Kara Swisher

Kara Swisher
Swisher at South by Southwest, 2019
Kara Swisher
Born	Kara Anne Swisher 11 12, 1962
Birthplace	United States
Nationality	American
Occupation	Journalist, podcast host, author
Known for	Co-founding Recode, All Things Digital, On with Kara Swisher podcast, Pivot podcast
Education	Georgetown University (BS) Columbia University (MS)
Spouse(s)	Template:Plainlist
Awards	Gerald Loeb Award

Kara Anne Swisher (born December 11, 1962) is an American journalist, podcast host, and author who has covered the technology industry and the business of the internet since 1994. Over a career spanning more than three decades, she has become one of the most prominent chroniclers of Silicon Valley, known for conducting direct and often confrontational interviews with chief executives and technology leaders. She co-founded Recode, a technology news website under Vox Media, with Walt Mossberg in 2014, and previously co-produced the influential All Things Digital conference and its associated online publication, All Things D. From 2018 to 2022, Swisher served as an opinion writer for The New York Times. As of 2026, she is a contributing editor at New York Magazine, a contributor to CNN, the host of the podcast On with Kara Swisher, and the co-host of the podcast Pivot. She has also written for The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post. In 2026, CNN announced a new original series titled Kara Swisher Wants to Live Forever.

Early Life

Kara Anne Swisher was born on December 11, 1962. Details about her childhood and family background remain relatively private, though she has discussed aspects of her upbringing in various interviews and public appearances over the years. Growing up, Swisher developed an early interest in journalism and writing that would shape her professional trajectory.

In a 2018 interview on The Tim Ferriss Show, Swisher discussed elements of her personal background and the path that led her into journalism, describing her formative experiences and the influences that drew her toward covering technology and media.

Swisher has been open about her identity as a lesbian and has been a visible figure in the LGBTQ community throughout her career. Columbia University's entrepreneurship program has highlighted her as part of its LGBTQ alumni recognition efforts.

Education

Swisher attended Georgetown University, where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree. During her time at Georgetown, she was involved with the campus newspaper, The Hoya, which later featured her return to campus as a prominent technology journalist.

She subsequently attended the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, where she earned a Master of Science degree. Her graduate education at Columbia provided the foundation for her career in investigative and business journalism. Columbia has continued to recognize Swisher as one of its notable alumni.

Career

Early Journalism Career

Swisher began her journalism career at The Washington Post, where she worked as a reporter. She transitioned to covering technology and the emerging internet industry in 1994, a period when the commercial web was in its infancy. Her early coverage of the digital economy positioned her as one of the first mainstream journalists to recognize the transformative potential of internet-based businesses.

She subsequently joined The Wall Street Journal, where she became a prominent technology reporter. At the Journal, Swisher developed a reputation for her incisive coverage of Silicon Valley companies and executives. Her reporting during this period laid the groundwork for her later role as one of the technology industry's most recognized journalists.

During her time at the Journal, Swisher authored books examining the technology industry. One such work explored the rise and challenges of internet companies, receiving attention in trade publications and library databases.

All Things Digital

Swisher, along with longtime collaborator Walt Mossberg, co-produced the All Things Digital conference (commonly referred to as "D" or "ATD"), which became one of the most prominent annual gatherings of technology industry leaders. The conference, held under the auspices of The Wall Street Journal and its parent company Dow Jones & Company, featured on-stage interviews with major figures in technology, media, and politics. The associated website, All Things D (AllThingsD.com), served as a leading technology news and analysis publication.

The All Things Digital conference was notable for its interview format, in which Swisher and Mossberg conducted candid, often probing conversations with chief executives and other technology leaders in front of a live audience. The event attracted participants including Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, and numerous other prominent figures in the technology sector.

Recode

In January 2014, Swisher and Mossberg departed from The Wall Street Journal to launch Recode, a new technology news and media website. The venture was established as an independent publication focused on the technology industry, continuing the journalistic approach that had characterized their work at All Things Digital. Recode featured news coverage, analysis, and the continuation of their signature conference events.

A 2014 New York Magazine profile described Swisher as "Silicon Valley's most powerful snoop," detailing her influence within the technology industry and her access to its most prominent figures.

Recode was subsequently acquired by Vox Media, becoming part of the Vox Media portfolio of digital publications. Under this arrangement, Swisher continued to lead Recode's editorial direction while also contributing to the broader Vox Media ecosystem. The Recode Decode podcast, hosted by Swisher, became one of the platform's signature programs, featuring in-depth interviews with technology executives and other newsmakers. One notable episode in 2015 featured author Ashlee Vance discussing Elon Musk.

The New York Times

From 2018 to 2022, Swisher served as an opinion writer for The New York Times, publishing a regular column on technology, media, and politics. Her columns addressed a range of subjects, including the power of large technology companies, issues of data privacy, content moderation on social media platforms, and the intersection of technology and democratic governance.

In a March 2019 column for the Times, Swisher wrote about strokes and health issues, drawing on her own experience. She had suffered what was described as a mini-stroke in October 2011.

