:Ezra Klein

{{Infobox person

| name = Ezra Klein

| image = Ezra Klein in 2020 cropped.jpg

| image_size =

| alt =

| caption = Klein in 2020

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1984|5|9}}

| birth_place = Irvine, California, U.S.

| education = University of California, Santa Cruz
University of California, Los Angeles (BA)

| occupation = {{hlist | Journalist | political commentator | podcast host}}

| employer = {{ubl | The New York Times | The Washington Post | MSNBC | Bloomberg | Vox Media}}

| years_active = 2003–present

| spouse = {{marriage|Annie Lowrey|2011}}

| relatives = Abel Klein (father)

| children = 2

}}

Ezra Klein (born May 9, 1984) is an American liberal political commentator and journalist. He is currently a New York Times columnist and the host of The Ezra Klein Show podcast.{{Cite web|title=Ezra Klein|url=https://www.simonandschuster.com/authors/Ezra-Klein/406430737|access-date=February 1, 2021|website=Simon & Schuster|language=en}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.cjr.org/feature/boy_in_bubble.php|title=The boy in the bubble|website=Columbia Journalism Review|language=en|access-date=December 6, 2018|archive-date=January 25, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170125200619/http://www.cjr.org/feature/boy_in_bubble.php|url-status=live}} He is a co-founder of Vox and formerly was the website's editor-at-large. He has held editorial positions at The Washington Post and The American Prospect, and was a regular contributor to Bloomberg News and MSNBC.{{Cite web|title=Ezra Klein Profile and Activity - Vox|url=https://www.vox.com/authors/ezra-klein|access-date=January 28, 2021|website=www.vox.com|date=November 30, 2020 }}{{cite web |url=http://prospect.org/voices/ezra-klein |title=Ezra Klein |publisher=Prospect.org |access-date=August 8, 2016 |archive-date=April 28, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190428025414/https://prospect.org/voices/ezra-klein |url-status=live }} His first book, Why We're Polarized, was published by Simon & Schuster in January 2020.{{Cite news|last=Ornstein|first=Norman J.|date=January 28, 2020|title=Why America's Political Divisions Will Only Get Worse (Published 2020)|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/28/books/review/why-were-polarized-ezra-klein.html|access-date=February 1, 2021|issn=0362-4331}}

Klein rose to prominence as a blogger who became well known for his in-depth analysis on a range of policy issues.{{Cite news|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/twitter-political-leanings-conservative-liberal-oreilly-msnbc-katie-couric-sean-hannity-2011-3|date=2011-03-23|last=Shin|first=Caroline|title=Here Are The 5 Most Liberal And Conservative Media Twitter Feeds|work=Business Insider|access-date=December 6, 2018|archive-date=September 24, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180924145810/https://www.businessinsider.com/twitter-political-leanings-conservative-liberal-oreilly-msnbc-katie-couric-sean-hannity-2011-3|url-status=live}} By 2007, Klein's blog had gained a substantial following and was acquired by The American Prospect, where he was an associate editor. At The Washington Post, Klein managed Wonkblog, a branded blog that featured his writing on domestic policy.{{cite news | title = Down with the GVP! | date = April 7, 2010 | url = http://voices.washingtonpost.com/ezra-klein/2010/04/down_with_the_gvp.html | newspaper = Washington Post | access-date = January 30, 2011 | archive-date = September 27, 2011 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110927184900/http://voices.washingtonpost.com/ezra-klein/2010/04/down_with_the_gvp.html | url-status = dead }}

