Gideon Yago

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Background

Yago was born in Madison, Wisconsin to a German mother and a Jewish American father who met in Israel. He grew up in Queens, New York. [http://www.usaweekend.com/04_issues/040606/040606whosnews.html] He graduated from Columbia University and began working for MTV News during the presidential election of 2000. At the age of 21, during the end of his senior year at Columbia, he had a full-time position at MTV.

Initially, Yago worked primarily as a writer for the MTV News department. From 2002-2003, Yago wrote and produced the MTV News magazine "The Wrap" on MTV2. As his time at MTV progressed, Yago switched gears and began focusing on politics, rather than music, on MTV News. Yago has worked on award-winning documentaries on sexual health, the 9/11 attacks, fighting in Afghanistan, hate crimes, the 2000 and 2004 elections, and the war in Iraq. In 2005 Yago covered the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans and the devastating Kashmir Earthquake in Pakistan and India.

Throughout his career Yago has interviewed many politicians, musicians, and other celebrities including President George W. Bush, former President Bill Clinton, Senator John Kerry, former Secretary of State Colin Powell, former Vice President Al Gore, and Senator John McCain, as well as other prominent figures including former Ambassador L. Paul Bremer III and Bill Gates. Yago's writing has appeared in "Rolling Stone", "Spin", and "VICE" magazines.

He was a reporter in episode #335 of This American Life, "Big Wide World."

Personal information

In October 2006, Focus Features bought Yago's film script "Underdog". According to "The Hollywood Reporter", "'Underdog' is set in a small town in which one of its sons returns home in disgrace and must reconcile with the mother of a friend who died in Iraq. Meanwhile, another young soldier returns a hero, though the truth might be more murky."

His 2004 article for VICE Magazine [http://www.viceland.com/issues/v11n1/htdocs/no.php] , "No War For Heavy Metal", became the basis for Eddy Moretti and Suroosh Alvi's 2007 documentary "Heavy Metal in Baghdad" [http://www.heavymetalinbaghdad.com] .

In 2004, Yago was the subject of a prank call documented on the Buddyhead record label's "Buddyhead Suicide" Sampler CD. During the phone call, the prankster (credited only as "Torture Device" on the disc) pretends to be Alternative Press Editor Jason Pettigrew, and attempts to pressure Yago into backing off an exclusive Elliott Smith interview.

External links

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