Veteran American journalist and editor Phil Bronstein is well known for his work as a war correspondent and investigative journalist. He is a prominent member of the “Center for Investigative Reporting,” a non-profit journalism organization with its headquarters in Emeryville, where he currently holds the position of executive chair of the board. He started his career as a reporter for San Francisco’s KQED-TV and then became a beat reporter for the daily newspaper The San Francisco Examiner. He worked as a foreign journalist, including time spent in the Philippines, for eight years, reporting from conflict zones all around the world. His work on the overthrow of dictatorial politician and kleptocrat Ferdinand Marcos of the Philippines earned him a spot among the 1986 Pulitzer Prize nominees. For his work in the Philippines, Bronstein has also received a number of additional honors, including those from the “Media Alliance” and the “World Affairs Council.” Before taking on the role of executive chair of the board for the CIR, he held significant positions at The San Francisco Examiner, The San Francisco Chronicle, and Hearst Newspapers Corporation.
Early Childhood & Life
On October 4, 1950, in Atlanta, Georgia, United States, Phil Bronstein was born. There isn’t a lot of information accessible about his parents or family history.
Bronstein’s family moved around quite a bit when he was a child. He grew up primarily in Montreal, Canada, before relocating to California. He started attending the University of California, Davis, but never finished. The University of California was where he initially developed an interest in journalism. He contributed movie reviews to the school newspaper.
The Career of Phil Bronstein
His first professional position was as a reporter for “KQED-TV” in San Francisco.
He was hired as a beat reporter for “The San Francisco Examiner,” the flagship publication of the Hearst Corporation, in 1980. He traveled to and reported from crisis zones around the world for the following eight years, including the Philippines, El Salvador, Peru, and the Middle East.
Ferdinand Marcos, a dictator who presided over the Philippines from 1965 to 1986, was overthrown, according to him. Due to his reporting, he was selected as one of the 1986 Pulitzer Prize contenders. For his work in the Philippines, he also received honors from the Media Alliance, World Affairs Council, Overseas Press Club, and Associated Press.
In 1991, the ‘The San Francisco Examiner’ promoted him to executive editor. Up until 2000, he held the position for over ten years.
The Strong Will In 1996, Bronstein dressed in scuba gear to assist in catching an alligator that had escaped into a city lake. However, the police forbade him from participating in such a risky activity.
The ‘San Francisco Chronicle,’ a prominent daily newspaper that covers the city and county of San Francisco, was purchased by Hearst Corporation on July 27, 2000. The paper primarily covers the San Francisco Bay Area. After that, ‘The San Francisco Examiner’ owner Hearst decided to combine the two competing newsrooms.
Bronstein was appointed Senior Vice President and Executive Editor of the “San Francisco Chronicle” in November 2000. Building accord and trust between the members of the two formerly opposing news teams was a struggle for Bronstein. The merger took place at a time when there was a general slump in the newspaper sector, making it a difficult task.
He continued by creating new features, altering staffing, and attempting to modernize “San Francisco Chronicle” while preserving the Bay Area’s cultural perspective. He lowered the number of employees, and the daily newspaper’s substance was also cut.
He was appointed editor-at-large for both Hearst Newspapers and the “San Francisco Chronicle.” He wrote a weekly piece for the ‘San Francisco Chronicle.’ He also contributed to the SFGate.com blog.
He departed the ‘San Francisco Chronicle’ and Hearst Newspapers in March 2012. Meanwhile, he was appointed the Center for Investigative Reporting’s Chairman of the Board in 2011. After leaving the “San Francisco Chronicle,” his responsibilities at the CIR were increased.
Individual Life of Phil Bronstein
Bronstein has been married four times, and the tabloid media has meticulously documented each marriage.
He wed Sharon Stone, a well-known American actress, producer, and former model, on February 14, 1998. The couple adopted Roan Joseph Bronstein, a boy, in 2000. The couple divorced in 2003, with Bronstein citing irreconcilable differences as the cause. Although initially Bronstein and Stone shared joint custody of Roan, the divorce was officially finalized on January 29, 2004, and in 2008, a judge granted Bronstein full custody of Roan.
In 2001, while on a private tour of the Los Angeles Zoo, he was attacked by a Komodo dragon. Bronstein had to undergo surgery to reconnect multiple tendons in his foot after being bitten by the dragon on his bare foot.
In 2006, he wed Christine Borders. The “Borders Book Store” was co-founded by her father, Louis Border. A Band of Wives, a social network for women, was founded by Christine. Bronstein and Christine are parents of two kids.
Net Worth of Phil Bronstein
The estimated net worth of Phil Bronstein is around $1 million.