Jeff Zeleny Biography
Jeff Zeleny is an American journalist who is currently the Chief National Affairs Correspondent for CNN. Before joining CNN, he worked as a Senior Washington Correspondent for ABC News. During his newspaper career, Jeff won a Pulitzer Prize with the Chicago Tribune.
Zeleny attended Exeter High School, a public high school located in the small town of Exeter, Nebraska. As a student, Zeleny contributed sports stories to the York News Times in the neighboring York County.
Later on, Jeff joined the University of Nebraska where he studied journalism and political science, graduating in 1996. While at the University, Jeff was the editor of the Daily Nebraskan, the school’s newspaper. In addition, he played trumpet in the University of Nebraska Cornhusker Marching Band.
Jeff started working for The Des Moines Register in 1996 after interning for newspapers like The Wall Street Journal, the Florida Times-Union, and the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette in college. Although he always had a plan to be a sports reporter, subsequent political events led him to be a political specialist.
In 2000, Zeleny left to write for The Chicago Tribune where he covered the presidential campaigns in 200 and 2004. While working for the paper, he won the Pulitzer Prize for Explanatory Journalism for his work on a series about air traffic control problems nationwide.
Zeleny has also worked for The Associated Press, The Wall Street Journal, the Florida Times-Union, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, and the Lincoln Journal Star. He is a consistent panelist for ‘Washington Week on PBS.
In 2006, The New York Times hired him to cover politics, covering even the 2012 presidential elections for the paper, as the lead reporter. In February 2013, Jeff was hired by ABC News to serve as their Washington correspondent and file stories for the website. Later in May 2013, he was honored by The Stuttering Foundation.
Jeff Zeleny ABC
As part of the ABC News/Yahoo ‘Power Players’ video collection, Jeff also reports for ABC News Radio and all ABC News digital platforms, including a weekly chat program, ‘The Fine Print.’ During the 2014 elections, Jeff closely covered the Republican Party when the Senate was swept under control. He also reported live from Ferguson, Missouri, on the demonstrations in the aftermath of a police shooting that ignited a nationwide race relations debate.
Jeff has toured all 50 states during his career and has written from more than two dozen countries on six continents. He stands as one of the top political journalists in the world, recently reporting his fifth presidential race. Jeff was the national political correspondent for The New York Times prior to joining ABC News, where he was the primary reporter for the 2012 presidential race.
In 2008, Jeff covered Barack Obama’s path to the White House and his presidency. He also flew to Cairo in June 2009 to cover the first big speech of the President to the Muslim world and to Oslo to cover the Nobel Peace Prize-winning President. He was also the Chicago Tribune’s national political reporter until his tenure at the Times. While there, Jeff covered the 2004 presidential race and the George W. Bush administration’s first years.
Jeff joined CNN in March 2015, and in January 2017, he was named Senior White House Correspondent. In January 2021, Zeleny assumed his new role as the Chief National Affairs Correspondent.
Jeff Zeleny Age
How old is Jeff Zeleny? Zeleny is 49 years old as of 2023. He was born on June 10, 1973, in Exeter, Nebraska, the United States of America. In addition, he celebrates his birthday on June 10th every year and his birth sign is Gemini.
Jeff Zeleny Partner
Zeleny is openly gay. However, he has not disclosed the identity of his partner. We promise to keep you posted once the information is available in the public domain.
Jeff Zeleny Family
Zeleny is the son of Diane Naomi (née Yeck) and Robert Dean Zeleny. He has two older siblings brothers, James Robert Zeleny and Michael Jon Zeleny whom they grew up together. His family is of Czech ancestry.
Jeff Zeleny’s Height
Zeleny stands at an approximate height of around 5 feet 11 inches tall.
Jeff Zeleny’s Net Worth
Zeleny has an estimated net worth of $2 million. His income is mainly attributed to his career as a journalist.
Jeff Zeleny Salary
Zeleny earns an estimated annual salary of around $143,852.