In 2014, alongside fellow journalists Matthew Yglesias and Melissa Bell, Klein co-founded Vox, a website for explanatory news owned by Vox Media.{{Cite news|url=https://archives.cjr.org/behind_the_news/voxcom_is_going_to_be_a_great_test_ezra_klein_critique_journalism.php|title=Vox.com is going to be a great test of Ezra Klein's critique of journalism|last=Marx|first=Greg|work=Columbia Journalism Review|access-date=August 21, 2018|language=en|archive-date=June 25, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180625023400/https://archives.cjr.org/behind_the_news/voxcom_is_going_to_be_a_great_test_ezra_klein_critique_journalism.php|url-status=live}} He was the editor-in-chief, and later the editor-at-large.{{Cite web|url=https://money.cnn.com/2017/09/26/media/ezra-klein-vox-lauren-williams/index.html|title=Lauren Williams named editor in chief of Vox; Ezra Klein to be editor at large|last=Stelter|first=Brian|date=September 26, 2017|website=CNNMoney|access-date=December 6, 2019|archive-date=June 8, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190608151219/https://money.cnn.com/2017/09/26/media/ezra-klein-vox-lauren-williams/index.html|url-status=live}} Klein also contributed articles to the site, hosted an associated podcast (The Ezra Klein Show), and worked as an executive producer for Vox's Netflix series Explained. In November 2020, Klein left Vox to join The New York Times as a columnist and podcast host.{{Cite web|date=November 20, 2020|title=Ezra Klein Joins Times Opinion as Columnist and Podcast Host|url=https://www.nytco.com/press/ezra-klein-joins-times-opinion-as-columnist-and-podcast-host/|access-date=November 21, 2020|website=The New York Times Company|language=en-US}}{{Cite web|last=Fischer|first=Sara|title=Ezra Klein and Lauren Williams are leaving Vox|url=https://www.axios.com/vox-ezra-klein-lauren-williams-leaving-4786b4b4-707e-447e-b45b-2c4aad3cbbc3.html|access-date=November 21, 2020|website=Axios|date=November 20, 2020 |language=en}}

Early life and education

Klein was raised in{{cite web|url=http://www.oldsite.momentmag.net/moment/issues/2011/06/symposion.html |work=Moment Magazine |title=What Does It Mean To Be Jewish Today? What Do Jews Bring To The World? |date=May 2011 |access-date=February 17, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131004230911/http://www.oldsite.momentmag.net/moment/issues/2011/06/symposion.html|archive-date=October 4, 2013}} Irvine, California. His father, Abel Klein, is a professor of mathematics at the University of California, Irvine; his mother is an artist.{{Cite web|url=http://nymag.com/news/features/ezra-klein-2014-2/|title=Here, Let Ezra Explain|last=Wallace|first=Benjamin|date=January 31, 2014|magazine=New York|archive-date=September 24, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924183449/http://nymag.com/news/features/ezra-klein-2014-2/|url-status=live}} He is Jewish.{{Cite web |date=2018-06-26 |title=Why Is This Happening? Ezra Klein evaluates the reality of life in the Trump era |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/how-bad-it-really-ezra-klein-evaluates-life-trump-era-ncna886496 |access-date=2025-02-06 |website=NBC News |language=en}} Klein attended University High School, where he was a poor student and graduated in 2002 with only a 2.2 GPA. Klein attended the University of California, Santa Cruz, for two years before transferring to the University of California, Los Angeles, from which he graduated in 2005 with a BA in political science. While at UCSC, he applied to write for City on a Hill Press but was rejected.{{cite news |first=Loully |last=Saney |title=Q&A: Washington Post reporter and Wonkblog editor Ezra Klein |date=October 9, 2013 |url=http://dailyprincetonian.com/news/2013/10/qa-washington-post-reporter-and-wonkblog-editor-ezra-klein/ |work=The Daily Princetonian |access-date=April 9, 2014 |archive-date=October 19, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141019022559/http://dailyprincetonian.com/news/2013/10/qa-washington-post-reporter-and-wonkblog-editor-ezra-klein/ |url-status=live}} He said school was never a great fit for him academically or socially.{{cite web |last1=Pierce |first1=Jacob |title=Lessons on Polarization from Journalist Ezra Klein |url=http://goodtimes.sc/this-weeks-issue/lessons-polarization-journalist-ezra-klein/ |website=GoodTimes.SC |date=February 12, 2020 |publisher=Good Times |access-date=February 21, 2020 |archive-date=February 21, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200221163334/http://goodtimes.sc/this-weeks-issue/lessons-polarization-journalist-ezra-klein/ |url-status=live }}

