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
-
Ben Kieffer talks with Rep. Ashley Hinson, Republican candidate for U.S. Senate. She discusses affordability, national security, healthcare and other key issues. The contest with Democratic nominee Josh Turek is one of the most competitive Senate races in the country. -
Ben Kieffer talks with Lindsay James, the Democratic candidate for Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District. James is facing Republican candidate Joe Mitchell in the general election. The two discuss affordability, the war in Iran, cancer rates in Iowa and other key issues. -
Ben Kieffer talks 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. The two discuss affordability, immigration, healthcare and other key issues.
My Latest Podcasts
-
After Tuesday's gubernatorial and congressional losses, Republicans' hold on Iowa has been severely shaken. On this episode, Ben Kieffer talks with long-time Republican strategist Eric Woolson about what went wrong and where the GOP should go from here. He also reviews Tuesday's results with IPR's Tom Barton, discusses a new setback for the University of Iowa's Center for Intellectual Freedom with The Gazette's Vanessa Miller and covers Iowa's measles outbreak with the state medical director. Then, we learn what makes Ames water taste so good, and Tressa Glass grooves us into the weekend. -
Iowa Democrats had a big night Tuesday. On this episode, we discuss what happened in our neighboring states in the midterm elections. We hear from Makenzie Huber of South Dakota Searchlight, Rich Kremer of Wisconsin Public Radio, Jason Rosenbaum of St. Louis Public Radio, Peter Cox of Minnesota Public Radio, Fred Knapp of Nebraska Public Media, and Ben Szalinski of Capitol News Illinois.
-
Democrats had a big night nationally and in Iowa this midterm election, flipping the governor's office, a U.S. Senate seat and three U.S. House seats. On this Politics Day episode, experts Megan Goldberg and Dave Peterson join us to discuss these wins and others around the country, and how this will shape Congress and the next two years of President Donald Trump's administration.
