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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On this episode we listen to highlights from a conversation with political scientist Jeffrey Winters of Northwestern University. His book, 'The Blind Spot: How Oligarchs Dominate Our Democracy,' examines the failure of democracy to address wealth inequality, why it's by design. This conversation was recorded at The Englert Theatre, presented by the Iowa City Foreign Relations Council. (This episode was originally produced May 19, 2026.) -
In this archive episode, host Ben Kieffer speaks with two members of the 'Planet Money team' about their new book. Then, the SAVE America Act has been called the most sweeping change to American voting law in decades if it goes into effect. Supporters say it's about election security, while critics say it could disenfranchise eligible voters. Guests explore what the legislation would it actually mean for Iowans at the polls and for the people who run our elections. (This show was originally produced April 7, 2026.)
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How does family's private tragedy relate to 70 years of history? On this episode, we talk with journalist and author Paige Towers about her new book 'What They Stole: A Familicide Rooted in Intercountry Adoption.' It investigates the 2008 murder-suicide of the Sueppel family in Iowa City and how that tragedy sheds light on the fraught history of international adoptions in America.
