Jeremy Siegel is the co-host of GBH News' Morning Edition. He previously hosted and produced the “POLITICO Dispatch” podcast. Jeremy earned recognition for his wildfire coverage at KQED Public Radio, receiving a Society of Professional Journalists Excellence in Journalism Award for breaking news. His reporting has been featured on Morning Edition, All Things Considered, The California Report, BBC News and The PBS Newshour. Originally from Ohio, Siegel holds a degree in rhetoric from the University of California, Berkeley.
What are you reading or listening to now?
The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton. I know, I know...That sounds staid, boring and old-school, but it's not! It's hilarious with biting social commentary. I've also been rewatching the teen soap opera The O.C. recently, and it's fascinating to consume the two side by side - both of them explore the oddities of high society through an insider-outsider perspective that gets to the heart of American problems. Also, I'm just a sucker for drama.
Who is your role model or inspiration?
The first name that comes to mind is Martin Scorcese. Maybe that's because I'm eagerly awaiting his new movie Killers of the Flower Moon, which comes out this month. But he's such a mensch. As GBH listeners probably know, I'm obsessed with movies. There are so few people who not only produce great things, but also lift up those around them in the process. Scorcese is one of these people. Sure, he makes incredible movies, some of the best in history. But his work as an evangelist for the film industry, for small filmmakers, for film history -- and the arts as a whole -- is what inspires me. Too often when people are amazing at something, they get stuck in their own work. What makes someone a role model to me is how they work with and uplift others.
Why did you become a public media journalist?
Public media is essential. I grew up in a southwestern Ohio county that's historically split between red and blue politically. The area was a key indicator of the outcome of presidential elections. So from a young age, I saw some of the intense polarization that's come to the fore nationally over the past few years. But I also saw the importance of understanding the experiences and perspectives that are behind polarizing viewpoints. Public media is one of the few - if only - journalistic mediums that consistently avoids playing into polarization and seeks to truly understand.
What is one word to describe your job?
No sleep. That's two, but I think I should get some wiggle room with tough questions when I wake up at 3 am for my job.
Describe an impact that a story that you produced made.
Last year, I had the opportunity to do a months-long investigation with the support of the USC Annenberg Center for Health Journalism’s National Fellowship. I looked into the monumental decision in the 1960s to destroy a beautiful Olmsted-designed park in East Boston to make way for the expansion of Logan Airport - and the lingering effects that decision has had on Eastie residents in the decades since. The response I received after the story aired and published was humbling. Former Eastie residents, ranging in age to 100 years old, now living as far away as Berlin, reached out to share their own stories of the loss of Wood Island Park and the airport's expansion into their community. We also heard from lawmakers and advocacy groups vowing to fight for environmental justice in East Boston.
See more of Jeremy Siegel’s work here.
