Jonathan Capehart


Jonathan T. Capehart is an American journalist and television personality. He writes for The Washington Post's PostPartisan blog and is a contributor for MSNBC.

Background

Capehart grew up in Newark, New Jersey, and attended Saint Benedict's Preparatory School. He received a B.A. in political science from Carleton College.

Career

Before his work with The Washington Post and MSNBC, Capehart was a researcher for NBC's The Today Show. Subsequently, he worked for the New York Daily News, serving as a member of its editorial board from 1993 to 2000. At the time of his hiring, Capehart was youngest-ever member of that newspaper's editorial board. In 2000, he left the NYDN to work at Bloomberg News and afterward, he advised and wrote speeches for Michael Bloomberg during Bloomberg's 2001 run for the mayoralty of New York City. In 2002, he returned to the NYDN, serving as deputy editor of the editorial page until 2004. In December 2004, Capehart joined the global public relations company Hill & Knowlton as a Senior Vice President and senior counselor of public affairs.
He joined the staff of The Washington Post as a journalist and editorial board member in 2007. He currently serves in that capacity, in addition to being a contributing commentator for MSNBC. In addition, he hosts the "Cape Up" podcast where he talks to newsmakers about race, religion, age, gender, and cultural identity in politics.
In 2018, Capehart began guest hosting the WNYC radio show Midday on WNYC.
In 2019, as a Washington Post columnist, Capehart attacked a teen, Nicholas Sandman, in multiple columns. Sandman was attending a pro-life event in Washington DC, A $250 million defamation lawsuit was filed against the Post for its coverage of incidents at the event. In July 2020 the Post settled the lawsuit with Sandman for an undisclosed amount.

Awards

Capehart was a key contributor to a New York Daily News staff entry that received the Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Writing in 1999. The series of editorials condemned the financial mismanagement of Harlem's Apollo Theater.
He was a 2011 Esteem Honoree, a distinction given to individuals in recognition of efforts in supporting the African American and LGBT communities in the areas of entertainment, media, civil rights, business, and art.

Views

Capehart has analyzed how, in concurrence with the work of Jonathan Metzl, white identity affects state-based policy making in the US, such as gun rights in Missouri and health care in Tennessee.

Personal life

In May 2016, Capehart became engaged to his boyfriend of over five years, Nick Schmit, who was the assistant chief of protocol at the State Department. On January 7, 2017, Capehart and Schmit were married by former U.S. attorney general Eric Holder.