Mark Whitaker (journalist) facts for kids

Mark Whitaker (born September 7, 1957) is an American author, journalist, and media executive.

He was the editor of Newsweek magazine from 1998 until 2006. He was the first African-American to lead a national news magazine. From 2004 to 2006, Whitaker was president of the American Society of Magazine Editors. He also served as a senior vice president and Washington bureau chief for NBC News. From 2011 to 2013, he was an executive vice president and managing editor at CNN Worldwide.

Whitaker has written several books. These include My Long Trip Home (2011), a family story; Cosby: His Life and Times (2014), about Bill Cosby; Smoketown: The Untold Story of the Other Great Black Renaissance (2018), about the African-American community in Pittsburgh; and Saying It Loud: 1966-The Year Black Power Challenged the Civil Rights Movement (2023).

Essence magazine named him one of the 25 most influential African-Americans in 2008.

Life and Work of Mark Whitaker

Early Life and Education

Mark Whitaker was born near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He went to Harvard College and graduated with high honors in 1979. He studied Social Studies there. While at Harvard, he worked on the student newspaper, The Harvard Crimson.

After Harvard, he studied International Relations at Balliol College at Oxford University in England from 1979 to 1981. He was a Marshall Scholar, which is a special scholarship for talented students.

Journalism Career

Whitaker became the editor of Newsweek magazine in 1998. He was the first African-American to lead a major national news magazine. During his time as editor, from 1998 to 2006, Newsweek won four National Magazine Awards. These awards were for its coverage of important events like the 9/11 attacks, the Iraq War, and the 2004 elections.

From 2004 to 2006, Whitaker was the president of the American Society of Magazine Editors.

Later, Whitaker became a senior vice president and Washington bureau chief for NBC News. In this role, he oversaw all of NBC's news reporting and production from Washington, D.C. He also appeared on TV as a news analyst.

From 2011 to 2013, he worked at CNN Worldwide as an executive vice president and managing editor. He managed daily news coverage and helped launch CNN Films. He also helped bring the famous food and travel writer Anthony Bourdain to CNN for his show Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown.

Today, Whitaker is a contributing correspondent for CBS Sunday Morning. He also helps choose winners for the Peabody Awards, which honor excellence in media.

Books by Mark Whitaker

In 2011, Mark Whitaker published My Long Trip Home. This book is a memoir about his family. It tells the story of his parents, who had an interracial marriage. His father was a pioneering black scholar, and his mother was a white French immigrant. Her father, Edouard Theis, helped save Jewish people during World War II in France. The book was praised by critics and was a finalist for several awards.

In 2014, Whitaker wrote Cosby: His Life and Times, a biography of Bill Cosby. Critics called it "wonderfully thorough" and "an eye-opening book." It appeared on several New York Times bestseller lists.

In 2018, Whitaker published Smoketown: The Untold Story of the Other Great Black Renaissance. This book is about the rich history of the African-American community in Pittsburgh. His father grew up there, and his grandparents owned funeral homes in the city. The book shares stories of famous artists from Pittsburgh. These include musicians like Billy Strayhorn and Mary Lou Williams, artist Romare Bearden, and playwright August Wilson. It also highlights important journalists from the black newspaper The Pittsburgh Courier. Scholars have praised the book for its important look at African-American achievements and struggles in the mid-20th century.

In 2023, Whitaker released Saying It Loud: 1966—The Year Black Power Challenged the Civil Rights Movement. This book explores the key events of 1966 that changed American history. It covers the rise of Stokely Carmichael and the popular phrase "Black Power." It also discusses the start of the Black Panther Party by Huey Newton and Bobby Seale. The book also mentions the first Kwanzaa celebration. Saying It Loud was named one of the Washington Post's 50 best nonfiction books of 2023.

Awards and Recognition

In 2008, Essence magazine recognized Mark Whitaker as one of the 25 most influential African-Americans. He also has an honorary degree from Wheaton College (Massachusetts). His mother taught French literature at Wheaton College for 30 years.

Personal Life

Mark Whitaker is married to Alexis Gelber. She was also a long-time editor at Newsweek magazine.