Rachel Maddow facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Rachel Maddow
Maddow in 2025
Born	Rachel Anne Maddow (1973-04-01) April 1, 1973 (age 52) Castro Valley, California, U.S.
Education	Stanford University (BA) Lincoln College, Oxford (DPhil)
Occupation	Television host political commentator author
Years active	1999–present
Employer	Air America Radio (2004–2010) MSNBC (2008–present)
Television	The Rachel Maddow Show
Partner(s)	Susan Mikula (1999–present)

Rachel Anne Maddow, born on April 1, 1973, is an American television host and political commentator. She is well-known for hosting The Rachel Maddow Show, a weekly program on MSNBC. She also helps anchor special events for the network. Before her TV career, she hosted a radio show with the same name on Air America Radio from 2005 to 2010.

Maddow has won several Emmy Awards for her work in broadcasting. In 2021, she also received a Grammy Award for the audiobook version of her book Blowout. She earned a bachelor's degree from Stanford University and a doctorate from the University of Oxford. She was the first openly gay anchor to host a major prime-time news program in the United States.

Early Life and Education

Rachel Maddow was born in Castro Valley, California. Her father, Robert B. Maddow, was a lawyer. Her mother, Elaine, worked as a school program administrator. Rachel has an older brother named David. Her family background includes Jewish, Dutch, English, and Irish roots.

Maddow has mentioned that her family was "very Catholic." She grew up in a community that her mother described as "very conservative." In high school, Rachel was a strong athlete. She played volleyball, basketball, and was on the swimming team. She graduated from Castro Valley High School and then went to Stanford University.

She earned a degree in public policy from Stanford in 1994. After graduating, she received the John Gardner Fellowship. In 1995, she was awarded a Rhodes Scholarship, which allowed her to study at Lincoln College, Oxford in England. She was the first openly gay person to win this scholarship. In 2001, she completed her studies at Oxford, earning a Doctor of Philosophy (DPhil) degree in politics. Her research focused on health care reform in prisons.

Radio Career

Rachel Maddow started her radio career in 1999 at WRNX in Holyoke, Massachusetts. She won a contest to become a co-host for "The Dave in the Morning Show." After that, she hosted Big Breakfast on WRSI for two years.

In 2004, she joined the new Air America radio network. There, she co-hosted Unfiltered until it ended in March 2005. A few weeks later, in April 2005, her own two-hour radio program, The Rachel Maddow Show, began airing. This show became very popular.

In 2008, when Maddow started her nightly TV show on MSNBC, her radio show became shorter. It eventually ended on January 21, 2010, when Air America stopped its operations.

Television Career

In June 2005, Maddow became a regular guest on the MSNBC show Tucker. She also appeared on CNN's Paula Zahn Now. In January 2008, Maddow became a political analyst for MSNBC. She was a frequent guest on shows like Race for the White House and Countdown with Keith Olbermann.

In 2008, Maddow filled in as a host for Countdown with Keith Olbermann. This was her first time hosting a program on MSNBC. Her hosting was very successful, and the show she hosted became the highest-rated news program for people aged 25 to 54.

Maddow making cocktails during a Diggnation podcast recording at the msnbc.com digital café in Rockefeller Center.

The Rachel Maddow Show

In August 2008, MSNBC announced that The Rachel Maddow Show would take over the 9:00 p.m. time slot. After it launched, her show often had higher ratings than other shows on MSNBC. This made Maddow the first openly gay or lesbian host of a prime-time news program in the United States.

The show received positive reviews from the start. Journalists praised her ability to connect with viewers and her strong analysis. The Guardian called her the "star of America's cable news."

In mid-2017, The Rachel Maddow Show became the No. 1 non-sports program on cable for the first time. Rolling Stone magazine called her "America's wonkiest anchor." Maddow has said her show's goal is to "increase the amount of useful information in the world." She focuses on what politicians "do" rather than just what they "say."

Maddow often starts her show with a long story, sometimes over 20 minutes. She connects past events with current news. She wants to share information that people don't already know.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Maddow strongly supported vaccination. She encouraged people to get vaccinated for their own health and for others. In 2022, her show changed to a weekly broadcast on Mondays.

Legal Case: Herring Networks, Inc. v. Rachel Maddow

In September 2019, One America News Network (OAN) sued Rachel Maddow for $10 million. This happened after Maddow said on her show that OAN was "paid Russian propaganda." She was repeating a story from The Daily Beast that linked an OAN employee to a Russian government-owned news agency.

In May 2020, a judge dismissed the case. The judge said that Maddow's statement was an opinion and could not be the basis for a defamation lawsuit. OAN tried to appeal this decision, but in August 2021, the higher court also ruled in favor of Maddow. The court also said OAN had to pay Maddow's legal fees.

