Jonathan Alter

Jonathan Alter (b. 1957, Chicago, Illinois) is a best-selling author, longtime television commentator, award-winning columnist, Emmy-winning documentary filmmaker and comedy producer.

Alter is the author of three New York Times bestsellers: "The Defining Moment: FDR's Hundred Days and the Triumph of Hope" (2006), named one of the New York Times 100 "Notable Books of the Year"; "The Promise: President Obama, Year One" (2010), which went to number three on the Times bestsellers list; and "The Center Holds: Obama and His Enemies" (2013). He is also the author of "Between the Lines: A View Inside American Politics, Media and Culture" (2008), a collection.

A former columnist and senior editor at Newsweek (1983-2011), Alter is a political analyst for NBC News and MSNBC. In 2019, he co-produced and co-directed "Breslin and Hamill: Deadline Artists," an HBO documentary, which won the 2020 Emmy for Best Historical Documentary. In 2013-2014, he co-produced, with Garry Trudeau, "Alpha House," an Amazon original comedy series. He lives in Montclair, New Jersey with his wife, Emily Lazar, a producer.