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Chris Benderev Chris Benderev is a founding producer of and also reports stories for NPR's documentary-style podcast, Embedded.
Chris Benderev
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Chris Benderev

Chris Benderev
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Kainaz Amaria/NPR
Chris Benderev
Kainaz Amaria/NPR

Chris Benderev

Producer, Embedded

Chris Benderev is a founding producer of and also reports stories for NPR's documentary-style podcast, Embedded. He's driven into coal mines, watched as a town had to shutter its only public school after 100 years in operation, and, recently, he's followed the survivors of a mass shooting for two years to understand what happens after they fade from the news. He's also investigated the pseudoscience behind a national chain of autism treatment facilities. As a producer, he's made stories about ISIS, voting rights and Donald Trump's business history. Earlier in his career, he was a producer at NPR's Weekend Edition, Morning Edition, Hidden Brain and the TED Radio Hour.

Story Archive

Thursday

Capital Gazette: "All Of A Sudden... It's Different"

Dana Winters Rengers, left, holds the hand of her niece Montana Winters Geimer, right, daughter of Wendi Winters, a community beat reporter who died in the Capital Gazette newsroom shooting, as she speaks during a news conference following the sentencing verdict of Jarrod W. Ramos, Tuesday, Sept. 28, 2021, in Annapolis, Md. Jose Luis Magana/AP hide caption

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Jose Luis Magana/AP

Embedded

Capital Gazette: "All Of A Sudden... It's Different"

Part 5: There's one important part of the newspaper's story we couldn't bring you until now: what it's like to have their attacker stand trial. And the unexpected ways that trial can affect you. Plus a big update about the newspaper itself.

Capital Gazette: "All Of A Sudden... It's Different"

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Monday

Planes Chartered To Evacuate Americans And Others From Afghanistan Remain Grounded

A plane flies over temporary camp for refugees from Afghanistan at the U.S. Army's Rhine Ordnance Barracks (ROB), where they are being temporarily housed, on August 30, 2021 in Kaiserslautern, Germany. Sascha Schuermann/Getty Images hide caption

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Sascha Schuermann/Getty Images

Asia

Planes Chartered To Evacuate Americans And Others From Afghanistan Remain Grounded

Travelers have spent seven days waiting to depart from the northern city of Mazar-e-Sharif. At least 19 U.S. citizens and two green card holders are said to be among the group of about 600.

Guinea's Military Declared A Coup. What Happens Next Is Uncertain

People celebrate in the streets with members of Guinea's armed forces after the arrest of Guinea's president, Alpha Conde, in a coup d'etat in Conakry on Sunday. Cellou Binani/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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Cellou Binani/AFP via Getty Images

Africa

Guinea's Military Declared A Coup. What Happens Next Is Uncertain

Members of Guinea's military arrested the country's president Sunday. Col. Mamady Doumbouya, the coup's leader, said he was dissolving the country's constitution and government.

Friday

Law

Jury Rejects Capital Gazette Gunman's Mental Illness Plea

A jury has found the gunman who killed five people at the Capital Gazette in Annapolis, MD, in 2018, criminally responsible. His lawyers at argued that mental illness drove him to commit the shootings.

Jury Rejects Capital Gazette Gunman's Mental Illness Plea

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Thursday

Capital Gazette: "We Are The Newsroom"

ANNAPOLIS, MD - JULY 02: The Capital newspaper's logo is stenciled onto a newspaper vending machine following last week's shooting at the community newspaper's office July 2, 2018 in Annapolis, Maryland. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images hide caption

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Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Embedded

Capital Gazette: "We Are The Newsroom"

Part 4: In our final episode, the Capital Gazette is swept up in the troubles of the newspaper industry. Its corporate owners are making painful cuts, and a hedge fund with an ominous reputation seeks control. Staff members, who survived the 2018 shooting and kept the Capital going, wonder if the paper can last.

