Native obituary: Jeffrey Brodsky, 49, journalist and historian

Native Obituaries

Jeffrey H. Brodsky, of Manchester, New Hampshire, died on July 26, 2023.

Jeffrey H. Brodsky, an completed journalist and oral historian, handed away July 26, 2023 at age 49 at house in Manchester, New Hampshire after battling an aggressive type of Parkinson’s illness for the previous decade. He will likely be remembered by household and associates for his dynamic character, brave spirit, and deep loyalty to his family members. Those that met him, would always remember him.

Born and raised in Manchester, NH, Jeff confirmed his journalistic expertise at an early age. As editor-in chief of his highschool newspaper, he led the Manchester Central newspaper employees in reworking the scholar publication right into a broadsheet format primarily based on The Boston Globe, additionally including colour pictures, a revamped design and up to date typography. Jeff then secured excessive profile interviews with all 9 candidates for the 1992 Presidential election, together with the eventual winner Invoice Clinton. His efforts revitalized a stagnant circulation and elevated readership to make it the highest-circulated faculty newspaper within the nation at the moment.

Jeff was chosen as a nationwide columnist for Youth Information Service and was chosen by USA At this time to serve on their Advisory Board of Younger Adults, the place he wrote common commentary and op-ed items. Later, he was considered one of 20 college students chosen nationwide for the newspaper’s first teen panel. After working a controversial editorial concerning the transparency of pupil elections, his highschool newspaper was shut down. Jeff later rallied the state-wide press to get the paper reopened and testified earlier than the New Hampshire Home Judiciary committee in Harmony about pupil press rights.

When he was a junior in highschool, Jeff was chosen as an intern for the Chicago Solar Occasions to cowl the White Home beat and was the primary highschool pupil the Solar Occasions ever employed for that function. He repeated this feat as the primary highschool intern chosen by CNN for his or her Investigative Reporting Unit in DC, the place he researched tales, interviewed sources, and assisted on-air correspondents with in-depth evaluation. As well as, he held internships at USA At this time of their Particular Initiatives Division and on the States Information Service masking congressional delegations for US newspapers.

Jeff obtained his bachelor’s diploma in political science from Washington College in St. Louis. Following commencement, he was chosen as considered one of 12 college students worldwide for Columbia College’s inaugural Oral Historical past Masters Diploma program. For his signature oral historical past mission, he interviewed politicians about their first marketing campaign. Jeff carried out long-form interviews with over 84 governors, senators and heads of state together with Governor Mike Dukakis, Senator George McGovern, civil rights advocate Jesse Jackson, and Protection Secretary Donald Rumsfield, amongst many others. The completed historic retrospective was printed in a multipage function within the Washington Publish and on NPR. 

After graduating from Columbia with a Grasp’s in Oral Historical past, Jeff continued to interview leaders native and overseas, together with Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar, Peruvian President Alejandro Toledo, and future President Donald Trump. 

A few of Jeff’s different excessive profile interviews have been Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev, Israeli President Shimon Peres, Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Speaker of the Home Nancy Pelosi, Senator Bob Dole, Governor Eliot Spitzer, Governor Martin O’Malley, Mayor David Dinkins, Mayor Cory Booker, and Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Jeff was one of many final individuals to interview US Senator and 1972 Presidential Nominee George McGovern earlier than McGovern’s demise in 2012.

Throughout his profession, he carried out interviews with dozens of CEOs together with Richard Branson, Ted Turner, and Warren Buffett. 

Earlier than his sickness, Jeff was additionally a frequent interviewer on the Crimson Carpet, conducting interviews with celebrities together with Oprah, Madonna, Martha Stewart, Howard Stern, Jon Stewart, OJ Simpson, and Jerry Seinfeld. 

