Park Welcomes Ari Shapiro as 2026 Weinberg Resident Journalist
Yesterday, Park welcomed Ari Shapiro to campus as our 2025-26 Robert L. Weinberg Resident Journalist.
Ari Shapiro is an award-winning journalist who spent 25 years at NPR, including 10 years as the host of All Things Considered, NPR’s flagship news program. Over the course of his career, he has filed stories from above the Arctic Circle and aboard Air Force One, and has covered wars in Iraq, Ukraine, and Israel. Before hosting, he worked as NPR’s international correspondent based in London, as well as White House correspondent during President Barack Obama’s first and second terms and justice correspondent during the George W. Bush Administration, where he reported on post-9/11 policies. In addition to journalism, he is the author of the bestselling memoir The Best Strangers in the World and has performed as a singer at renowned venues such as Carnegie Hall and the Hollywood Bowl.
Shapiro addressed the Upper School in an assembly, reflecting on the trajectory of his career and sharing stories that shaped him into the journalist he is today. He emphasized the importance of failure, perseverance, humanity, and curiosity, both personally and professionally, and spoke about the impact one person can make. He participated in an onstage question and answer panel with our Postscript Editors-in-Chief Hailey W. ’26, Nolan K-S. ’26, and Emerson L. ’26. In the afternoon, he led two workshops for Upper School students titled “Talking and Listening” and “How to Know What to Believe.” Shapiro also held a lunch session with members of Postscript.
In the first workshop, students had the chance to explore the art of the interview. Shapiro highlighted that “listening is a superpower” and after analyzing NPR interviews together, students worked in pairs to practice their skills. The second session was focused on media literacy and journalistic practices. Students considered headlines and debated propaganda versus fact, and were given resources and tips on how to interpret the news. Throughout his visit, Shapiro returned to the idea that “you tell the big story by telling the small stories,” inspiring students to seek connection and understanding in authentic and meaningful ways.
The Resident Journalist program at Park is sponsored by the family of Robert L. Weinberg, a member of the Class of 1940 and devotee of Baltimore journalist H.L. Mencken. Through the Weinberg family’s generous support, Park is able to bring a prominent journalist doing ground-breaking work to campus each year to present to Upper School students and to meet with classes throughout the day.
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