Capital Gazette: "We Are The Newsroom"

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Wednesday

'People Will Forget About Us': The Capital Gazette Shooting Survivors, Years Later

Selene San Felice's editor, Rob Hiaasen, was killed during the shooting. She was assigned a new editor, and even though their first edit went well, she said, "It felt so bad to get that from somebody that wasn't Rob." She went out in the hallway and cried. Claire Harbage/NPR hide caption

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Claire Harbage/NPR

Embedded

'People Will Forget About Us': The Capital Gazette Shooting Survivors, Years Later

After the shooting at the Capital Gazette newspaper, the surviving staff resolve to rebuild their paper.

Thursday

Capital Gazette: "I Know He Did It"

ANNAPOLIS, MD - JUNE 28: Pat Furgurson (right), a reporter for the Capital Gazette, awaits a press briefing involving today's shooting in Annapolis, Maryland, on June 28, 2018. (Photo by Calla Kessler/The Washington Post via Getty Images) The Washington Post/The Washington Post via Getty Images hide caption

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The Washington Post/The Washington Post via Getty Images

Embedded

Capital Gazette: "I Know He Did It"

Part 3: The Capital Gazette takes on a new beat: itself. As the shooter's case works its way towards trial, the staff tries to balance coverage obligations with personal feelings.

Capital Gazette: "I Know He Did It"

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Monday

National

The Capital Gazette: What The Newsroom Looks Like 2 Years After Shooting

In 2018, a gunman killed five staff members of the Capital Gazette after blasting his way into their Annapolis, Md., offices. The remaining staff has seen both traumas and triumphs in the years since.

The Capital Gazette: What The Newsroom Looks Like 2 Years After Shooting

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Friday

Believed

Presenting Embedded: Capital Gazette

We see the families crying on TV. We hear how the survivors escaped. We see victims honored at candlelight vigils after the latest mass shooting at a school, office, concert or church. But we eventually stop paying attention. We, the ones who are safe, move on. What if we didn't? What could we learn if we stayed awhile? We bring you Episode 1 of a new series from NPR's Embedded podcast, which follows the survivors of the 2018 shooting at the Capital Gazette newspaper in Annapolis, Maryland.

Presenting Embedded: Capital Gazette

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Thursday

Capital Gazette: "It's OK That We're Alive"

Rick Hutzell, right, the editor for the Capital Gazette, is joined by staff members, from left, reporter Selene San Felice, and photojournalists Paul W. Gillespie and Joshua McKerrow, as he rings a bell during a moment of silence at 2:33 p.m. to commemorate their fallen co-workers on Thursday, July 5, 2018. Brian Krista/Baltimore Sun/Tribune News Service via Getty I hide caption

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Brian Krista/Baltimore Sun/Tribune News Service via Getty I

Embedded

Capital Gazette: "It's OK That We're Alive"

Part 2: How do you try to return to normal after a mass shooting? The Capital Gazette moves into a tiny, temporary office, and staff members confront the challenges of producing a daily paper while dealing with fear and guilt.

Capital Gazette: "It's OK That We're Alive"

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Thursday

Capital Gazette: "A Damn Paper"

The front page of The Capital Gazette newspaper the day after a mass shooting occured at the paper's office. Claire Harbage/NPR/Claire Harbage/NPR hide caption

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Claire Harbage/NPR/Claire Harbage/NPR

Embedded

Capital Gazette: "A Damn Paper"

Part 1: Five colleagues are shot dead. Everyone is traumatized. On that day, June 28, 2018, what can the remaining staff of the Capital Gazette do that might make a difference? Publish "a damn paper."

Capital Gazette: "A Damn Paper"

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Saturday

Monday

Panic In The Street
John Moore/Getty Images

The Coronavirus Crisis

Panic In The Street

It sounds like a movie plot: police discover the body of a young man who's been murdered. The body tests positive for a deadly infectious disease. Authorities trace the killing to a gang. They race to find the gang members, who may also be incubating the virus. This week on Hidden Brain, we revisit our 2016 story about disease, panic, and how a public health team used psychology to confront an epidemic.

Panic In The Street

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Monday

Losing Face
John M Lund Photography Inc/Getty Images

Hidden Brain

Losing Face

It happens to all of us: someone recognizes you on the street, calls you by name, and says hello. You, meanwhile, have no idea who that person is. Researchers say this struggle to read other faces is common. This week on Hidden Brain, we revisit a favorite 2016 episode about "super-recognizers" and the rest of us.

