J. Ben Bradford
J. Ben Bradford covers the Bronx River Houses in Soundview, the Bronx.
Ben, 28, was born in Washington, D.C. but refers to the San Francisco Bay Area, where he was raised, as home. His six years in between graduating from UCLA in 2005 and enrolling at the Columbia Journalism School in 2011 took him through a wide variety of jobs and experiences.
Ben completed his studies at UCLA with a B.A. in theater and spent the next three years living in Los Angeles. Throughout that time, he worked as a caterer, bartender, bouncer, actor, teacher, choreographer, and stunt man. In 2008, he decided to shift his focus towards public service and returned to his birthplace of Washington, D.C.
While in D.C., Ben volunteered for the Obama campaign and the non-profit group Human Rights Watch. The latter led to a temporary job at the same organization as a consultant. From there, he moved onto an entry-level job with U.S. Rep. Anna Eshoo, the representative for California’s 14th district. Five months later, he was promoted to Eshoo’s press secretary.
Ben worked with many reporters in his new position and eventually found that he liked their jobs better than his. Specifically, he envied their opportunity to cover a story from multiple angles. This was the biggest factor in his decision to apply to and attend the Columbia Journalism School, where he is currently pursuing his master’s.
You can follow Ben on Twitter @JBenBradford.