Career

Klein worked on Howard Dean's 2004 presidential primary campaign in Vermont in 2003, and interned for the Washington Monthly in Washington, D.C., in 2004. "The media is as effective and important an agent for change as the legislative bodies, and I think it's where I'm happiest and most effective," Klein said.{{cite news | title = A Conversation With Political Blogger Ezra Klein of Pandagon | date = November 2, 2004 | url = http://laist.com/2004/11/02/a_conversation_with_political_blogger_ezra_klein_of_pandagon.php | work = LAist.com | access-date = January 30, 2011 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130414120145/http://laist.com/2004/11/02/a_conversation_with_political_blogger_ezra_klein_of_pandagon.php | archive-date = April 14, 2013 }} In 2003, he and Markos Moulitsas were two of the earliest bloggers to report from a political convention, that of the California State Democratic Party.{{cite news|url=http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2004/05/10/blogs_colliding_with_traditional_media?mode=PF |title=Blogs colliding with traditional media: Convention credentials expected for Web logs |author=Weiss, Joanna |date=May 10, 2004 |publisher=Boston Globe |access-date=January 12, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070219153746/http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2004/05/10/blogs_colliding_with_traditional_media?mode=PF |archive-date=February 19, 2007 }} In 2006, Klein was one of several writers pseudonymously flamed by The New Republic writer Lee Siegel (posting as a sock puppet called sprezzatura).{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/11/technology/11carr.html |title=A Comeback Overshadowed by a Blog |last=Carr |first=David |date=September 11, 2006 |work=The New York Times |access-date=January 12, 2008 |archive-date=December 28, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161228065925/http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/11/technology/11carr.html |url-status=live }}

On December 10, 2007, Klein moved his blog full-time to The American Prospect.{{cite web |url=http://ezraklein.typepad.com/blog/2007/12/moving-day.html |title=Ezra Klein: Moving Day |last=Klein|first=Ezra|date=2007-12-09|publisher=Ezraklein.typepad.com |access-date=February 17, 2014 |archive-date=March 5, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100305134649/http://ezraklein.typepad.com/blog/2007/12/moving-day.html |url-status=live }}

Klein's prolific blogging caught the attention of Steven Pearlstein, The Washington Post{{'s}} veteran business columnist. "I was blown away by how good he was—how much the kid wrote—on so many subjects," Pearlstein said. Pearlstein sent samples of Klein's work to managing editor Raju Narisetti. A few weeks after he heard from Pearlstein, Washington Post foreign correspondent John Pomfret asked Klein to have lunch with him and financial editor Sandy Sugawara. Narisetti hired Klein to be the Post's first pure blogger on politics and economics.{{cite news | first = Harry | last = Jaffe | title = Post Watch: Whiz Kid on the block | date = March 4, 2010 | url = http://www.washingtonian.com/blogarticles/people/capitalcomment/15063.html | work = The Washingtonian | access-date = January 30, 2011 | archive-date = June 10, 2011 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110610173907/http://www.washingtonian.com/blogarticles/people/capitalcomment/15063.html | url-status = live }} On May 18, 2009, he began writing at the newspaper.{{cite news |last=Klein |first=Ezra |url=http://voices.washingtonpost.com/ezra-klein/2009/05/introduction.html |title=Ezra Klein - Introduction |publisher=Voices.washingtonpost.com |access-date=February 17, 2014 |archive-date=October 9, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121009070258/http://voices.washingtonpost.com/ezra-klein/2009/05/introduction.html |url-status=dead }}

In May 2011, when Bloomberg View launched, Klein became a columnist there in addition to his work at The Washington Post and MSNBC.{{cite news|author=Hagey, Keach|title=Bloomberg View reveals columnists, editorial board|url=http://www.politico.com/blogs/onmedia/0411/Bloomberg_View_reveals_columnists_ed_board.html|date=April 29, 2011|work=Politico|access-date=August 6, 2011|archive-date=May 2, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110502031357/http://www.politico.com/blogs/onmedia/0411/Bloomberg_View_reveals_columnists_ed_board.html|url-status=live}}

