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.
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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, Monday.
“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 the Twitter, sweetest guy in real life.”
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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.
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.”
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.
Eric Boehlert Wife & Children
He is survived by wife Tracy Breslin and two children, Jane and Ben.
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