Stephen Reader covers politics for It's a Free Country, WNYC's interactive politics site. He joined the station in 2010 and has also worked for Studio 360, WNYC's Peabody Award-winning show about art, culture, and creativity.
Stephen got his start in radio at the College of William & Mary, where he was a DJ and Music Director for the student-run station WCWM. He was a frequent contributor to the station's music magazine Vinyl Tap, and continues to do occasional freelance work in arts and entertainment. His work has appeared on Studio 360, where he also helped produce a piece on Jimi Hendrix for the show's American Icons series, and in The Awl.
As a political reporter, Stephen has covered redistricting, gay marriage legalization, and Egyptian solidarity protests in New York. At the national level, Stephen has covered 2012 electoral politics, campaign finance, health care reform, budget debates, tax policy, and more. He has produced features for the WNYC newsroom and has been a guest on The Takeaway, WNYC's national morning news show.
Born in New Orleans, raised in Virginia, Stephen has a degree from the College of William & Mary. He's on Twitter @reader_stephen.
Blogs:
Stephen Reader appears in the following:
Aha Moment: John Darnielle and Black Sabbath
Thursday, June 25, 2015
Two Ways Sequestration Could Mess Up Our Summer
Friday, February 22, 2013
Fleet Week hasn’t been cancelled. At least not yet.
Teachers Often Less Satisfied with a School Than Parents
Monday, February 11, 2013
SEE | Sandy by the Numbers
Monday, January 28, 2013
We've collected key numbers around the Sandy story, three months after the storm.
Digging Through Dog Data: What Do You See?
Thursday, January 24, 2013
We’re open sourcing our dog data. Dig through the complete dog license registry and tell us what you find.
NYC's Top Dogs: Mapping Names & Breeds in the City
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
If you own a dog in New York City, odds are it’s a mutt named Max.
Best of the Year: Our 2012 Editor's Picks
Friday, December 21, 2012
Whether we were stepping back to look at the big picture on housing foreclosures nationwide, or getting micro by visiting a 105-square foot studio apartment in the West Village, 2012 was a year of finding fresh angles for the news, and unexpected ways to tell you about it.
Tax Reform Options Spread Pain Differently for New Yorkers
Friday, December 21, 2012
As a compromise remains out of reach for President Obama and John Boehner on how to revamp spending and tax policies in 2013, a new analysis looks at five different scenarios for tax reform and how each would affect the annual bills paid by New Yorkers.
Area of Expected Flooding Rises for NJ
Friday, December 14, 2012
New flood maps for New Jersey predict water levels to climb several feet higher than previous estimates when major storms strike the state.
Fiscal Cliff Cuts Would be Deepest for New York's Disadvantaged
Thursday, December 06, 2012
New York stands to take a $600 million hit in 2013 if Congress fails to avert automatic spending cuts slated for January, which would fall disproportionately on poor and middle-income New Yorkers, according to a new study.
Stories from the Storm
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
It's been almost a month since Sandy, a storm for the record books. WNYC checks in with some of the many people we met while reporting on the aftermath.
5 Things We Learned From Obama’s First-in-Five-Months Press Conference
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Until Wednesday, President Obama hadn't faced questions from a room full of reporters since June. What did they want to know?
New Yorkers in Congress Prep to Bat for Cuomo's $30 Billion Ask
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
New York Congresswoman Nita Lowey says she'll work to convince House Republicans to accept Gov. Andrew Cuomo's request for $30 billion in additional aid for Sandy recovery.
Cuomo Seeks $30 Billion in Extra Storm Aid from Feds
Monday, November 12, 2012
Citing massive economic losses to the state of New York, Governor Andrew Cuomo is asking Congress for $30 billion in additional funding for Sandy recovery.
New York Welcomes the Big Buck Hunter World Championships
Friday, November 09, 2012
Yes, New York, Big Buck Hunter - the venerable bar video game - has a world championship. Meet two women determined to win it.
Play | Foreign Policy Debate Bingo!
Monday, October 22, 2012
Watching the debate tonight? Why not watch and chat with us while we play interactive debate bingo! Get a fresh card, fill in your tiles as the candidates (or moderators) call out your terms, and tweet out when you've got a winner. Got beef with what constitutes a tile? Come chat it out or hash it out at #debatebingo.
See the Top-Rated Middle Schools in Your District
Monday, October 22, 2012
See which middle schools are the top-rated based on their overall progress report scores. We've charted the top three in each school district in time for the school tours and admissions process.
Explainer: Is Oil Production Really Down 14 Percent?
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Mitt Romney was correct that domestic oil production decreased 14 percent in one year, but that's nowhere close to the whole story.
Play | Town Hall Debate Bingo!
Monday, October 15, 2012
Watching the presidential town hall debate? Why not watch and chat with us while we play interactive debate bingo! Get a fresh card, fill in your tiles as the candidates (or moderators) call out your terms, and tweet out when you've got a winner. Got beef with what constitutes a tile? Come chat it out or hash it out at #debatebingo.
So, How Rich Are Our Lawmakers?
Tuesday, October 09, 2012
An analysis by the Washington Post shows just how wealthy our legislators in Congress really are. How does the tri-state delegation stack up?