Klein announced he would be leaving The Washington Post in January 2014, with the intent to start a new media venture with several other veteran journalists.{{cite news|author=McCarthy, Tom|title=Washington Post's Ezra Klein leaving newspaper to start 'new venture'|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2014/jan/21/washington-posts-ezra-klein-leaving-news-organisation|date=January 21, 2014|work=TheGuardian.com|access-date=January 21, 2014|archive-date=July 10, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170710094416/https://www.theguardian.com/media/2014/jan/21/washington-posts-ezra-klein-leaving-news-organisation|url-status=live}} The new media venture was later identified as the politics site Vox.{{cite news |last=Carlson |first=Nicholas |title=Here's What Everyone Is Too Polite To Say About Ezra Klein, Wonkblog, And Vox |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/vox-ezra-klein-deal-2014-1 |access-date=January 28, 2014 |newspaper=Business Insider |date=January 27, 2014 |archive-date=January 30, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140130042929/http://www.businessinsider.com/vox-ezra-klein-deal-2014-1 |url-status=live }} Klein had previously "proposed the creation of an independent, explanatory journalism website—with more than three dozen staffers" and an annual budget of more than {{USD|10 million}} to remain at The Washington Post. During negotiations, Post publisher Katharine Weymouth and new owner Jeff Bezos did not make a counteroffer.{{cite news |last=Byers |first=Dylan |author2=Hadas Gold |author2-link=Hadas Gold |title=Why The Washington Post passed on Ezra Klein |url=http://www.politico.com/story/2014/01/ezra-klein-leaves-washington-post-102424.html |access-date=January 28, 2014 |newspaper=Politico |date=January 21, 2014 |archive-date=January 25, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140125170202/http://www.politico.com/story/2014/01/ezra-klein-leaves-washington-post-102424.html |url-status=live }}

Klein was editor-in-chief at Vox, later editor-at-large, and formerly wrote for and edited Wonkblog at The Washington Post. He frequently provides political commentary on MSNBC's The Rachel Maddow Show, Hardball with Chris Matthews, and The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell. He is a former contributor to Countdown with Keith Olbermann. On March 14, 2013, The Week magazine reported that Klein was among those being considered to host MSNBC's yet-unnamed 8 p.m. weekday prime-time show that would replace The Ed Show.{{cite web |url=http://theweek.com/article/index/241365/why-msnbc-is-demoting-ed-schultz# |title=Why MSNBC is demoting Ed Schultz [Updated] |work=The Week |date=March 14, 2013 |access-date=February 17, 2014 |archive-date=July 9, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130709061407/http://theweek.com/article/index/241365/why-msnbc-is-demoting-ed-schultz |url-status=live }} Ultimately, the time slot was filled with All In with Chris Hayes.

In October 2015, Klein, along with Sarah Kliff and Matt Yglesias, launched The Weeds, a Vox podcast of detailed discussions on public policy.{{Cite web|url=https://www.vox.com/2015/10/2/9441235/weeds-podcast|title=The Weeds, Vox's new policy podcast, launches today|last=Klein|first=Ezra|date=October 2, 2015|website=Vox|access-date=January 2, 2017|archive-date=April 24, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170424052236/http://www.vox.com/2015/10/2/9441235/weeds-podcast|url-status=live}} Klein also hosts the podcast The Ezra Klein Show.{{cite journal|last1=Thompson|first1=Matt|date=November 5, 2016|title=A Podcast Listener's Guide to the 2016 Election|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2016/11/podcasts-2016-election/506651/|journal=The Atlantic|access-date=August 7, 2018|archive-date=August 8, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180808185638/https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2016/11/podcasts-2016-election/506651/|url-status=live}} Klein is an executive producer of Vox{{'s}} Netflix series Explained, which debuted in 2018.{{cite news|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/dateline/video/vox-steps-out-of-the-news-cycle-in-netflix-series-1240003139871|title=Vox steps out of the news cycle in Netflix series|date=May 23, 2018|access-date=August 7, 2018|work=NBC News|archive-date=November 3, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201103005220/https://www.nbcnews.com/dateline/video/vox-steps-out-of-the-news-cycle-in-netflix-series-1240003139871|url-status=live}}{{Cite news|url=http://www.niemanlab.org/2018/05/voxs-new-netflix-series-is-really-good-but-it-doesnt-get-us-any-closer-to-figuring-out-what-news-on-streaming-platforms-looks-like/|title=Vox's new Netflix series is really good, but it doesn't get us any closer to figuring out what news on streaming platforms looks like|last=Benton|first=Joshua|work=Nieman Lab|date=2018-05-23|access-date=August 21, 2018|author-link=Joshua Benton|archive-date=August 21, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180821190708/http://www.niemanlab.org/2018/05/voxs-new-netflix-series-is-really-good-but-it-doesnt-get-us-any-closer-to-figuring-out-what-news-on-streaming-platforms-looks-like/|url-status=live}}

