Sarah Koenig
Born 1969 · Age 56
American journalist and public radio personality; longtime producer at This American Life; host and executive producer and co-creator of the podcast Serial; multiple award-winner whose work helped bring podcasting into the cultural mainstream.
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Life & Career Timeline
Born in New York City
Sarah Augusta Koenig was born in New York City to Julian Koenig and Maria Eckhart.
Attended Concord Academy (high school)
Koenig attended Concord Academy in Concord, Massachusetts (high-school period). Exact graduation year approximate based on birth year.
Enrolled at Columbia University (postgrad Russian history; left after two weeks)
Koenig attended Columbia University for a postgraduate degree in Russian history but left after about two weeks.
First reporting job at The East Hampton Star
After college Koenig began her career as a reporter at her weekly hometown paper, The East Hampton Star.
Graduated University of Chicago (B.A., Political Science)
Koenig graduated from the University of Chicago with a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in Political Science.
Moved to Moscow — reporter for ABC News (in Russia)
Koenig lived and worked in Moscow for several years as a reporter for ABC News (date approximate based on biographical summaries).
Reporter for The New York Times (in Russia)
Koenig worked for The New York Times while based in Russia (timing approximate; reported in multiple bios as after ABC News).
State House reporter for the Concord Monitor
Koenig covered State House politics for the Concord Monitor (approximate mid-1990s timing).
Political/crime reporter at The Baltimore Sun
Koenig covered politics (State House) and later did crime reporting at The Baltimore Sun (approximate timing before 2004).
Personal life: married Ben Schreier (date not public)
Koenig is married to Ben Schreier, an associate professor of Jewish studies and English at Penn State; the couple live in State College, PA with two children. Exact marriage date not listed in sources.
Joined This American Life as a producer
Koenig began working as a producer for the public radio program This American Life in January 2004.
Received the Lowell Thomas / Overseas Press Club recognition
Koenig is listed in references as receiving the Lowell Thomas/Overseas Press Club award in 2005 (associated with overseas reporting).
Peabody Award for 'Habeas Schmabeas'
The episode 'Habeas Schmabeas' (co-produced by Koenig) was honored with a Peabody Award in 2006.
Co-produced 'Habeas Schmabeas' episode of This American Life
Koenig co-produced the episode 'Habeas Schmabeas' about Guantanamo Bay detainees which aired March 10, 2006.
Produced/Reported other This American Life episodes ('Switched at Birth', 'Dr. Gilmer and Mr. Hyde')
Koenig produced and reported several popular This American Life episodes, including 'Switched at Birth' and 'Dr. Gilmer and Mr. Hyde' (dates for individual episodes vary).
Began work on Serial (podcast)
Koenig began work on Serial, a spinoff podcast of This American Life, in 2013.
Serial #1 on iTunes before launch and rapid early download milestones
Serial hit #1 on iTunes before it officially launched and quickly reached millions of downloads (became fastest podcast to multi-million download milestones in late 2014).
Portrayed in Funny or Die digital skit
Koenig was parodied/portrayed by Michaela Watkins in a Funny or Die digital skit tied to Serial's first season (2014).
Appeared on Late Show / Colbert (popular media appearances)
Koenig appeared in high-profile TV appearances and interviews (Colbert/late-night and major radio/tv outlets) during the Serial surge (2014–2015).
Serial debut (Season 1) — launched
Serial debuted in October 2014 with an initial 12-episode season investigating the 1999 murder of Hae Min Lee and the conviction of Adnan Syed.
Portrayed on Saturday Night Live
In SNL's fortieth season, Cecily Strong portrayed Koenig in a parody segment titled 'Serial: The Christmas Surprise' (Dec 21, 2014).
Serial widely cited as bringing podcasting mainstream (downloads milestone)
By mid/late 2015 Serial had hundreds of millions of impressions and, per various reports, tens of millions of downloads (KERA noted ~80M downloads in coverage).
Listed in The Forward 50
Koenig was named as one of The Forward 50 (2015) recognizing influential American Jews.
Co-founded Serial Productions (with Julie Snyder)
Koenig and fellow Serial producer Julie Snyder formed Serial Productions in 2015 to produce Serial and other serialized audio projects.
