smith
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Smith in 2012
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| Born |
Benjamin Eli Smith
New York, New York, U.S.
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| Alma mater | Yale University (BA) |
| Occupation | Journalist |
| Years active | 1999–present |
| Spouse(s) |
Liena Zagare
(m. 2002) |
| Children | 3 |
| Parents |
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Ben Smith is an American journalist. He is known for starting a news website called Semafor in 2022. He co-founded it with Justin Smith and is its top editor.
Before this, Ben Smith was a media columnist for The New York Times from 2020 to 2022. He also served as the editor-in-chief of BuzzFeed News for many years, from 2011 to 2020.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Ben Smith grew up in Manhattan, New York City. His mother, Dian, was an author, and his father, Robert S. Smith, was a judge. He admired his grandparents, one a novelist and the other a scholar.
He went to Trinity School (New York City) in New York. Later, he attended Yale University, graduating in 1999 with very high honors. At Yale, he wrote for student newspapers. His interest in journalism began when he was an intern at The Forward during college. An intern is someone who works to gain experience.
Journalism Career
Smith's first job as a reporter was covering crime for The Indianapolis Star newspaper. After that, he moved to Latvia to work for The Baltic Times. He also reported for The Wall Street Journal Europe.
He later wrote for several New York City newspapers. These included The New York Sun, The New York Observer, and the New York Daily News. Between 2004 and 2006, he also started three political blogs about New York City.
Working at Politico
From 2008 to 2011, Ben Smith wrote for Politico, a news website focused on politics. He joined as the site was growing.
At Politico, he covered the 2008 presidential election. He reported on various political topics. Smith once reported something that turned out to be incorrect, but he quickly apologized and corrected his story. In 2010, he reported on a private meeting where Republicans discussed how to raise money.
Leading BuzzFeed News
In December 2011, Ben Smith became the editor-in-chief of BuzzFeed News. He focused on making the organization stronger in investigative journalism. This means doing deep research to uncover important stories.
In 2015, Smith interviewed President Barack Obama for BuzzFeed News. This was the first time the news outlet interviewed a president.
In 2017, as editor, Smith decided to publish a controversial document about Donald Trump. Other major news organizations had chosen not to publish it because they couldn't confirm all the information. Smith defended his choice, saying he believed in sharing information with the public.
Writing for The New York Times
In January 2020, Smith became a media columnist for The New York Times. In this role, he wrote about the news industry itself.
In May 2020, he wrote an article questioning some of journalist Ronan Farrow's reporting. Farrow stated he stood by his work.
In September 2021, Smith reported that a media company called Ozy was trying to mislead investors. After his article came out, other news sources also investigated. This led to Ozy's board deciding to close the company.
Starting Semafor
In early 2022, Ben Smith announced he was leaving The New York Times. He planned to start a new global news company called Semafor. He teamed up with Justin Smith, who would handle the business side.
Their goal for Semafor is to provide news and deeper understanding of complex stories. They aim to serve a global audience of educated English readers. The name Semafor was announced in March 2022.
Recognition
Ben Smith has received several honors for his work.
- In 2012, Fast Company magazine put him on its "100 Most Creative" list.
- In 2016, The Hollywood Reporter named him and BuzzFeed co-founder Jonah Peretti as powerful people in media.
- In 2017, he received the Distinguished Journalism Award from The Jewish Daily Forward.
Personal Life
Ben Smith is married to Liena Zagare, a publisher from Latvia. They got married in 2002. They have three children and live in Brooklyn, New York.
Works
- Traffic: Genius, Rivalry, and Delusion in the Billion-Dollar Race to Go Viral. Penguin Press, ISBN: 978-0-593-29975-3
See also
- New Yorkers in journalism
