Eric Boehlert Dies: Media Critic For Media Matters & Salon, Founder Of Press Run Newsletter Killed In Bike Accident At 57

Greg Evans
·4 min read
2

Eric Boehlert, a media critic devoted to calling out right-wing misinformation through his writing at Media Matters for America, Salon, Daily Kos and most recently as the founder of the Press Run website, died Monday in a bike accident. He was 57.

His death was announced on Twitter today by journalist and friend Soledad O’Brien, who called Boehlert “a fierce and fearless defender of the truth.” Boehlert was struck by a train while biking in Montclair, New Jersey; Montclair police reported yesterday that a man riding a bicycle was struck and killed by a New Jersey Transit train in Montclair on Monday evening.

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“A terrible loss,” O’Brien writes. “We’ve lost an awesome human being, handsome/cool/witty dude who kicked ass on our behalf. Crazy devotion to facts, context and good reporting. Enemy of BS, fake news.” O’Brien described Boehlert as “an amazing friend,” adding, “Brutal to bad media on twitter, sweetest guy in real life.”

Former Secretary of State and Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton tweeted, “I’m devastated for his family and friends and will miss his critical work to counteract misinformation and media bias. What a loss.”

Media Matters released a statement saying, in part, “We are better for having known and worked with such a thoughtful, fearless and passionate media critic. It was always a treat when Eric would visit the D.C. office; while he was direct and unsparing on social media, he was equally as warm, inspiring, and helpful to his colleagues.”

Read the entire Media Matters statement below, along with other reactions from friends and colleagues.

Beginning his national media career as a staff writer covering music at Billboard and Rolling Stone, Boehlert pivoted to media coverage as a staff writer at Salon and then for 10 years as a senior fellow at media watchdog organization Media Matters for America. His media criticism also appeared at Daily Kos.

“We are devastated by the loss of esteemed journalist and former Salon senior writer, Eric Boehlert,” Salon said in a statement. “Our condolences to Eric’s family and friends during this difficult time. His passing is a huge loss to media criticism and progressive journalism.”

Most recently, he was the founder of the reader-supported Press Run on Substack, which Boehlert started in 2020 with a mission of delivering “unfiltered, passionate, and proudly progressive critique of the political press in the age of Trump.” Subscribers of the thrice-weekly newsletter received “original media commentary, analysis, and reporting.”

Boehlert also wrote the books Lapdogs: How The Press Rolled Over For Bush, and Bloggers on the Bus: How The Internet Changed Politics and the Press.

A resident of Montclair, New Jersey, Boehlert was a frequent commentator on cable news and social media. Additional information on the bike accident was not immediately available.

He is survived by wife Tracy Breslin and two children, Jane and Ben.

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