Howard Kurtz facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Howard Kurtz
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Kurtz in 2012
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Howard Alan Kurtz
August 1, 1953 New York City, U.S.
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| Alma mater | University at Buffalo (BA) Columbia University (MA) |
| Occupation | Journalist, author |
| Spouse(s) | Mary Tallmer (1979–?; 2 children) Sheri Annis (2003–2018; 1 child) |
Howard Alan Kurtz (born August 1, 1953) is an American journalist and author. He is known for hosting Media Buzz on Fox News.
Before joining Fox News, he was a media writer for The Washington Post. He also worked as the Washington bureau chief for The Daily Beast. Kurtz has written five books about the media. He moved from CNN to Fox News in 2013.
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Early Life and Education
Howard Kurtz was born in Brooklyn, New York. His father was a clothing executive and his mother was a homemaker. He finished high school in 1970.
He then went to the University at Buffalo. There, he worked on the student newspaper, Spectrum. He became the editor in his last year. Kurtz earned a bachelor's degree in psychology and English in 1974. After that, he studied at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
Howard Kurtz's Journalism Career
After college, Kurtz started working for the Record newspaper in New Jersey. Later, he moved to Washington D.C. to work as a reporter. He wrote for a well-known newspaper columnist named Jack Anderson.
Kurtz then joined The Washington Star newspaper. When that paper closed in 1981, he was hired by The Washington Post. He was hired by Bob Woodward, who was a famous editor. Kurtz has also written for other magazines like The New Republic and New York.
Working at The Washington Post
Kurtz worked at The Washington Post for 29 years, from 1981 to 2010. He held several important roles there. He was a national affairs correspondent, a bureau chief in New York, and a deputy national editor.
From 1990 to 2010, Kurtz focused on covering the news media for The Washington Post. This meant he wrote about how news organizations did their job.
Hosting Reliable Sources on CNN
From 1998 to 2013, Kurtz hosted a weekly show on CNN called Reliable Sources. This TV program looked at how fair and accurate the news media was. Kurtz would question journalists from major news organizations. He even questioned those who worked at CNN.
The show first started in 1992 as a special program. It discussed how the media covered the Persian Gulf War.
Time at The Daily Beast
In October 2010, Kurtz announced he was joining The Daily Beast. This is an online news publication. He became the Washington bureau chief for the website. He wrote about media and politics until 2013.
He left The Daily Beast in May 2013. This happened after some disagreements about his reporting. The site's editor said they "parted company."
Joining Fox News
On June 20, 2013, Kurtz left CNN to join Fox News Channel. He started hosting a weekend media program there. He also began writing a column for FoxNews.com.
Kurtz's show, Media Buzz, replaced another program called Fox News Watch. Fox News has often supported Donald Trump's political campaigns. However, in an interview in October 2024, Kurtz directly questioned Trump about some of his statements.
Books by Howard Kurtz
Howard Kurtz has written several books about the media and how it works.
- Media Circus: The Trouble with America's Newspapers (1993): This book talks about problems in U.S. newspapers. It suggests that some newspapers focused too much on celebrities and scandals.
- Hot Air: All Talk, All the Time (1997): This book looks at the issues with talk shows on TV and radio. It points out problems like shows being too shallow or not well-prepared.
- Spin Cycle: Inside the Clinton Propaganda Machine (1998): This book describes how the Clinton White House tried to control the news. It explains how they tried to change the focus of media stories.
- The Fortune Tellers: Inside Wall Street's Game of Money, Media, and Manipulation (2000): This book discusses how TV shows and websites influenced people's interest in the stock market. It talks about how information could be used to manipulate the public.
- Reality Show: Inside the Last Great Television News War (2007): This book tells the story of struggles at major TV networks like ABC, NBC, and CBS. It focuses on how they tried to make their evening news anchors more popular and trusted.
- Media Madness: Donald Trump, The Press, And The War Over The Truth (2018): This book discusses Donald Trump's relationship with the news media during his first year as president. It suggests that the media treated President Trump unfairly.
Personal Life
Howard Kurtz married Sheri Annis in May 2003. Sheri Annis is a media consultant. She has worked on various political campaigns and projects.
