Ben Kieffer
River to River HostExpertise: Interviewing, news and politics, scientific research, history and literature, all in order to help IPR listeners and readers better understand, appreciate and explore their state
Education: Bachelors degree from the University of Iowa
Favorite Iowa Destination: Anywhere where there's swimming, hiking or biking!
Experience:
- Has served as a talk show and podcast host for IPR and WSUI/KSUI
- Has been the host of River to River since 2007
- Hosted IPR's weekly live music/talk show Java Blend from 2000 to 2017
- Is a multi-award-winning host and reporter
- Has created and hosted many regular segments and series, including "Leaving Afghanistan," a series of interviews with US veterans of the Afghanistan War, "Politics Wednesday," "Big Brain," a talk show that tackled life's little questions, "News Buzz" and "Groove into the Weekend"
- Has interviewed major political candidates and elected leaders, including former US Ambassador to China Terry Branstad, former Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, former U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin, Sen. Chuck Grassley, Sen. Joni Ernst, former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and former Vice President Kamala Harris, among others
- Worked in Europe for more than a decade as a journalist, translator and consultant
- Reported firsthand in 1989 on the fall of the Berlin Wall and from Prague on the Velvet Revolution
- Hosted a weekly radio magazine about European politics, science and culture, carried by public radio stations across North America from 1990 - 1993
- Serves as an adjunct faculty member at the University of Iowa, teaching courses on interviewing techniques, radio journalism, politics and storytelling
- First started in public radio in the mid-1980s as a student announcer on WSUI
Contact Ben at bkieffer@iowapublicradio.org.
My Latest Stories
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Myrna Johnson steered IPR through the pandemic, the transition to an independent nonprofit and through the loss of federal funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. -
The Archdiocese of Dubuque is ending weekend Mass at 76 of its 160 parishes. The Journey in Faith initiative aims to create a sustainable future for the archdiocese, which is facing a decline in Mass attendance. -
Plenty of kids dream of being an astronaut and exploring space. These Iowans landed their far-out jobs working with NASA and being involved with the Orion Artemis II mission.
My Latest Podcasts
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All but two of the University of Iowa’s Center for Intellectual Freedom advisory council members resigned this week. On this episode, we find out why from 'Gazette' reporter Vanessa Miller. Then, we talk with Robin Opsahl of the Iowa Capitol Dispatch about President Trump's lawsuit over the Iowa Poll. A court orders the state to reopen its historical research center in Iowa City. We hear from IPR's Maura Curran about this decision. We also talk with Mark Licht of Iowa State University about what a soggy September means for harvest. Then, we meet Wame Molefhe, a writer in residence from Botswana. And IPR’s Tony Dehner grooves us into the weekend. -
More than 10,000 Iowans are living with Parkinson's disease — and one state senator believes a common weed killer may be part of the story. On this episode, we talk with state Sen. Art Staed, D-Cedar Rapids, who was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2024. He's been pushing to ban paraquat, a widely used herbicide tied to higher Parkinson's risk. Luke Nozicka of The Midwest Newsroom joins us to discuss his reporting on the debate over banning paraquat, and we hear from Iowan Nate Peterson who believes his own diagnosis traces back to paraquat exposure. Peterson was diagnosed with Parkinson's at age 34. Later, a conversation with 1st Congressional District candidate Democrat Christina Bohannan. Bohannan is running against incumbent Republican Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.
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On this Politics Day episode, we hear from political scientists Sara Mitchell of the University of Iowa and Dave Peterson of Iowa State. We discuss Vice President JD Vance's visit to Council Bluffs, Trump's address to the UN, the White House banning three news organizations from official events and more.
