Jeremy Scahill Biography

Journalist Jeremy Scahill was born in 1974 in Milwaukee, Wisconson. Raised in a household highly attuned to social issues and politics, Jeremy was greatly influenced by the activism of his parents, and so it was no surprise that upon entering adulthood he would pursue a career in journalism. His first real gig was as a correspondent for the show Democracy Now!, also serving as the show’s producer.

Scahill received a George Polk Award for his work on the show in 1998. Shortly thereafter, Jeremy began extensive reporting on the Iraq War, frequently reporting from the country on a variety of war-related issues. The experience led to his critically acclaimed coverage of the 1999 bombing of Serbia and the arrest of the country’s former president Milosevic. In the new millennium, Jeremy Scahill has focused extensively on the War on Terror, reporting from Iraq, Afghanistan, Yemen, and Somalia. His criticism of a number of military issues, including the use of private contractors, are reflected in his award-winning and best-selling book Blackwater: The Rise of the World’s Most Powerful Mercenary Army.

Jeremy Scahill has become known for reporting which sparks genuine change and positive disruption; a number of his reports have even resulted in investigations at the Congressional level, from the controversy over extrajudicial killings to secret CIA-run prisons located around the world. Scahill’s work has earned him innumerous awards and recognitions, including an Izzy Award and a 2003 Golden Reel Award. Scahill is also the recipient of the Windham-Campbell Prize for Literature.

Jeremy Scahill can be seen regularly on such programs as Real Time with Bill Maher, The Rachel Maddow Show, The Daily Show, and ABC World News. Scahill still serves as a correspondent for the Nation magazine and serves as a fellow at the Nation Institute. Most recently, Jeremy Scahill produced the documentary film Dirty Wars, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2013.