Sarah Koenig

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Sarah Koenig
Sarah Koenig, American journalist 2015.jpg
Sarah Koenig in 2015
Born Sarah Augusta Koenig
(1969-07-09) July 9, 1969 (age 54)
New York City, United States
Alma mater University of Chicago (AB)
Occupation
  • Journalist
  • Public radio personality
  • former producer of the television and radio program This American Life.
Known for Host and executive producer of Serial
Spouse(s) Ben Schreier
Children 2
Parent(s) Maria Eckhart Koenig Matthiessen
Julian Koenig
Family Peter Matthiessen (step-father)
Lester Koenig (uncle)
Awards
  • Peabody award
  • Scripps-Howard award
  • Lowell Thomas Overseas Press Club award[1]
  • Women’s Press Club of New York award[2]

Sarah Koenig (/ˈkeɪnɪɡ/; born July 9, 1969 in New York City)[3] is an American journalist, public radio personality, former[4] producer of the television and radio program This American Life,[5] and the host and executive producer of the podcast Serial.[6]

Early life

Koenig was born July 1969 in New York City to Julian Koenig and his second wife, Maria Eckhart.[3] Sarah is Jewish.[7] Her father was a well-known copywriter. After her parents' divorce, Sarah’s mother married writer Peter Matthiessen.[8] Koenig graduated from the University of Chicago in 1990 with an A.B., majoring in Political Science. She attended Columbia University for a postgraduate degree in Russian history, but she left after two weeks.[9]

Career

After graduating from college Koenig began working as a reporter at The East Hampton Star.[10] Then she worked in Russia as a reporter for ABC News and later for The New York Times.[11] She covered the State House (politics) for the Concord Monitor and later for the Baltimore Sun.[2]

She began working as a producer for This American Life in January 2004.[11] She co-produced the 2006 Peabody Award-winning episode of This American Life titled "Habeas Schmabeas."[12]

In 2013, she began work on a spinoff podcast of the This American Life radio program titled Serial, which debuted in October 2014. Serial was honored with a Peabody award in April 2015, noting that it took podcasting into the cultural mainstream.[13]

Recognition and honors

TIME magazine named Koenig one of "The 100 Most Influential People" on April 16, 2015.[14] Also in 2015, she was named as one of The Forward 50.[15]

Personal life

Koenig is the daughter of advertising copywriter Julian Koenig and Maria (Eckhart) Matthiessen. Her stepfather was novelist Peter Matthiessen.

Koenig attended Concord Academy in Concord, Massachusetts.[16] She lives in State College, Pennsylvania,[17] with her husband, Ben Schreier, an associate professor of Jewish studies and English at Penn State,[17] and their two children.

In popular culture

In the fortieth season of Saturday Night Live, Sarah was portrayed by Cecily Strong in a segment titled "Serial: The Christmas Surprise", a parody of Sarah's investigative podcast, Serial.[18][19] In 2015, Koenig cameoed as herself in the second season episode of BoJack Horseman, "Out to Sea", voicing Diane Nguyen's ringtone with a parody of her Serial introduction.[20] This came a season after podcaster Ira Glass held the same to-be-recurring role.[21] In Hulu's Only Murders in the Building, the podcast All is Not OK In Oklahoma and character Cinda Canning played by Tina Fey were inspired by Sarah Koenig and her podcast Serial.[22]

References

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  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  8. ↑ Sarah Koenig: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know Heavy.com
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  18. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  19. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  20. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  21. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  22. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

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