In October 2019, Klein, along with other reporters from Vox Media, started the podcast Impeachment, Explained.{{Cite web|url=https://www.vox.com/impeachment-explained-podcast|title=Impeachment, explained|website=vox.com|language=en|access-date=November 23, 2019|archive-date=November 24, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191124054249/https://www.vox.com/impeachment-explained-podcast|url-status=live}} Klein joined the New York Times in 2020 and became one of their opinion columnists in 2021.{{Cite web|title=Ezra Klein |url=https://www.nytimes.com/by/ezra-klein|access-date=May 16, 2021|website=The New York Times|language=en}} According to an analysis by British digital strategist Rob Blackie, Klein was one of the most commonly followed political writers among Biden administration staff on Twitter.{{Cite news|last1=Thompson|first1=Alex|last2=Meyer|first2=Theodoric|title=Biden 'is planning to run again' in 2024|url=https://politi.co/3o2WnZ5|access-date=November 22, 2021|date=2021-01-20|work=Politico|language=en}}

=Health care debate=

In December 2009, Klein wrote an article in The Washington Post, stating that U.S. Senator Joe Lieberman was "willing to cause the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people in order to settle an old electoral score," because Lieberman "was motivated to oppose health care legislation in part out of resentment at liberals for being defeated in the 2006 Connecticut Democratic primary."{{cite news|last=Klein|first=Ezra| url=http://voices.washingtonpost.com/ezra-klein/2009/12/joe_lieberman_lets_not_make_a.html | newspaper=The Washington Post | title=Joe Lieberman: Let's not make a deal! | date=2009-12-14|access-date=May 3, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100720120955/http://voices.washingtonpost.com/ezra-klein/2009/12/joe_lieberman_lets_not_make_a.html |archive-date=July 20, 2010}} Klein based his estimate on an Urban Institute report that estimated that 22,000 people died in 2006 because they lacked health insurance.{{cite news|last=Dorn|first=Stan|date=2008-01-08|url=http://www.urban.org/publications/411588.html|title=Uninsured and Dying Because of It: Updating the Institute of Medicine Analysis on the Impact of Uninsurance on Mortality|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100226055842/http://www.urban.org/publications/411588.html |archive-date=February 26, 2010|url-status=live }} Urban Institute. This article was criticized by Jonah Goldberg of the National Review, who called it a "silly claim."{{cite news|url=http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=YzJlMDlhOWIzZmYwMWMyYzIzNTkyZWRmNWQ0YTQ2YmY=|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120703035602/http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=YzJlMDlhOWIzZmYwMWMyYzIzNTkyZWRmNWQ0YTQ2YmY=|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 3, 2012|title=Lieberman Loves Death More than Ezra Klein Loves Life|first=Jonah|last=Goldberg|work=The Corner|publisher=National Review Online|date=December 15, 2009|access-date=July 29, 2010}} Charles Lane, also of The Washington Post, described Klein's article as an "outrageous smear." But E. J. Dionne, also of The Washington Post, agreed with Klein's claim, saying that "Klein is right that there is not a shred of principle in Lieberman's opposition."{{cite news| date=2009-12-15|last=Dionne|first=E.J.| url=http://voices.washingtonpost.com/postpartisan/2009/12/the_public_option_died_last.html | newspaper=The Washington Post | title=The public option died last summer | access-date=May 3, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180822014900/http://voices.washingtonpost.com/postpartisan/2009/12/the_public_option_died_last.html |archive-date=August 22, 2018}} Klein later said he regretted the phrasing{{cite news | title = Washington's Brat Pack Masters Media | date = March 25, 2010 | url = https://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/27/fashion/27YOUNGPUNDITS.html| work = The New York Times | access-date = March 31, 2011 | first = Sridhar | last = Pappu | archive-date = August 22, 2018 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180822015013/https://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/27/fashion/27YOUNGPUNDITS.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&pagewanted=2&adxnnlx=1301529679-mk6oLlEdLch%2Fo9b3TPMRCQ | url-status = live }} and his position is that despite universal coverage, the social determinants of health are still powerful predictors that, on average, ensure the lower socioeconomic classes die sooner than those with more income and education.{{cite news | last=Carney |first=Timothy|date=2011-02-28|url=http://washingtonexaminer.com/blogs/beltway-confidential/2011/02/now-obamacare-law-liberal-bloggers-can-admit-almost-their-hysteri|title=Turns out ObamaCare might not save hundreds of thousands of lives|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110304152757/http://washingtonexaminer.com/blogs/beltway-confidential/2011/02/now-obamacare-law-liberal-bloggers-can-admit-almost-their-hysteri |archive-date=2011-03-04|work=The Washington Examiner}}{{cite news|first=Ezra|last=Klein|date=February 28, 2011|url=http://voices.washingtonpost.com/ezra-klein/2011/02/health_care_doesnt_keep_people.html|title=Health care doesn't keep people healthy -- even in Canada|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111017110008/http://voices.washingtonpost.com/ezra-klein/2011/02/health_care_doesnt_keep_people.html |archive-date=October 17, 2011 |newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=July 14, 2011}}

