Age, Biography and Wiki

Jonathan Alter (Jonathan H. Alter) was born on 6 October, 1957 in Chicago, Illinois, U.S., is an American journalist, author, documentary filmmaker, and television producer. Discover Jonathan Alter's Biography, Age, Height, Physical Stats, Dating/Affairs, Family and career updates. Learn How rich is he in this year and how he spends money? Also learn how he earned most of networth at the age of 66 years old?

Popular As Jonathan H. Alter
Occupation Journalist author
Age 66 years old
Zodiac Sign Libra
Born 6 October, 1957
Birthday 6 October
Birthplace Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Nationality United States

We recommend you to check the complete list of Famous People born on 6 October. He is a member of famous Journalist with the age 66 years old group.

Jonathan Alter Height, Weight & Measurements

At 66 years old, Jonathan Alter height not available right now. We will update Jonathan Alter's Height, weight, Body Measurements, Eye Color, Hair Color, Shoe & Dress size soon as possible.

Physical Status
Height Not Available
Weight Not Available
Body Measurements Not Available
Eye Color Not Available
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Who Is Jonathan Alter's Wife?

His wife is Emily Lazar (m. 1986)

Family
Parents Joanne Alter (mother)
Wife Emily Lazar (m. 1986)
Sibling Not Available
Children 3, including Charlotte Alter

Jonathan Alter Net Worth

His net worth has been growing significantly in 2023-2024. So, how much is Jonathan Alter worth at the age of 66 years old? Jonathan Alter’s income source is mostly from being a successful Journalist. He is from United States. We have estimated Jonathan Alter's net worth, money, salary, income, and assets.

Net Worth in 2024 $1 Million - $5 Million
Salary in 2024 Under Review
Net Worth in 2023 Pending
Salary in 2023 Under Review
House Not Available
Cars Not Available
Source of Income Journalist

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Timeline

1922

Alter was raised in a Jewish family in Chicago, the son of James Alter (1922–2014), who owned a refrigeration and air-conditioning company, and Joanne (née Hammerman) (1927–2008), who was an elected commissioner of the Metropolitan Sanitary District of Greater Chicago and a member of the Democratic National Committee.

His mother was the first woman in the Chicago area to be elected to public office.

1957

Jonathan H. Alter (born October 6, 1957) is a liberal American journalist, best-selling author, Emmy-winning documentary filmmaker and television producer who was a columnist and senior editor for Newsweek magazine from 1983 until 2011.

1975

He graduated from Phillips Academy in 1975 and Harvard University in 1979, where he was one of the lead editors on the Harvard Crimson.

1980

For a decade in the 1980s, Alter was Newsweek's media critic, where he was among the first in the mainstream media to break tradition and hold other news organizations accountable for their coverage, a precursor to the role later played by blogs.

1991

When Newsweek launched his wide-ranging column in 1991, it was the first time the magazine allowed regular political commentary in the magazine, other than on the back page.

1992

After Bill Clinton was elected president in 1992, during which time Alter was a consultant to MTV, he was among a small group of reporters and columnists who had regular access to Clinton, though he was far from a reliable supporter, particularly during the Monica Lewinsky scandal.

"Alter bites me in the ass sometimes, but at least he knows what we're trying to do," Clinton was quoted as saying in the book Media Circus by The Washington Post's Howard Kurtz.

1996

Alter is a contributing correspondent to NBC News, where since 1996 he has appeared on NBC, MSNBC, and CNBC.

In 2021, Alter launched a newsletter called "Old Goats: Ruminating With Friends", where he has conversations with accomplished people who share their wisdom and experience.

2000

Alter gained international notoriety on November 7, 2000, the night of the presidential election, when on NBC with Tim Russert and Tom Brokaw, he claimed that the election would be settled in court.

He was the first pundit to predict the months-long recount process.

Two months after the September 11 attacks, Alter wrote an article for Newsweek called "Time to think about torture" which became one of his best-known articles.