Serial Season 2 (Bowe Bergdahl) produced/released
Serial's second season, which focused on Bowe Bergdahl, was produced and released (late 2015).
Appeared / Parodied in mainstream TV/animation (BoJack Horseman cameo)
Koenig voiced/played herself in BoJack Horseman season 2 episode 'Out to Sea' (appearance/parody of her Serial introduction), demonstrating cultural reach beyond journalism.
Multiple journalism awards (Scripps-Howard, Women's Press Club of New York) referenced
Koenig's biographical summaries list multiple awards including Scripps-Howard and Women's Press Club of New York awards (years not always specified in bios).
Serial honored with a Peabody Award
Serial was honored with a Peabody Award in April 2015 for taking podcasting into the cultural mainstream.
Named one of TIME's '100 Most Influential People'
TIME magazine included Sarah Koenig on its list of 'The 100 Most Influential People' (April 16, 2015).
Long Center (Austin) speaking engagement
Koenig headlined at the Long Center in Austin (Aug 1, 2015) as part of a multi-city Texas tour tied to Serial's success.
Closing speaker, Podcast Movement conference
Koenig was the closing speaker at the Podcast Movement conference in Fort Worth (Aug 2, 2015).
Talk on 'Binge-Worthy Journalism' in Dallas
Koenig discussed 'Binge-Worthy Journalism' in Dallas as part of the #thinkspeak series (Aug 3, 2015).
Public speaking: Zellerbach Hall appearance and campus talks
Koenig and Serial creators spoke at Zellerbach Hall and various academic venues (e.g., 2016 college appearances referenced in press coverage).
Serial Productions released S-Town
Serial Productions released the podcast S-Town in March 2017; it recorded more than 10 million downloads in the first four days—setting a podcast record.
Adnan Syed new-trial developments (press coverage mentioning 'Serial' impact)
Coverage and legal motion activity around Adnan Syed (the subject of Serial Season 1) continued; a notable NYT piece referenced a new trial being upheld in March 2018 (Serial had major public influence on case attention).
Serial Season 3 released (Cleveland courthouse focus)
Serial's third season, set largely in Cleveland courtrooms and tackling ordinary criminal cases, was released in 2018 and noted as ambitious and different in coverage.
Serial cumulative downloads reported (~420 million)
Wake Forest News reported that by Oct 2019 Serial had been downloaded more than 420 million times (making it the most listened-to podcast in the form's history at that time).
Lecture at Wake Forest University (Wait Chapel)
Koenig visited Wake Forest University to share insights into audio journalism (event Nov 4, 2019).
Serial Productions acquired by The New York Times Company
In 2020 Serial Productions (Koenig and partners) was bought by The New York Times Company; the acquisition folded the podcast company into the NYT's audio/podcast strategy.
Noted as inspiration for 'Only Murders in the Building' (reporting)
Reporting (e.g., Rolling Stone) noted that Serial and Sarah Koenig inspired elements of the fictional podcast and characters in Hulu's Only Murders in the Building.
Adnan Syed released/'Adnan Syed, Freed' coverage
Reporting (referenced by Serial and other coverage) noted that Adnan Syed — the subject of Serial Season 1 — was freed in 2022; Serial was widely credited with renewed attention to the case.
Family Guy animated depiction (referenced)
Koenig was animated in an episode of Family Guy as a podcaster trying to solve a murder case (cultural reference noted in biographical sources).
Serial Season 4 completed (reported by representation/bios)
Barclay Agency and other bios note Serial completed a fourth season; timing in agency bio described as 'recent'—listed here with moderate confidence.
Public reflections/10-year interviews on Serial's effect
By 2024 Koenig participated in retrospectives and interviews reflecting on 10 years of Serial's cultural impact (agency/bio links reference 10-year looks in 2024).
Serial and related shows included in Time's '100 Best Podcasts of All Time' (agency bio reference)
Agency biography notes that in 2025 Serial, S-Town, The Retrievals, and Nice White Parents were listed on Time magazine’s 100 Best Podcasts of All Time.
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