=JournoList=

In February 2007, Klein created a Google Groups forum called "JournoList" for discussing politics and the news media. The forum's membership was controlled by Klein and limited to "several hundred left-leaning bloggers, political reporters, magazine writers, policy wonks and academics."{{cite news|url=http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0309/20086.html|title=JournoList: Inside the echo chamber|work=The Politico|first=Michael |last=Calderone|date=March 17, 2009|access-date=March 30, 2009|archive-date=March 24, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090324005159/http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0309/20086.html|url-status=live}} Posts within JournoList were intended only to be made and read by its members.{{cite web |url=https://groups.google.com/group/journolist/browse_thread/thread/29ab9b95ad4832f6?hide_quotes=no#msg_84ea630f54d80c59/ |title=Google Discussiegroepen |access-date=February 17, 2014 |archive-date=May 28, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130528175953/http://groups.google.com/group/journolist/browse_thread/thread/29ab9b95ad4832f6?hide_quotes=no#msg_84ea630f54d80c59/ |url-status=live }} Klein defended the forum saying that it "[ensures] that folks feel safe giving off-the-cuff analysis and instant reactions." JournoList member and Time magazine columnist Joe Klein (no relation to Ezra Klein) added that the off-the-record nature of the forum was necessary because "candor is essential and can only be guaranteed by keeping these conversations private."

The existence of JournoList was first publicly revealed in a July 27, 2007, blog post by blogger Mickey Kaus.{{cite web|url=http://www.slate.com/id/2171362/#kleinklub|title=Educating Ezra Klein|publisher=Slate|author=Mickey Kaus|date=July 27, 2007|access-date=March 30, 2009|archive-date=March 23, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090323221446/http://www.slate.com/id/2171362/#kleinklub|url-status=live}} However, the forum did not attract serious attention until March 17, 2009, when an article published on Politico detailed the nature of the forum and the extent of its membership. The Politico article set off debate within the blogosphere over the ethics of participating in JournoList and raised questions about its purpose. The first public excerpt of a discussion within JournoList was posted by Mickey Kaus on his blog on March 26, 2009.{{cite web|url=http://www.slate.com/blogs/blogs/kausfiles/archive/2009/03/26/journolist-revealed-inside-the-liberal-media-email-cabal.aspx|title=JournoList Revealed! Inside the Secret Liberal Media Email Cabal|publisher=Slate|author=Mickey Kaus|date=March 26, 2009|access-date=March 30, 2009|archive-date=March 29, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090329053156/http://www.slate.com/blogs/blogs/kausfiles/archive/2009/03/26/journolist-revealed-inside-the-liberal-media-email-cabal.aspx|url-status=live}}