Losing Face

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Thursday

Too Little, Too Much: How Poverty and Wealth Affect Our Minds
Andrea Cappelli/Picture Press/Getty Images/Picture Press RM

Hidden Brain

Too Little, Too Much: How Poverty and Wealth Affect Our Minds

We all know the downsides of being poor. But what about the downsides of being rich? This week, we explore the psychology of scarcity...and excess.

Too Little, Too Much: How Poverty and Wealth Affect Our Minds

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Wednesday

Fresh Starts

A young Maya Shankar. Courtesy of Maya Shankar hide caption

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Courtesy of Maya Shankar

Hidden Brain

Fresh Starts

Unpredictable things happen to us all the time. On this week's radio episode, we bring you two stories of loss and the change it brings.

Fresh Starts

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Thursday

Business

For Young Workers In Central Appalachia Job Options Are Slim

Despite a recent upturn in the industry, it's still difficult for young people to secure jobs working in coal. Embedded's Kelly McEvers and Chris Benderev report on a man from Central Appalachia.

For Young Workers In Central Appalachia Job Options Are Slim

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Wednesday

National

All He's Ever Wanted Is To Mine Coal. How Long Can He Chase His Dream?

Kyle Johnson is a young man who wants to be a coal miner more than anything. NPR's Embedded podcast follows his search for a job in a region where the future of coal is in question.

All He's Ever Wanted Is To Mine Coal. How Long Can He Chase His Dream?

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Sunday

Police Declare A Riot After Far-Right And Antifa Groups Clash In Portland, Ore.

Saturday's clashes were not the first of their kind. (Above) Antifa counterprotesters fought with far-right Patriot Prayer supporters during a march in Portland, Ore., on June 3. Anadolu Agency/Getty Images hide caption

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Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

National

Police Declare A Riot After Far-Right And Antifa Groups Clash In Portland, Ore.

Portland Police made four arrests Saturday and five people were reported injured, including one officer, after the clashes in the city's downtown.

Friday

Who Gets Power — And Why It Can Corrupt Even The Best Of Us
Gary Waters/Getty Images/Ikon Images

Hidden Brain

Who Gets Power — And Why It Can Corrupt Even The Best Of Us

This week on Hidden Brain's radio show, we tackle a big topic: power. From our conflicted feelings toward the powerful, to the ways we gain and lose power ourselves, and how power can corrupt.

Who Gets Power — And Why It Can Corrupt Even The Best Of Us

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Monday

'Cutting Edge' Program For Children With Autism And ADHD Rests On Razor-Thin Evidence

Stephanie and Natalie enrolled their older son in sessions at a Brain Balance Achievement Center in the hope that it would help him make friends. Hokyoung Kim for NPR hide caption

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Hokyoung Kim for NPR

Shots - Health News

'Cutting Edge' Program For Children With Autism And ADHD Rests On Razor-Thin Evidence

With 113 locations in the U.S., Brain Balance says its drug-free approach has helped tens of thousands of children. But experts say there's insufficient proof of its effectiveness.

'Cutting Edge' Program For Children With Autism And ADHD Rests On Razor-Thin Evidence

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Thursday

Don't Panic! What We Can Learn From Chaos

After a long history of civil war and corruption, many Liberians didn't trust their government's attempts to control Ebola. John Moore/Getty Images hide caption

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John Moore/Getty Images

Hidden Brain

Don't Panic! What We Can Learn From Chaos

Chaos is a part of all of our lives. Sometimes we try to control it. And other times, we just have to live with it.

Don't Panic! What We Can Learn From Chaos

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Wednesday

In The Coal Counties Of Central Appalachia, Will Trump's Promises Come True?

Kyle Johnson, 22, after an overnight shift at a coal mine in Buchanan County, Va. Carol Guzy for NPR hide caption

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Carol Guzy for NPR

National

In The Coal Counties Of Central Appalachia, Will Trump's Promises Come True?

Donald Trump promised coal miners: "You're going to be working your asses off!" NPR spent more than a year in the coal counties of central Appalachia and found hope, cynicism and some surprises.

Coal Stories Episode 1

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