Printable Biography of Faith Middleton

In recognition of her skills as an interviewer and host, Faith Middleton has twice received the “Pulitzer” of broadcast journalism, The Peabody Award.  Middleton also is a recipient of the Ohio State Award. In May of 2008, Faith received the Mark Twain Award from the Connecticut Press Association and Humanitarian Award from The Children’s Community Programs of Connecticut.

Joining the ranks of Helen Keller, Richard Rodgers, Arthur Miller, and Dr. Henry Lee, Faith was recently the recipient of the Distinguished Public Service Award of The Connecticut Bar Association. Now in her 29th year as the host and executive producer of The Faith Middleton Show, Faith is heard in prime-time six days a week in Connecticut, Rhode Island and New York on WNPR, as well as on the Internet at wnpr.org.

With her unique style and thought-provoking questions, Faith has been described as “an institution” in her broadcast region. For eleven consecutive years, the readers and editors of Connecticut magazine have voted her “Best Radio Talk Show Host” in the state. In 2008, Faith Middleton was named to be a Hall of Fame recipient by Connecticut Magazine.

In addition to her radio work, Faith has hosted and produced several popular television series for Connecticut Public Television; one aired nationally. She has been a regular contributor to NPR’s All Things Considered, Morning Edition, and Weekend Edition, and has guest-hosted NPR’s Fresh Air with Terri Gross.

Faith is the author of The Goodness of Ordinary People (Crown Publishing), a book of true stories from her WNPR callers, demonstrating what Faith describes as “the uncelebrated breadth of humanity frequently present in secular life.”

Faith describes her work as “a never-ending exploration of the richness of life,” conducting interviews she hopes will enlighten as well as entertain. The wide-ranging subjects she brings to her listeners include culture, food, sustainability, news, politics, entertainment, poverty, community issues, architecture, work, leisure, design, science, sports, education, religion, history, medicine, humanity, and art. (Middleton just completed a six-part series of interviews in New York at The Museum of Modern Art.)

For many years, she has chaired the Celebration of Connecticut Farms along with co-chairs Meryl Streep, Paul Newman, Jacques Pepin and Sam Waterston. And she has twice co-chaired with Phil Donahue, The Ct. Audubon Society Eagle Festival in 2007 and 2008.

Starting as a print journalist in 1968, Faith continues to have an extensive  career as a columnist and freelance writer. Her articles have appeared in The New York Times, Hartford Courant, San Jose Mercury News, St. Louis Post Dispatch, Ms. Magazine, and Connecticut Magazine, where she was editor-in-chief for three years.

In recognition of her skills as an interviewer interested in community and hope, Faith was awarded an honorary doctorate by Charter Oak University.

Faith is an Associate Fellow at Yale University, where she taught The Art of the Interview.