Rick Stengel

Rick Stengel launched his distinguished journalism career by joining Time magazine in 1981, covering significant global events including South Africa and multiple U.S. presidential campaigns. His work also appeared in prominent publications such as The New Yorker and The New York Times, alongside frequent television commentary. Stengel authored ‘January Sun: One Day, Three Lives, A South African Town’ in 1990, and collaborated directly with Nelson Mandela from 1992 to 1994 on Mandela’s seminal autobiography, ‘Long Walk to Freedom’.

This collaboration extended to co-producing the documentary film ‘Mandela’ in 1996. He also taught as a Ferris Professor at Princeton in 1999 and was an original on-air contributor for MSNBC before serving as a senior advisor and chief speechwriter for Bill Bradley’s 2000 presidential campaign. Returning to Time in 2000, Stengel became the managing editor for Time.com, where he spearheaded digital news coverage. From 2004 to 2006, he served as President and CEO of the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, elevating its public profile, increasing endowment, and expanding programs, including establishing the Peter Jennings Institute for journalists.

He further expanded his authorship with ‘Information Wars: How we Lost the Battle Against Disinformation and What to Do About It,’ published in 2019, and released the Audible podcast ‘Mandela: The Lost Tapes’ in 2022. He is currently an on-air analyst for MSNBC and NBC, providing commentary on political news, and serves as a dedicated board member for CARE, a global humanitarian organization.