In the column, he suggested that the U.S. might need to "rethink ... old assumptions about law enforcement".

Stating that "some torture clearly works", he suggested the nation should "keep an open mind about certain measures to fight terrorism, like court-sanctioned psychological interrogation", and consider transferring some prisoners to other countries with less stringent rules on torture.

While Alter did not explicitly advocate physical torture, he later wrote in his book Between the Lines that he regretted writing the article.

Alter was a fierce critic of President George W. Bush, emphasizing what he considered Bush's lack of accountability and his position on embryonic stem cell research.

Alter, a cancer survivor, has written about his own bout with lymphoma and experience with an autologous adult stem cell transplant.

2003

Despite calling Bush's tone "destructive to American interests," Alter supported Bush's invasion of Iraq, writing in February 2003, "Osama Bin Laden hit us on 9/11 because he thought we were soft and would not respond. Weakness now would further embolden Saddam Hussein."

On NBC's Today Show, Alter was the correspondent for several stories about the effect of the Iraq War on returning veterans.

The Defining Moment, which was reviewed respectfully, surprised some critics with its analysis which concluded that the United States had come very close to dictatorship before Franklin D. Roosevelt became president, painting him as the savior of American democracy and capitalism.

2004

A veteran of Chicago politics, Alter has known former President Barack Obama and his closest confidantes for as long as nearly any national columnist, having published the first national magazine cover story on Obama in Newsweek's 2004 "Who's Next Issue."

Alter currently hosts a radio show with his children, "Alter Family Politics," as part of Andy Cohen's 24-hour network, Radio Andy, Channel 102 on Sirius XM.

2008

During an interview with 60 Minutes on November 14, 2008, then-President-elect Barack Obama said he had recently been reading The Defining Moment and hoped to apply some of Roosevelt's strategies that were outlined in the book into his own administration.

A longtime proponent of education reform, Alter played a major role in the Academy Award-nominated documentary Waiting for "Superman".

He also sits on the Board of Directors of The 74, an education news website.

He also has received honorary degrees from Utica College (2008), Montclair State University (2009), and William Paterson University (2019).

2009

In 2009, Alter was the commencement speaker at Western Connecticut State University, which awarded him an honorary doctorate.

2011

In April 2011, Alter left Newsweek, joining Bloomberg days after.

Alter was an executive producer of the Amazon Studios show Alpha House, starring John Goodman.

Written by Doonesbury creator Garry Trudeau, the comedy series revolves around four Republican U.S. Senators who live together in a townhouse on Capitol Hill.

After developing the script with Trudeau, Alter sold the pilot to Amazon, which picked up the show as its first original series.

The show ran for two seasons, with a total of 21 episodes.

2013

In 2013 and 2014, Alter served as an executive producer on the Amazon Studios production Alpha House, which starred John Goodman, Mark Consuelos, Clark Johnson, and Matt Malloy.

Alter's other books are The Center Holds: Obama and His Enemies (2013), The Promise: President Obama, Year One (2010), which went to number three on the New York Times Bestsellers List, Between The Lines: A View Inside American Politics, People and Culture (2008), and The Defining Moment: FDR's Hundred Days and the Triumph of Hope (2006), a New York Times Notable Book of the Year.

2019

In 2019, he co-produced and co-directed Breslin and Hamill: Deadline Artists," a documentary about the columnists Jimmy Breslin and Pete Hamill, which received the 2020 Emmy Award for Outstanding Historical Documentary.

The 2019 HBO film Breslin and Hamill: Deadline Artists was co-produced and co-directed by Alter, with Steve McCarthy and John Block.

2020

Alter has written several books about American presidents, most recently His Very Best: Jimmy Carter, a Life, published in 2020, the first independent biography of Carter.

The documentary was the winner of the 2020 Emmy Award for Outstanding Historical Documentary, and is available on HBO Max.

Alter lives in Montclair, New Jersey, with his wife, Emily Lazar, a former executive producer of the Comedy Central show The Colbert Report, and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and a longtime television news talent producer.