Ben Johnson

Former Host, Marketplace Tech and Codebreaker

SHORT BIO

Ben Johnson is the former host of Marketplace Tech and the podcast Codebreaker. He joined Marketplace in 2012 and became the host of Marketplace Tech in early 2014.

Ben started his career in journalism in 2003, working as a features and general assignment reporter for the Day newspaper in New London, Connecticut. While there, he won a regional award for feature writing and was recruited to write a weekly entertainment column for the Tribune Media Service. In 2006, Ben relocated to New York City to be an entertainment and music reporter at the Staten Island Advance newspaper, where he soon moved into hard news, working the cops beat and as a weekend city desk editor.

In 2010, he began to work as a freelance web producer at the Takeaway, a national radio show produced out of New York’s WNYC Radio in partnership with WGBH, The New York Times and the BBC. Ben went on to be a freelance radio producer at WNYC, serving as the digital editor for the Takeaway while also doing live and features reporting for the station on everything from Occupy Wall Street to New York's last functioning ship graveyard. While working at WNYC, Ben started blogging for Slate Magazine's breaking news blog, the Slatest.

In 2012, Ben left WNYC to manage a partnership between Slate and YouTube, producing daily breaking news videos and other content for SlateV, the magazine's video department. He also wrote regularly for Slate's Future Tense blog and drew the extreme ire of his fellow Radiohead fans by asking the band to stop touring.

Ben doesn't like to brag about it, but over the years, he has interviewed Jay Z, Hillary Clinton, Luciano Pavarotti, FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler, Josh Homme, Biz Stone, Guy Kawasaki, Col. Chris Hadfield, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Neil Young and more. He enjoys and engages in ’80s movie references, plus pie baking and high-fives. His Twitter feed has never been polluted by a subtweet. His interest in swimming knows no bounds, especially if there is a high dive and a high-five involved.

 

Latest Stories (245)

Lending ones' eyes via smartphone

Feb 9, 2015
A new app helps the blind by connecting them to sighted volunteers.

In prison, a cellphone is a dangerous weapon

Feb 4, 2015
For prison officials, blocking inmates' cellphone use is a top priority.

How an algorithm is taught to be prejudiced

Feb 3, 2015
Algorithms may be learning stereotypes – and abetting data discrimination.

A responsible approach to artificial intelligence

Jan 26, 2015
Some say we need to understand how AI can be harmful, even if it isn’t right now.

So, who's behind the online black market Silk Road?

Jan 19, 2015
Ross Ulbricht, the alleged mastermind, claims he was set up.

Google stops Glass production, at least for now

Jan 16, 2015
"Everybody who touched the Glass did not become an evangelist." That was a problem.

Barcode license plates? Try mass traffic surveillance

Jan 15, 2015
Our roads feature scarier technology than the streets of "Back to the Future II."

Tech's favorite metric may be broken

Jan 13, 2015
Measuring monthly active users online may no longer be the end-all, be-all.

Does a big user base mean big success?

Jan 13, 2015
A conversation on measuring the merits of metrics.