In January 2019, Swisher published a piece in The Atlantic addressing the media's handling of the Covington Catholic High School incident, examining the challenges of rapid news cycles and the responsibilities of journalists in the social media era.

Podcasting and Continued Media Work

After her tenure at The New York Times, Swisher returned to Vox Media and expanded her podcasting work. She hosts On with Kara Swisher, a podcast that features interviews with leaders across business, technology, politics, and culture. The show has featured conversations with a wide range of public figures, including former U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who appeared in August 2025 for a discussion on the state of U.S. democracy. She also co-hosts Pivot, a podcast covering technology, business, and politics.

A November 2025 profile in Wired described Swisher as "the epitome of a multi-hyphenate: a podcast host, journalist, author, and CEO agitator," noting that she had covered Silicon Valley for over three decades. In a January 2026 interview with Bloomberg, Swisher discussed the technology industry's political realignment, upcoming initial public offerings, and the economics underpinning the artificial intelligence boom.

Rivian Stories featured Swisher's podcast in early 2026, noting that she "has been covering Silicon Valley for over thirty years" and is "known for her no-holds-barred interviews with leaders across business."

CNN Contributor and Television

As of 2026, Swisher serves as a contributor to CNN. In February 2026, she appeared on CNN to comment on Mark Zuckerberg's testimony in a landmark social media addiction trial, stating that Zuckerberg was "pushing down his responsibility" regarding claims that his platforms harmed children.

In January 2026, CNN announced a new original series titled Kara Swisher Wants to Live Forever, described as featuring the award-winning journalist and CNN contributor. Swisher has also been outspoken in her commentary on political figures; in early 2026, she made critical remarks about President Donald Trump in connection with his public attacks on CNN journalists.

Political Aspirations

In 2016, Swisher publicly discussed the possibility of running for political office. She considered a campaign for the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, drawing attention from both local and national media. Rolling Stone profiled her potential political aspirations, describing her as a "tech disrupter" who was plotting a political move. Swisher ultimately did not pursue the candidacy.

Personal Life

Swisher has been publicly open about her personal life. She married Megan Smith, a technology executive who later served as the Chief Technology Officer of the United States under President Barack Obama, in 1999. The couple divorced in 2017. Swisher subsequently married Amanda Katz.

In October 2011, Swisher suffered a transient ischemic attack, commonly referred to as a mini-stroke. Business Insider reported on the health scare at the time, noting that she appeared to be recovering. In March 2019, Swisher wrote about the experience in a New York Times opinion column prompted by the death of actor Luke Perry from a stroke, discussing the broader issue of stroke awareness.

Swisher has been a registered member of the Democratic Party.

In December 2025, Mother Jones named Swisher its "Hero of 2025" in connection with her handling of the Olivia Nuzzi–Ryan Lizza–Robert F. Kennedy Jr. controversy, describing her as "the one person in the sordid Nuzzi-Lizza-RFK Jr. mess who did the right thing."

Recognition

Swisher has received several awards and honors over the course of her career. In 2011, she was among the recipients of a Gerald Loeb Award, one of the most prestigious honors in business journalism, as recognized by the UCLA Anderson School of Management.

In 2011, she was also recognized by the City of New York in an official capacity, as documented by the New York City Mayor's Office.

Swisher has been consistently ranked among the most influential technology journalists in the United States. The 2014 New York Magazine profile characterized her as a uniquely powerful figure in Silicon Valley's media landscape. Wired described her in 2025 as a journalist who has, "in her way," served as a persistent agitator of technology industry chief executives.

Her podcast On with Kara Swisher and her co-hosted show Pivot have attracted significant audiences and have been cited by major media outlets. CNN's announcement of the Kara Swisher Wants to Live Forever series in January 2026 described her as an "award-winning journalist."

Legacy

Swisher's career has spanned the entirety of the commercial internet era. Beginning her coverage of the technology industry in 1994, she has reported on and interviewed the leaders of virtually every major internet and technology company from the industry's early days through the rise of social media, the smartphone revolution, and the emergence of artificial intelligence.

Her role in co-creating the All Things Digital conference and later founding Recode helped establish a model for technology journalism that combined rigorous reporting with high-profile live events. The interview format pioneered at the D conference—featuring candid, on-stage conversations with executives who rarely submitted to such scrutiny—has been emulated by numerous other media organizations and technology events.

Swisher's willingness to directly challenge technology executives, including figures such as Mark Zuckerberg, has been a defining characteristic of her work. As she noted in her February 2026 CNN appearance regarding Zuckerberg's testimony in the social media addiction trial, she has consistently pushed back against what she views as the technology industry's reluctance to accept responsibility for the societal effects of its products.

Her transition from print journalism to digital media to podcasting has mirrored the evolution of the media industry itself. Bloomberg noted in its January 2026 interview that Swisher continues to provide analysis on the technology industry's trajectory, including its political realignment and the economic dynamics of artificial intelligence.

Columbia University continues to recognize Swisher among its notable alumni, particularly through its entrepreneurship and LGBTQ alumni programs.