Wolf Blitzer facts for kids
Wolf Isaac Blitzer (born March 22, 1948) is an American journalist and television news anchor. He has been a reporter for CNN since 1990. He is one of the main anchors at the network. Since 2005, he has hosted The Situation Room. As of March 2025, Blitzer co-hosts the show with Pamela Brown.
Quick facts for kids
Wolf Blitzer
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Blitzer in 2017
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| Born |
Wolf Isaac Blitzer
March 22, 1948 |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | University at Buffalo (BA) Johns Hopkins University (MA) |
| Occupation | Journalist |
| Years active | 1972–present |
| Employer | CNN |
| Title | Anchor, The Situation Room, CNN Chief Anchor |
| Spouse(s) |
Lynn Greenfield
(m. 1973) |
| Children | 1 |
Contents
Early Life and School
Blitzer was born in Augsburg, Germany, in 1948. This was after World War II. His parents were Polish Jewish refugees. They had survived Nazi concentration camps. Sadly, many of his family members died during the Holocaust.
His family moved to the United States. They came under a special law for displaced people. He grew up in Kenmore, New York. He finished high school there. In 1970, he earned a degree in history. This was from the State University of New York at Buffalo. In 1972, he got a master's degree. This was in International Relations from Johns Hopkins University. While studying, he also learned Hebrew in Jerusalem.
Blitzer has often been asked about his unique name. He explained that "Wolf" is his maternal grandfather's first name. His middle name, Isaac, comes from his paternal grandfather.
Journalism Career
Starting Out in News
Blitzer started his journalism career in the early 1970s. He worked for the Reuters news agency in Tel Aviv. In 1973, he joined Jerusalem Post. He became their Washington correspondent. He reported on American politics and the Middle East.
Blitzer also wrote for Hebrew newspapers. He used the name Ze'ev Blitzer for Al HaMishmar. For Yedioth Ahronoth, he used Ze'ev Barak. Ze'ev means "wolf" in Hebrew. Barak means "lightning."
In the mid-1970s, Blitzer also edited the Near East Report. This was a publication for the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). His articles focused on how Middle East events affected United States foreign policy.
In 1977, Blitzer asked Egyptian leader Anwar Sadat a question. He asked why Egyptians could not visit Israel. Sadat said it would be possible after peace. Later that year, Sadat made a historic visit to Israel. Blitzer covered the peace talks. These talks led to the Egypt–Israel peace treaty two years later.
In 1985, Blitzer wrote his first book. It was called Between Washington and Jerusalem: A Reporter's Notebook. The book shared his experiences as a reporter. It also discussed the relationship between the United States and Israel.
Covering Jonathan Pollard
In 1986, Blitzer became well-known for covering Jonathan Pollard. Pollard was a US Navy intelligence analyst. He was accused of spying for Israel. Blitzer was the first journalist to interview Pollard. He later wrote a book about the case. It was titled Territory of Lies.
Blitzer's interview with Pollard was debated. Some thought it might break Pollard's plea deal. Blitzer's book was named a "Notable Book of the Year" by The New York Times. The Times called it "clear and easy to read."
Pollard was released on November 20, 2015.
Working at CNN
In May 1990, Blitzer joined CNN. He worked as their military affairs reporter. He covered the first Gulf War in Kuwait.
In 1992, Blitzer became CNN's White House correspondent. He held this job until 1999. During this time, he won an Emmy Award. This was for his reporting on the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing. In 1998, he started hosting Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer. This show was seen in over 180 countries.
Blitzer's first job as an anchor was on The World Today in 1999. In 2000, he started his own show, Wolf Blitzer Reports. This show ran until 2005.
CNN chose Blitzer to lead their coverage of all U.S. presidential elections since 2004. Since August 8, 2005, Blitzer has hosted The Situation Room. This is a two-hour program on CNN.
In 2013, he began anchoring an hour of CNN Newsroom. In 2014, it was renamed Wolf. That show ended in 2018.
In January 2021, CNN announced changes. The Situation Room became one hour long. Blitzer continued to host documentaries. He also served as a main anchor for big breaking news.
In 2022, he hosted The Newscast with Wolf Blitzer. This was on CNN's streaming service, CNN+.
In January 2025, it was announced that The Situation Room would move to mornings. It would air from 10 a.m. to noon EST starting in March 2025. Pamela Brown also became his co-anchor.
Awards and Recognition
Blitzer has won many awards for his journalism. In 2004, he received the Journalist Pillar of Justice Award. In 2003, he won the Daniel Pearl Award. His news team won a George Foster Peabody Award for covering Hurricane Katrina. They also won an Alfred I. DuPont Award for their coverage of the 1999 Southeast Asian tsunami. CNN's reporting on the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 earned an Edward R. Murrow Award.
In 2002, he won the Ernie Pyle Journalism Award for military reporting. In 2000, he received the Hubert H. Humphrey First Amendment Freedoms Prize. In 1999, Blitzer won the Lowell Thomas Broadcast Journalism Award. He also won an Emmy Award for his coverage of the Oklahoma City bombing. Blitzer was part of the CNN team that won a Golden ACE award for their 1991 Gulf War reporting.
Many universities have given Blitzer honorary degrees. These include the University at Buffalo, George Washington University, Niagara University, Penn State University, University of Hartford, and Howard University. In 2014, he received the Golden Plate Award. In August 2024, it was announced Blitzer would receive the Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Journalism.
Other Appearances
On September 17, 2009, Blitzer was a contestant on Celebrity Jeopardy!. He finished with $2,000, losing to comedian Andy Richter.
Blitzer is a fan of the Washington Wizards NBA team. He appears in a pre-game video for their home games. It is called the "Wizards Situation."
Blitzer has appeared as himself in several films. These include the James Bond film Skyfall. He also appeared in the Netflix show House of Cards. He had a brief role in the 2016 movie Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. He also appeared in an episode of Ben 10: Omniverse. In Mission: Impossible - Fallout (2018), he played a role that was later revealed to be a disguise.
Blitzer also had a supporting role in the 2009 documentary Back Door Channels: The Price of Peace. He shared his experiences as a journalist. The film explored how the 1979 Peace Treaty between Israel and Egypt happened.
Personal Life
Blitzer is a big fan of his hometown NFL team, the Buffalo Bills.
Books
- Between Washington and Jerusalem: A Reporter's Notebook (1985)
- Territory of Lies (1989)
See also
In Spanish: Wolf Blitzer para niños
