Matt Katz

Reporter, WNYC News

 

Matt Katz reports on air at WNYC about immigration, refugees, national security and hate. He covered New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie for more than five years, first for The Philadelphia Inquirer and then for WNYC and New Jersey Public Radio. He followed the governor through scandal and presidential candidacy and appeared weekly on WNYC Studios' Christie Tracker Podcast.

In 2015 Matt and a team from WNYC won a Peabody Award for their coverage of Christie and the Bridgegate scandal. The series -- Chris Christie, White House Ambitions and the Abuse of Power -- was WNYC's first Peabody for news coverage since 1944. In 2016, Matt's biography of Christie -- American Governor: Chris Christie's Bridge to Redemption -- was published by Simon & Schuster's Threshold Editions. Matt's experience covering Christie also shaped his 2016 TedX talk, Political Deceit in a Social Media Age

Matt has written about politics for The Washington Post, The New York Times, The New Republic and POLITICO. Before covering the Statehouse in Trenton he spent time in Afghanistan, writing a series on reconstruction efforts for The Philadelphia Inquirer that won the Livingston Award for International Reporting for journalists under the age of 35. In 2009 his four-part investigation about Camden set the stage for an end to the state's takeover of city government. Prior to that, he was an award-winning reporter and syndicated dating columnist at The Courier-Post in New Jersey. He started his career covering local school board, zoning and council meetings for The Daily Record in New Jersey. 

Matt has two young children, Sadie and Reuben, who listen to a lot of WNYC. Find him on Twitter @mattkatz00Read more of Matt's latest reporting on Gothamist.

Matt Katz appears in the following:

Pasta Enthusiast Dan Pashman on 'Anything's Pastable' Cookbook

Monday, March 04, 2024

Pasta Enthusiast Dan Pashman on 'Anything's Pastable' Cookbook

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Caring for the Mother Who Abandoned Her (Mental Health Mondays)

Monday, March 04, 2024

Caring for the Mother Who Abandoned Her (Mental Health Mondays)

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"Brooklyn Laundry" Stars Cecily Strong and David Zayas and Playwright John Patrick Shanley

Friday, March 01, 2024

"Brooklyn Laundry" Stars Cecily Strong and David Zayas and Playwright John Patrick Shanley

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Working to Make Set Design More Inclusive

Friday, March 01, 2024

Working to Make Set Design More Inclusive

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'Maestro' Cinematographer Matthew Libatique on Shooting the Life of Leonard Bernstein (The Big Picture)

Wednesday, February 28, 2024

For the biopic, "Maestro," cinematographer Matthew Libatique had to work in black and white and color, capture intense conducting scenes, and journey through decades of time.

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Daymé Arocena's 'Alkemi' (Listening Party)

Wednesday, February 28, 2024

Last week, Afro-Cuban singer Daymé Arocena dropped her first full-length project in five years.

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A Spring TV Preview

Wednesday, February 28, 2024

Vulture TV Critic and friend of the show Kathryn VanArendonk joins to preview her picks for the best Spring TV shows to watch.

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Plantcare Calls As Spring Approaches

Wednesday, February 28, 2024

It's time to start thinking about how to help your houseplants and outdoor garden maximize the longer days and warmer weather.

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Jami Attenberg's Advice for Writers

Tuesday, February 27, 2024

Novelist Jami Attenberg joins us to dispense her valuable advice to writers and aspiring writers everywhere on how to stay motivated, perfect your craft, and actually get published.

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Your Neighborhood Gems

Tuesday, February 27, 2024

WNYC's Community Partnerships Desk captures stories from across the New York metro area. 

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Erick the Architect's Solo Debut (Listening Party)

Tuesday, February 27, 2024

Erick the Architect, influential hip hop producer, rapper, and one half of the Brooklyn duo Flatbush Zombies, released his debut solo album last Friday. 

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A Debut Novel Imagines a Future that Includes Reparations

Tuesday, February 27, 2024

In the debut novel from author Maura Cheeks set in a fictional version of America where the House passes reparations passed in the Forgiveness Act.

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Man who has lived in NYC for a half-century fighting a deportation order to a country he’s never been to

Friday, August 11, 2023

The federal government has spent the last three years trying to deport a Queens man to Haiti because of a crime he was convicted of 31 years ago. He has never been to Haiti. 

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Judge to consider federal takeover of Rikers Island jails

Friday, August 11, 2023

A federal judge in Manhattan yesterday officially agreed to hear arguments about taking control of Rikers Island jails away from Mayor Eric Adams. 

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Feds call for takeover of NYC jail system as humanitarian crisis at Rikers spirals

Tuesday, July 18, 2023

Mayor Adams may lose a chunk of his power if city jails are taken away from him.

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What's in the City's $107 Billion Budget?

Friday, June 30, 2023

“Unlike the Yankees," the mayor said, "it was not a perfect game."

What's in the City's $107 Billion Budget?; The Big Picture on NYC Public Safety; The USDA Clears "Lab Grown" Meat; Opinion Day

Friday, June 30, 2023

A look at the New York City budget deal; Public safety solutions and supervised release; How meat is grown in a lab and its implications; the final cases of this Supreme Court term.

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NYC's supervised release program swelled after bail reform. Now it may be overwhelmed.

Wednesday, June 21, 2023

A city program aimed at helping people accused of crimes stay out of jail, show up for court and avoid rearrest has exploded in recent years in the wake of bail reform. 

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A federal judge has opened the door for a possible federal takeover of Rikers Island jails

Wednesday, June 14, 2023

A federal judge has opened the door for a possible federal takeover of Rikers Island jails. Morning Edition host Michael Hill WNYC spoke to public safety reporter Matt Katz about it. 

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Federal monitor concerned about lack of information about Rikers dangers, deaths

Tuesday, June 13, 2023

A series of disturbing recent incidents at Rikers Island is the focus of a federal court hearing.

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