About
Margaret Talev is a Professor of Practice in Magazine, News and Digital Journalism at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, Syracuse University. She serves as Kramer Director of the Institute for Democracy, Journalism and Citizenship, a joint initiative with the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. Based in Washington, D.C., she combines academic leadership with ongoing media roles as a CNN political analyst and senior contributor at Axios.
Her career includes 30 years of political journalism, including senior White House roles at Bloomberg News and McClatchy Newspapers. She won the Scripps Howard Raymond Clapper Memorial Award for exposing Justice Department politicization. Talev holds a degree from the University of Maryland and has taught at Harvard’s Kennedy School. She previously led Axios’ political coverage as managing editor and chairs the White House Correspondents’ Association and Washington Press Club Foundation.
Research interests focus on democracy’s intersection with journalism, media’s role in governance, and ethical reporting practices. Her professional experience spans major institutions like the Los Angeles Times and Tampa Tribune, reflecting expertise in campaign coverage (Trump, Obama, Clinton), congressional reporting, and media ethics.
Professional contributions include advisory roles to academic institutions and media organizations, emphasizing civic engagement through journalism education. Current initiatives at Syracuse aim to strengthen democratic processes via collaborative research and public discourse platforms.
