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:

How This Passover Feels Different For Many Jewish Americans

Monday, April 22, 2024

Nearly seven months into the war in the Middle East, many Jewish Americans will celebrate Passover in ways that address the trauma and divisions felt within that community.

An Investigative Journalist Is Rocked By the ‘Inconceivable Truth’ Of His Own Identity

Friday, April 19, 2024

Hear the first episode of the podcast Inconceivable Truth, about journalist Matt Katz’s journey for answers about his family and himself.

WNYC's Matt Katz Uncovers Family Secrets in New Podcast

Thursday, April 04, 2024

WNYC reporter Matt Katz didn't really know much about his father. He at least thought he knew who his father was, that is until he took a DNA test.

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Traffic jams, AirTags and GPS darts are all ways NY, NJ police are trying to stop car theft

Monday, March 25, 2024

WNYC
Police across the region say they are starting to curb a recent spike in car theft by using a slew of unconventional tactics.

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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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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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"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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Taking a 'Leap' on Leap Day, J. Kenji López-Alt and Deb Perelman on 'The Recipe,' The Foundation for Bolivian Artists, Sloane Crosley on Grieving Loss

Thursday, February 29, 2024

Celebrating Leap Day. J. Kenji López-Alt and Deb Perelman's new recipe. A concert supporting The Foundation for Bolivian Artists. Author Sloane Crosley. 

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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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