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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An Iowa man was nearly deported into a war zone. On this episode, how families are caught in the middle of third-country deportation. First, we hear from Midwest Newsroom reporting fellow Steph Conquest-Ware on families in limbo under the third-country deportation policy. We also talk about tips on how to protect yourself from this summer's fast-spreading cyclospora outbreak with disease prevention specialist Jennifer Miller. We hear from Guthrie Center RAGBRAI organizer Mike Underwood, as the town readies to host tens of thousands overnight on RAGBRAI. And, after 12 years at the helm, a conversation with IPR’s outgoing CEO Myrna Johnson. Then, IPR’s Erin Fuller grooves us into the weekend. -
Two years, eight thousand miles, and according to a new book, a lot more heroes than just Lewis and Clark. On this episode, we talk with historian and author Craig Fehrman. He spent five years chasing down the real story behind the famous expedition, and found it wasn't just their story. His new book, 'This Vast Enterprise: A New History of Lewis & Clark,' rebuilds the history through 10 different voices, exploring new perspectives of American history.
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President Donald Trump reverses course to endorse Zach Lahn. On this Politics Day episode, we take stock of the Iowa governor's race. We talk with political scientists Donna Hoffman of the University of Northern Iowa and Kelly Winfrey of Iowa State University. We also preview Trump’s primetime address, talk about ICE shootings across the country, the scramble to replace Graham Platner in the Maine U.S. Senate race and more.