In 2015, Columbia College established the Jeffrey H. Brodsky Oral Historical past Award to honor future generations of journalists and historians in conducting revolutionary and excellent analysis. The factors for receiving the award is oral historical past work that makes an vital contribution to data and exemplifies rigor, creativity, and moral integrity. In 2021, Columbia additionally established a everlasting archive to catalog Jeff contributions to the fields of journalism and political interviewing.

Jeff’s journalism legacy additionally lives on in New Hampshire, the place he launched The Brodsky Prize in 2018, a university scholarship for highschool journalists throughout the state. Jeff’s imaginative and prescient was to encourage out-of-the-box efforts and innovation by a brand new era of pupil journalists.

Jeff was identified for his enterprising and artistic skill to safe interviews with extremely notable individuals. Even when not affiliated with a significant information outlet, he would go to artistic extremes to seize interviews with main politicians and world leaders.

A humorous spotlight from Jeff’s profession was his tenacious effort to acquire an interview with then sitting President Invoice Clinton. Jeff attended a service at Clinton’s church and, shortly after communion (which Jeff additionally took regardless of being Jewish), requested Clinton for an interview. Initially, the President was shocked by the situation of the interview request, however after the day’s sermon about forgiveness, Clinton reconsidered. As Clinton was leaving the Church, he signaled for Jeff to strategy the Presidential limo, and advised him to rearrange an interview together with his press secretary. 

Jeff made a deep impression on all who knew him. He was identified for his informal but extremely provocative interview fashion, asking questions that introduced out the “particular person behind the persona.” Roger Ebert mentioned Jeff “requested essentially the most clever questions,” asking “questions nobody has ever requested him earlier than”. Paula Abdul as soon as remarked Jeff “was the perfect interview” she ever had. Jeff carried out all interviews primarily based upon his personal analysis; nobody ever fed him questions.

Notable information personalities interviewed by Jeff embrace Katie Couric, Chris Matthews, Peter Kann, Sam Donaldson, Bob Schieffer, Larry King, Wolf Blitzer, George Stephanopoulos, Bob Schieffer, Brian Williams, Bob Costas, and Anderson Cooper, Peter Jennings, Dan Somewhat, and Tom Brokaw. 

Jeff’s work has appeared within the Boston Globe, Los Angeles Occasions, Related Press, USA At this time, Bloomberg Information and the Wall Road Journal. He has additionally made appearances on CNN, C-Span, and Nationwide Public Radio’s (NPR) Discuss of the Nation to debate his expertise interviewing politicians. 

Along with his profession as a journalist, Jeff was additionally the founder and director of Nationwide Scholastic Surveys, a polling and analysis agency devoted to gathering the opinions of highschool and faculty college students. He addressed the Nationwide Federation of Press Girls and the Nackey Loeb Faculty of Journalism in New Hampshire. He was profiled in two books: the Freedom Discussion board’s 1995 ebook about highschool journalism, “Dying by Cheeseburger,” and “America By the Numbers” by Les Krantz.

Jeff is survived by his father, Howard Brodsky of Manchester, NH, his mom Kathy Brodsky of Manchester, NH, his youthful brother Greg Brodsky of Boston, MA, and his nephews Oscar and Benjy Brodsky. His father, Howard Brodsky, is the co-founder of CCA World Companions primarily based in Manchester, NH. His mom Kathy, with whom Jeff shared his birthday, is a scientific social employee, poet, and well-known writer of a number of kids’s books. His total household will miss his brave spirit.

The household asks that donations be made to the Nackey S. Loeb Faculty of Communications, P.O. Field 4114 Manchester, NH 03108, in honor of Jeff Brodsky. There will likely be a non-public household burial. A service to recollect his life will likely be held at a later date; info will likely be posted at www.jeffbrodsky-memorial.com. To go away a message of condolence, please go to www.lambertfuneralhome.com.

This native obituary is printed by way of Legacy.com and Lambert Funeral Dwelling. Need a liked one’s obituary featured on Boston.com? Submit your obituary right here, or electronic mail it to [email protected].