Writing and Books

Rachel Maddow is also a successful author. Her first book, Drift: The Unmooring of American Military Power, was published in 2012. It discusses the role of the military in American politics after wars. This book became a No. 1 best-seller on The New York Times list.

In December 2013, The Washington Post announced that Maddow would write a monthly opinion column for their newspaper.

Her second book, Blowout: Corrupted Democracy, Rogue State Russia, and the Richest, Most Destructive Industry on Earth, came out in October 2019. The audiobook version of Blowout, which Maddow narrated herself, won a Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album in 2021.

Her third book, Bag Man: The Wild Crimes, Audacious Cover-up, and Spectacular Downfall of a Brazen Crook in the White House, was published in December 2020. She wrote it with Michael Yarvitz.

Maddow's fourth book, Prequel: An American Fight Against Fascism, was published on October 17, 2023. It is based on her podcast called Ultra.

Podcasting

In October 2018, Maddow launched her podcast Bag Man. This podcast was produced with MSNBC and focused on a political scandal from 1973 involving Vice President Spiro Agnew. A film based on the podcast was announced in 2022.

In October 2022, Maddow and MSNBC launched another podcast called Ultra. This series explores right-wing extremism in the U.S. during the 1940s and World War II. In December 2022, filmmaker Steven Spielberg's company bought the rights to turn this series into a film.

Political Views

Rachel Maddow identifies as a liberal. She has said that her views are similar to the Eisenhower-era Republican Party platform.

She was against the 2003 invasion of Iraq. She has spoken about how the government convinced the public to support the war based on information that was not accurate.

During the 2008 United States presidential election, Maddow did not officially support any candidate. She stated that she did not see herself as a supporter of Barack Obama.

In 2010, Republican Senator Scott Brown thought Maddow might run against him in the 2012 Senate election. Maddow repeatedly said this was not true. She even took out a full-page advertisement in The Boston Globe to confirm she was not running.

Maddow has discussed the alleged Trump-Russia collusion. She believes these issues are very serious for any president. She has also criticized the idea of "alternative facts" and fake news.

In December 2018, Maddow criticized President Trump's decision to remove U.S. troops from Syria.

Personal Life

Rachel Maddow divides her time between Manhattan in New York City and West Cummington, Massachusetts. She lives with her partner, artist Susan Mikula. They met in 1999.

Maddow has openly discussed her experience with cyclical depression since she was a teenager. She believes it is important to talk about it to help others who are dealing with similar challenges. She has shared that exercising, sleeping well, and fishing help her stay balanced. She is also a practicing Catholic.

In 2021, Maddow had surgery to remove a cancerous skin growth from her neck.

Honors and Awards

• 2023 Hillman Prize for Broadcast Journalism for her podcast, Ultra.
• 2020 Alfred I. duPont–Columbia University Award for her podcast, Bagman.
• 2018 Peabody Award nomination for her podcast, Bagman.
• 2017 Emmy Award in the Outstanding Live Interview category for The Rachel Maddow Show segment "One-on-One with Kellyanne Conway".
• 2017 Emmy Award in the Outstanding News Discussion & Analysis category for The Rachel Maddow Show story "An American Disaster: The Crisis in Flint".
• 2011 Emmy Award in the Outstanding News Discussion & Analysis category for The Rachel Maddow Show segments "Good Morning Landlocked Central Asia!".
• Maddow was named in Out magazine's "Out 100" list in 2008.
• She won a Gracie Award in 2009 from the American Women in Radio and Television.
• In 2009, she was nominated for a GLAAD Media Award.
• In March 2009, she received a Proclamation of Honor from the California State Senate.
• In April 2009, she was listed at No. 4 in Out magazine's Annual Power 50 List.
• In March 2010, Maddow won a GLAAD Media Award for her segment, "Uganda Be Kidding Me".
• In May 2010, she was the commencement speaker and received an honorary Doctor of Laws (LLD) degree at Smith College.
• In July 2010, Maddow received a Maggie Award for her reporting on healthcare reform.
• In August 2010, Maddow won the Walter Cronkite Faith & Freedom Award.
• In February 2012, Maddow received the John Steinbeck Award.
• She was named Outstanding Host at the 2012 Gracie Allen Awards.
• In 2021, Fast Company included her on their Queer 50 list.
• In late 2024, Maddow was named one of America's 10 best TV news journalists by GALECA: The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics.

Grammy Awards

Scholastic Achievements

University Degrees

Fellowships

Honorary Degrees

Honorary Degrees

Other Awards

See also

In Spanish: Rachel Maddow para niños

• New Yorkers in journalism
• United States cable news