In addition to Ezra Klein, membership of JournoList included Jeffrey Toobin, Eric Alterman, Paul Krugman, Joe Klein, Matthew Yglesias, and Jonathan Chait.{{citation needed|date = December 2020}}

On June 25, 2010, Ezra Klein announced in his Washington Post blog that he would be terminating the JournoList group. This decision was instigated by fellow blogger Dave Weigel's resignation from the Post following the public exposure of several of his JournoList emails about conservative media figures.{{cite news|last=Klein|first=Ezra|title=On Journolist, and Dave Weigel|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=June 25, 2010|url=http://voices.washingtonpost.com/ezra-klein/2010/06/on_journolist_and_dave_weigel.html|access-date=June 25, 2010|archive-date=July 23, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100723123750/http://voices.washingtonpost.com/ezra-klein/2010/06/on_journolist_and_dave_weigel.html|url-status=dead}}Keach Hagey, "David Weigel quits – and a debate begins, [http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0610/39025.html Politico.com, June 25, 2010] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100628022845/http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0610/39025.html |date=June 28, 2010 }}. Retrieved June 27, 2010.

Klein had justified excluding conservative Republicans from participation as "not about fostering ideology but preventing a collapse into flame war. The emphasis is on empiricism, not ideology."{{cite web |url=http://www.prospect.org/csnc/blogs/ezraklein_archive?month=03&year=2009&base_name=obligatory_journolist_post |title=EzraKlein Archive |publisher=The American Prospect |access-date=July 29, 2010 |archive-date=July 3, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100703115441/http://www.prospect.org/csnc/blogs/ezraklein_archive?month=03&year=2009&base_name=obligatory_journolist_post |url-status=live }}

Awards

In 2010, he was named Blogger of the Year by The Week magazine and The Sidney Hillman Foundation.{{cite web|url=http://theweek.com/article/index/215063/past-winners-of-the-week-opinion-awards|title=Winners of The Week Opinion Awards|website=The Week |access-date=January 21, 2012|archive-date=January 12, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120112001858/http://theweek.com/article/index/215063/past-winners-of-the-week-opinion-awards|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=http://www.hillmanfoundation.org/hillman-prizes/Sidney_Hillman_Foundation_Announces_2010_Prizes|title=Sidney Hillman Foundation 2010 Prizes|access-date=January 21, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100515040800/http://www.hillmanfoundation.org/hillman-prizes/Sidney_Hillman_Foundation_Announces_2010_Prizes|archive-date=May 15, 2010}} In 2011, he was named one of the 50 most powerful people in Washington, D.C., by GQ.{{cite news|url=https://www.gq.com/news-politics/politics/201202/50-most-powerful-people-in-washington-dc#slide=34|title=The 50 Most Powerful People in Washington|date=February 2012|newspaper=GQ|access-date=January 21, 2012|archive-date=October 5, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131005044249/http://www.gq.com/news-politics/politics/201202/50-most-powerful-people-in-washington-dc#slide=34|url-status=live}} His blog was also named one of the 25 best financial blogs by Time magazine in 2011.{{cite news|url=http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2057116_2057343_2057274,00.html|title=The 25 Best Financial Blogs|date=March 7, 2011|newspaper=Time Magazine|access-date=January 21, 2012|archive-date=January 16, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120116083058/http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2057116_2057343_2057274,00.html|url-status=dead}} In 2013, Klein won the Online News Association Award for Best Online Commentary.{{cite web|url=http://journalists.org/awards/2013-awards/|title=2013 Awards - Online News Association|publisher=Journalists.org|access-date=February 17, 2014|archive-date=November 22, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131122200524/http://journalists.org/awards/2013-awards/|url-status=live}} He also won the American Political Science Association's Carey McWilliams Award,{{cite web|url=http://www.apsanet.org/media/PDFs/2013APSAAwards.pdf|title=2013 American Political Science Association Awards|publisher=Apsanet.org|access-date=February 17, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140201202328/http://www.apsanet.org/media/PDFs/2013APSAAwards.pdf|archive-date=February 1, 2014}} for "a major journalistic contribution to our understanding of politics." He appeared as one of 80 men featured in Esquire{{'s}} 80th anniversary issue{{cite web|url=http://www.esquire.com/features/october-2013|title=Esquire: October 2013|date=September 16, 2013|access-date=October 28, 2013|archive-date=November 1, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131101063919/http://www.esquire.com/features/october-2013|url-status=live}} and in a feature in T magazine.{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2013/05/30/t-magazine/02-twentysomething.html|title=Kids These Days|date=May 31, 2013|newspaper=The New York Times|access-date=February 17, 2014|archive-date=December 18, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161218120643/http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2013/05/30/t-magazine/02-twentysomething.html|url-status=live}}

