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Matt Bai

Nationally Known Journalist, Author & Screenwriter; Political Thought Leader

Nationally Known Journalist, Author & Screenwriter; Political Thought Leader

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Matt Bai Biography

A highly-respected journalist, political thought leader and acclaimed author, Matt Bai is renowned for his intelligent insight and lucid analysis of contemporary American politics. Starting in 2002, he covered three presidential campaigns for the New York Times, where he was the chief political writer for the Sunday magazine and a columnist for the newspaper. He then spent five years as the national political columnist for Yahoo News, which he left in 2019.

Bai often explores issues of generational change in American politics and society. However, he doesn't simply record political history - Bai offers astute intellect and acumen on where it's headed and an unbiased worldview that appeals to independent thinkers. His seminal cover stories in the magazine include the 2008 cover essay "Is Obama the End of Black Politics?" and a 2004 profile of John Kerry titled "Kerry's Undeclared War." More recently, he wrote a definitive cover story on New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and a 10,000-word cover piece titled "Who Killed the Debt Deal?" His work has twice been honored in The Best American Political Writing. Informative, engaging, candid and witty, Bai provides audiences with unparalleled perspective and expertise on today's most complex political issues.

He began his career as a speechwriter for the U.S. Committee for UNICEF, writing for Audrey Hepburn, among others, and his international coverage includes reporting from Liberia and Iraq. Before joining the Times Magazine, Bai was city desk reporter for the Boston Globe and a national correspondent for Newsweek magazine.

In 2001, Bai was a fellow at the Institute of Politics at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, where he led a seminar on the next generation of political journalism. Bai's book, "The Argument: Inside the Battle to Remake Democratic Politics," is an account of the “new progressive movement” in America and the people who built it. "The Argument" was the only political book to be named a New York Times Notable Book for 2007. Bai’s most recent book, "All the Truth is Out: The Week Politics Went Tabloid," looks back at the ruinous scandal involving the presidential candidate Gary Hart in 1987 and how it shaped political and media culture. It was selected as one of the year’s best books by NPR and Amazon and was one of 10 books long-listed for the PEN Faulkner Award in nonfiction.

Bai’s work was featured in both the 2005 and 2006 editions of The Best American Political Writing (Thunder’s Mouth Press). He also wrote a personal essay about his Japanese American in-laws for the anthology "I Married My Mother-in-Law: And Other Tales of In-Laws We Can’t Live With—and Can’t Live Without" (Riverhead Books, 2006).

Bai also co-wrote the screenplay for the film adaptation, "The Front Runner," directed by Jason Reitman and starring Hugh Jackman, which hit theaters in November 2018.

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Speaker profile last updated by AAE Talent Team on 06/19/2024.

Matt Bai Speaking Topics

  • The Permanent Wave

    Three straight presidents have now seen their parties lose control of Congress in "wave elections"—something unprecedented in American history. What's really going on? Maybe Americans really are swinging back and forth between ideologies. More likely, though, our turbulent politics reflects the larger trend in the society away from large institutions and limited choices—a trend that could spell the end of two-party politics as we've known it.

  • Politics, The Next Generation

    It's not really true to say the Internet has changed our politics. In truth, the Internet has changed everything in the society, from the way we find jobs to the way we buy cars and date—and politics is simply the last big institution to catch up. How the online revolution is bound to change Washington, and why it's time for a failed generation of leaders to get out of the way.

  • The Politics of Political Journalism

    Teddy White and Walter Cronkite could never have imagined the pressures of covering politics and presidential campaigns in the online age. Withering attacks from both the left and right, upstart bloggers and amateur truth-squads—all have combined to erode the public's faith in once venerable political journalists. Why some critics are right to hold journalists accountable, and why others are simply pursuing an agenda at the public's expense.

  • The Rise of Tabloid Politics

    With a mix of history, personal experience and reflection, the author of the highly anticipated All the Truth Is Out brings us back to first modern political scandal—the fall of Gary Hart in 1987—and its reverberating effect on our politics and journalism in the decades since. It's the story of how politics became entertainment, and a provocative argument for why America and its media often get the leaders they deserve.

Matt Bai Videos

  • Matt Bai & Jason Reitman: 'Politics Are Entertainment' | MTP Daily | MSNBC
    Jason Reitman, director of the film 'The Front Runner' and Matt Bai, author of the book 'All the Truth is Out: The Week Politics Went Tabloid,' on...
  • Matt Bai: When Politics Went Tabloid
    Matt Bai, National Political Columnist, Yahoo News; Author, All the Truth Is Out: The Week Politics Went Tabloid; Twitter @mattbai Doug Sovern,...
  • Matt Bai: Political Leadership
    Matt Bai, Chief Political Correspondent for The New York Times Magazine, answers the question: "Is America Getting the Leaders it Deserves?"

Matt Bai Books

  • All the Truth Is Out: The Week Politics Went Tabloid
    All the Truth Is Out: The Week Politics Went Tabloid
  • The Argument: Inside the Battle to Remake Democratic Politics
    The Argument: Inside the Battle to Remake Democratic Politics

FAQs on booking Matt Bai

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  • What topics does Matt Bai speak about?

  • Where does Matt Bai travel from?

    Matt Bai generally travels from an undisclosed location, but can be booked for private corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. For more details, please contact an AAE Booking agent.
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Matt Bai is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as The Permanent Wave, Politics, The Next Generation, The Politics of Political Journalism and The Rise of Tabloid Politics. The estimated speaking fee range to book Matt Bai for your event is $10,000 - $20,000. Matt Bai generally travels from and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Jimmy Wales, Jeffrey Israel, Jason Kottke, Calvin Trillin and Kenneth Roth. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Matt Bai for an upcoming live or virtual event.

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