Jody Avirgan
{{Short description|American podcast host and producer (born 1980 or 1981)}}
{{Infobox journalist
| image =
| caption = Avirgan in 2015
| birth_date = {{Birth based on age as of date|35|2016|August|18}}
| alma_mater = Wesleyan University (BA)
| occupation = Podcast host and producer
| years_active = 2008 – present
| notable_works = This Day in Esoteric Political History
30 for 30 Podcasts
FiveThirtyEight Politics Podcast
| parents = Tony Avirgan and Martha Honey
| website = {{URL|jodyavirgan.com}}
}}
Jody Avirgan (born {{Birth based on age as of date|35|2016|August|18|noage=1}}){{Cite web |last=Hsieh |first=Jeremy |date=2016-08-18 |title=FiveThirtyEight podcaster rescued off Mount Roberts trail |url=https://alaskapublic.org/2016/08/18/fivethirtyeight-podcaster-rescued-off-mount-roberts-trail/ |access-date=2024-08-28 |website=Alaska Public Media |language=en-US}} is an American podcast host and producer known for his work around sports and politics. He currently hosts This Day in Esoteric Political History and previously hosted TED's Good Sport, ESPN's 30 for 30 Podcasts, and the FiveThirtyEight Politics Podcast.
Early life and education
Avirgan grew up in Costa Rica. His parents are the journalists Tony Avirgan and Martha Honey.{{Cite news |last=Leiby |first=Richard |date=2024-01-06 |title=A Vacation at Club Red |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1995/06/03/a-vacation-at-club-red/37ebf765-381a-4754-a1fa-0ffd6b15835e/ |access-date=2024-08-28 |newspaper=The Washington Post |language=en-US |issn=0190-8286}} He attended Sidwell Friends School, where he played soccer, football, and ultimate frisbee.{{Cite web |last=Duffy |first=Chris |date=2023-02-06 |title=Jody Avirgan learned everything from sports |url=https://www.ted.com/podcasts/how-to-be-a-better-human/jody-avirgan-learned-everything-from-sports-transcript |access-date=2024-08-28 |website=How to Be a Better Human |publisher=TED}} He continued to play ultimate frisbee at the college, club and professional levels, once making a catch that was featured on SportsCenter and later going on to coach youth teams.{{Cite web |last=Avirgan |first=Jody |date=2015-08-12 |title=A Win for the Olympics if Ultimate Frisbee Stays Self-Officiated |url=https://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2015/08/12/is-ultimate-frisbee-ready-for-the-olympics/a-win-for-the-olympics-if-ultimate-frisbee-stays-self-officiated |access-date=2024-08-28 |website=The New York Times |language=en}}
Avirgan majored in American studies at Wesleyan University, graduating in 2002. His senior thesis was a film and essay about the life of folk singer and labor activist Joe Hill. After he graduated, he spent a year building houses with Habitat for Humanity before beginning to explore documentary filmmaking and radio.{{Cite web |last=Stagoff Belfort |first=Aaron |date=2017-01-26 |title=Jody Avirgan '02 is FiveThirtyEight's Communicator-in-Chief |url=http://wesleyanargus.com/2017/01/26/jody-avirgan-02-is-fivethirtyeights-communicator-in-chief/ |access-date=2024-08-28 |website=The Wesleyan Argus |language=en}}
Career
In 2008, Avirgan became a producer at WNYC, where he worked on shows including Freakonomics Radio and On the Media.{{Cite web |last=Avirgan |first=Jody |date=2015-06-24 |title=Introducing Our Newest Podcast: What's The Point |url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/introducing-fivethirtyeight-newest-podcast-whats-the-point/ |access-date=2024-08-28 |website=FiveThirtyEight |language=en-US}}
In June 2015, Avirgan joined FiveThirtyEight as host of the podcast What's the Point, about the impacts of data science on daily life.{{Cite web |last=Kitchenman |first=Andrew |date=2016-08-23 |title=National podcaster discusses data and Alaska political climate |url=https://www.ktoo.org/2016/08/22/national-podcaster-discusses-data-alaska-political-climate/ |access-date=2024-08-28 |website=KTOO |language=en-US}} In 2016, he began hosting the site's flagship FiveThirtyEight Politics Podcast. In 2017, Avirgan became senior producer and host of ESPN's 30 for 30 Podcasts, a series of audio documentaries about sports history.{{Cite news |date=2019-04-11 |title=Podcasts about the love of the game with ESPN's Jody Avirgan |url=https://www.cbc.ca/radio/podcastplaylist/podcasts-about-the-love-of-the-game-with-espn-s-jody-avirgan-1.5080945 |access-date=2024-08-28 |work=CBC Radio}}
On March 31, 2020, Avirgan began hosting the new Radiotopia podcast This Day in Esoteric Political History, which uses events from American political history to explore present-day issues. Avirgan co-hosts with political historians Kellie Carter Jackson and Nicole Hemmer.{{Cite web |last=Jarvey |first=Natalie |date=2020-03-24 |title=Jody Avirgan to Launch Political History Podcast With Radiotopia |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/digital/jody-avirgan-launch-political-history-podcast-radiotopia-1286124/ |access-date=2024-08-28 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Carpenter |first=Kate |date=2024-06-04 |title=Kellie Carter Jackson Puts Black People at the Center |url=https://draftingthepast.com/podcast-episodes/episode-44-kellie-carter-jackson-puts-black-people-at-the-center/ |access-date=2024-08-28 |website=Drafting the Past}}
In January 2023, TED premiered the podcast Good Sport, hosted by Avirgan and featuring interviews with athletes and other professionals in the sports industry.{{Cite web |last=Moore |first=Matthew |date=2023-02-17 |title=Curiosity and Sports Combine as Foundation for New Podcast |url=https://www.kuaf.com/show/ozarks-at-large/2023-02-17/curiosity-and-sports-combine-as-foundation-for-new-podcast |access-date=2024-08-28 |website=KUAF 91.3 |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2023-01-25 |title=TED launches "Good Sport," new sports podcast with Jody Avirgan |url=https://blog.ted.com/good-sport-jody-avirgan-podcast/ |access-date=2024-08-28 |website=TED Blog |language=en-US}}
Avirgan owns Roulette Productions, a podcast production company whose shows have included Oprahdemics and collaborations with the Audacy studio 2400Sports.{{Cite news |last=Stempel |first=Jonathan |date=2022-08-10 |title=Oprah Winfrey's company sues over 'Oprahdemics' podcast |url=https://www.reuters.com/legal/oprah-winfreys-company-sues-over-oprahdemics-podcast-2022-08-10/ |access-date=2024-08-29 |work=Reuters}}{{Cite web |date=2021-06-24 |title=Audacy Unveils 2400Sports, New Sports-Centric Podcast Studio |url=https://www.insideradio.com/free/audacy-unveils-2400sports-new-sports-centric-podcast-studio/article_8f4ea32e-d524-11eb-8850-d7af2abb6aac.html |access-date=2024-08-29 |website=Inside Radio |language=en}}
Personal life
Avirgan is married and lives in Brooklyn. He has a daughter.
In 2016, while hiking Mount Roberts in Juneau, Alaska, Avirgan and his wife became stranded on steep terrain after exiting the main trail. The couple was rescued by helicopter.
References
{{reflist}}
{{Radiotopia}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Avirgan, Jody}}
Category:Wesleyan University alumni
Category:Sidwell Friends School alumni
Category:American sports podcasters