Mika Brzezinski

Mika Brzezinski
Name	Mika Brzezinski
Caption	Brzezinski in 2018
Birth date	2 May 1967
Birth place	New York City, U.S.
Alma mater	Williams College
Occupation	Television presenter, Journalist, Author
Spouse	Jim Hoffer (m. 1993; div. 2016), Joe Scarborough (m. 2018)
Known for	Co-host of Morning Joe
Employer	NBCUniversal (MSNBC)

Mika Brzezinski is an American broadcast journalist and author best known as the co-host of the weekday morning news and talk program Morning Joe on MSNBC. The daughter of former National Security Advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski, she has built a prominent career in television news, previously working for CBS News and anchoring the CBS Evening News weekend edition. Brzezinski is also a noted author, focusing on topics related to career advancement and women's empowerment.

Early life and education

Mika Brzezinski was born in New York City to Zbigniew Brzezinski, a Polish-American diplomat who served under President Jimmy Carter, and sculptor Emilie Benes Brzezinski. She was raised in McLean, Virginia, and attended the prestigious Madeira School before enrolling at Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts. At Williams, she studied English and graduated in 1989, initially pursuing a career in local news.

Career

Brzezinski began her journalism career as an assistant at ABC News' World News Tonight before becoming a reporter for WTVH, the CBS affiliate in Syracuse, New York. She later worked as a correspondent for the CBS News program Up to the Minute and as a fill-in anchor for the CBS Evening News. In 2006, she joined Fox News Channel as a correspondent but was released after six months. Her career reached a turning point in 2007 when she was hired by MSNBC to co-host the newly launched Morning Joe alongside former U.S. Representative Joe Scarborough and commentator Willie Geist. The program, known for its lengthy political discussions, became a flagship for the network. Beyond television, Brzezinski co-founded the Know Your Value initiative, which hosts conferences and produces digital content aimed at helping women negotiate in the workplace.

Personal life

Brzezinski was first married to Jim Hoffer, an investigative reporter for WABC-TV in New York City; they have two children together. Following their divorce, she married her Morning Joe co-host, Joe Scarborough, in a ceremony at the Chapel of the Holy Cross in Sedona, Arizona, in 2018. She is the sister of Mark Brzezinski, the United States Ambassador to Poland, and Ian Brzezinski, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council.

Political views and activism

Through her platform on Morning Joe, Brzezinski is known for her center-left political commentary and has been a vocal critic of former President Donald Trump, particularly regarding his treatment of the press and comments about women. She is an advocate for women's issues, gun control legislation, and mental health awareness. Her Know Your Value movement frequently addresses the gender pay gap and encourages female professional development, often featuring guests like Hillary Clinton and Sheryl Sandberg.

Awards and recognition

Brzezinski has received several honors for her work in journalism and advocacy. She was part of the Morning Joe team that won a Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Television Political Journalism. In 2014, she received the Matrix Award from New York Women in Communications. Her activism has also been recognized by organizations such as the National Alliance on Mental Illness, which honored her for helping to reduce stigma.

Bibliography

Brzezinski is the author or co-author of several books, often blending memoir with career advice. Her titles include All Things at Once (2010), Knowing Your Value: Women, Money, and Getting What You're Worth (2011), and Obsessed: America's Food Addiction--and My Own (2013). She co-wrote Grow Your Value: Living and Working to Your Full Potential (2015) and, with Daniel Paisner, Comeback Careers: Rethink, Refresh, Reinvent Your Success―at 40, 50, and Beyond (2020).

Category:American television journalists Category:MSNBC people Category:Williams College alumni