When Ben Max was outlining feasible career possibilities, journalism was by no means a thought for the now executive editor of New York’s Gotham Gazette. Max sought a Bachelor’s in Political Science at Trinity College-Hartford, where he graduated with honors in 2003. Three years later, he would graduate from Tufts University’s Master’s Degree in Teaching. As a child, history, and government enthralled Max. Investigating these hobbies was one of the preliminary reasons Max chose an educationally focused career.
“I got into teaching a bit because the subject matter again was something I was interested in, government, history, politics, civic affairs, and I always liked working with young people. It was something I did as a Big growing up, you know in different ways. So, it was kind of a natural extension for me to pursue as an early career path, and I wasn’t sure how.”
His tenure teaching at Malden High School was more than just as a progressive instructor. Max played a vital role in the development of the Social Studies Department’s curriculum, where they used the teachings of the Understanding by Design Framework. Due to his work with the Big Brother Program, Max understood a more hands-on approach was beneficial to children. In his curriculum, individual student growth was systematically considered, as partnership and teamwork were essential to the progression of his students.
In 2012, Ben left MHS to join the City University of New York as a History curriculum consultant. Seizing an opportunity to help more inclusively, Ben was a pivotal component in bringing a more college leveled competence to New York’s students. Accompanying teachers, he helped them learn through various techniques to better connect them with their students. Outside of the classroom, Ben focused his attention on instructing a grander audience. As the 2013 mayoral elections grew near, Ben founded DecideNYC, a New Yorkers’ comprehensive guide for the upcoming elections.
“I was getting very interested and personally invested in what was going on in local politics as the city was heading towards the end of the Bloomberg years, and into a really important election cycle. So, I was thinking about a way to you know, get involved or keep tabs on it. Then it sort of occurred to me that there wasn’t any resource out there to help people who might be interested in what was going on. So, on a whim, I decided to create something that I didn’t really know what I was going to do with it. I just started to keep track of things myself and maybe help educate the public.”
Unmindful at the time, in 2012, Ben had his first taste of a journalism profession. DecideNYC offered information on each of the 61 races for Mayor, Public Advocate, Comptroller, Borough Presidents, City Council Members, and District Attorneys. Throughout the election, Ben cautiously studied all of the information he provided the public to remain truthful, similar to the way a professor would have done. DecideNYC ignited a spark in Ben. The establishment of the website swayed him to write and publish several opinion articles and blogs for various sources.
Aware that DecideNYC would likely only last for the continuance of the 2013 city elections and the 2014’s transition cycle, Max began seeking alternative uses for his brand. Pitching the website around to local educators, he expressed a hope that perhaps a university would sustain the project and bring him alongside as an advisor. The promoting of DecideNYC instead prompted New York’s Gotham Gazette to reach out to Max in hopes that he would become their next executive editor.
“I was exploring a lot of different things, and it just so happened that the prior editor at Gotham Gazette was leaving or had just left. They kind of reached out to me and that moved along pretty quickly, and they offered me the job, and away we went. You know, there were a lot of interesting questions in that process, like, are you ready to really take over a small Newsroom? And you know, it’s different from running this project. It has some similarities, but are you ready to do that and things like that? And so, it was definitely a little bit of a stretch for me, but they offered it to me, and I jumped at it.”
Since 2014, Ben has been a leading man for Gotham Gazette. Responsible for not only editing the writing by the publications in house and external reporters, his workflow comprises a more significant role. Ben manages the Gotham website, and social media, in addition to promoting fundraising for the publication. At Gotham, hardly anything goes by without some form of his involvement. Prospering since his hire, Ben is part of the balance that makes the publication function. From grading papers to editing assignments, at Gotham, Ben’s persona pays tributes to each of his roles of the past. From educator to journalist, and now executive editor, Gotham’s newsroom is much of what the classroom once was for Ben Max.
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