Personal life

Klein is married to Annie Lowrey,{{cite web|url=http://observer.com/2011/10/mazel-tov-media-power-couple/|title=Mazel Tov, Media Power Couple|last=Stoeffel|first=Kat|date=January 15, 2013|publisher=Observer.com|access-date=August 21, 2018|archive-date=October 7, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131007042457/http://observer.com/2011/10/mazel-tov-media-power-couple/|url-status=live}} an economic policy reporter at The Atlantic.{{Cite press release|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/press-releases/archive/2018/03/the-atlantic-announces-ideas-columnists-ibram-x-kendi-annie-lowrey-alex-wagner-and-kevin-d-williamson/556301/|title=The Atlantic Names Columnists Ibram X. Kendi, Annie Lowrey, Alex Wagner, and Kevin D. Williamson|date=March 22, 2018|work=The Atlantic|access-date=August 21, 2018|language=en-US|archive-date=September 4, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180904105721/https://www.theatlantic.com/press-releases/archive/2018/03/the-atlantic-announces-ideas-columnists-ibram-x-kendi-annie-lowrey-alex-wagner-and-kevin-d-williamson/556301/|url-status=live}} They have two children, born in 2019 and 2021.{{cite podcast |url=https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/the-ezra-klein-show/e/58980585 |title=Noah Rothman on the "unjustice" of social justice politics |website=The Ezra Klein Show |publisher=Vox Media Podcast Network |host=Ezra Klein and Jane Coaston |date=February 25, 2019 |time=00:00:20 |access-date=March 8, 2019 |archive-date=February 6, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200206031735/https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/the-ezra-klein-show/e/58980585 |url-status=live }} Klein is vegan.{{Cite news|url=https://nytimes.com/2021/03/30/podcasts/ezra-klein-podcast-ted-chiang-transcript.html |title=Transcript: Ezra Klein Interviews Ted Chiang |date=2021-03-30|work=The Ezra Klein Show|publisher=The New York Times}}

Bibliography

{{Cite book |title=Why We're Polarized |publisher=Avid Reader Press |year=2020 |isbn=978-1-4767-0032-8}}{{Cite book |url=https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Why-Were-Polarized/Ezra-Klein/9781476700328 |title=Why We're Polarized |date=January 28, 2020 |isbn=9781476700328 |access-date=February 9, 2020 |archive-date=April 4, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200404095041/https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Why-Were-Polarized/Ezra-Klein/9781476700328 |url-status=live |last1=Klein |first1=Ezra |publisher=Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster }}
{{Cite book |title=Abundance |publisher=Avid Reader Press |year=2025 |isbn=978-1-6680-2348-8}}{{Cite book |url=https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Abundance/Ezra-Klein/9781668023488 |title=Abundance |date=March 18, 2025 |isbn=9781668023488 |access-date=February 10, 2025 |archive-date=February 10, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250210032610/https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Abundance/Ezra-Klein/9781668023488 |url-status=live |last1=Klein |first1=Ezra |last2=Thompson |first2=Derek |publisher=Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster }}