Charlie Sykes facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Charlie Sykes
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Sykes in March 2019
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| Born |
Charles Jay Sykes
November 11, 1954 Seattle, Washington, U.S.
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| Education | University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee (BA) |
| Occupation | Radio talk show host, author |
| Employer | WTMJ (1993–2016) WNYC (2017) The Weekly Standard (2018) The Bulwark (2019–2024) To the Contrary (2025) |
| Spouse(s) |
Christine Libbey
(m. 1975; div. 1978)Diane Schwerm
(m. 1980; div. 1999)Janet Riordan
(m. 2000) |
| Children | 3 |
Charles Jay Sykes, born on November 11, 1954, is an American writer and radio host. He shares his opinions on politics and current events.
For many years, he hosted a popular radio talk show in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. On his show, he often shared conservative ideas. He also edited a website called Right Wisconsin. Today, you might see him talking about current events on MSNBC.
Contents
Early Life and School
Charles Jay Sykes was born in Seattle, Washington. He grew up in New York and Fox Point, Wisconsin. His father, Jay G. Sykes, was a lawyer and later a journalist. His father also taught journalism at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee.
After finishing Nicolet High School, Sykes went to the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee. In 1975, he graduated with a bachelor's degree in English. He was a very good student.
While in college, Sykes was part of the Young Democrats of America. He also became a Catholic when he was 18. In 1974, he ran for a political office in Wisconsin but did not win.
Sykes's Career Journey
Starting as a Writer
Sykes began his career as a journalist in 1975. He worked for a local newspaper in West Allis, Wisconsin. In 1976, he joined The Milwaukee Journal. He reported on local news in the Milwaukee area.
Later, he moved to Cleveland to write for Cleveland Magazine. In 1983, he returned to Milwaukee. He became the managing editor and then editor-in-chief of Milwaukee Magazine. He wrote many articles, including investigative stories.
Sykes has also written several books, mostly about education. His first book, Profscam: Professors and the Demise of Higher Education, came out in 1988. From 2018 to 2024, Sykes was the editor-in-chief of The Bulwark, a website. He has also written for major newspapers like The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal.
Working in Radio
Early Radio Shows
Sykes started hosting talk radio in 1989. He filled in for other hosts at WISN in Milwaukee. By 1992, he had his own show on WISN. A year later, he moved to WTMJ and hosted a morning show there. He continued this show until December 2016.
In 2002, Sykes and another WTMJ host helped lead a campaign. They wanted to remove the Milwaukee County Executive, Tom Ament, from office. Ament was involved in a scandal about pension policies. Sykes's influence on local politicians was well-known.
After 2016
Sykes did not support Donald Trump's presidential campaign in 2016. He spoke out against him. In October 2016, Sykes announced he would leave his radio show for personal reasons.
In December 2016, Sykes wrote an article for The New York Times. He suggested that the conservative movement had changed during the 2016 campaign. He noted that some media had lost trust with their audiences.
From January to April 2017, he was a host for Indivisible. This was a call-in talk show on public radio. The show discussed the first 100 days of Trump's presidency.
In 2018, Sykes became the host of The Daily Standard podcast. He also founded and hosted "The Bulwark Podcast" from 2018 to 2023. He left The Bulwark in February 2024. He said he would continue writing and giving commentary, including on MSNBC.
Television Appearances
Sykes was an investigative reporter at WISN-TV in 1983. From 1993 to 2016, he hosted a local Sunday morning talk show called Sunday Insight on WTMJ-TV. He also contributed an essay to a PBS series in 1994.
Political Views Over Time
Over his public life, Sykes's political views have changed. He started as a mainstream liberal. Then he became a conservative Democrat, and later a strong conservative Republican. He also held some libertarian ideas. As of 2024, he is known for being strongly against Donald Trump.
Personal Life
In May 1975, Sykes married Christine Libbey. They had a daughter. Their marriage ended in divorce in 1978.
In August 1980, Sykes married Diane Schwerm. She later became a judge on the Wisconsin Supreme Court. They had two sons before they divorced in 1999. Sykes married Janet Riordan, an opera singer, in 2000. He has three children in total.
See also
- List of Republicans who opposed the Donald Trump 2016 presidential campaign
- List of Republicans who opposed the Donald Trump 2024 presidential campaign
