Mary Katharine Ham is a nationally prominent journalist, author and speaker. As a CNN Political Commentator, she brings conservative perspective mixed with a humorous take on politics and pop culture. In an article about Ham, CNN president Jeff Zucker said, “She’s an honest broker, and she’s got likability and confidence.”
In 2016, she moderated an ABC News 2016 GOP presidential primary debate in New Hampshire, which featured nine candidates. Ham is the co-author of "End of Discussion: How the Left's Outrage Industry Shuts Down Debate, Manipulates Voters, and Makes America Less Free (and Fun).”
She is a popular speaker for young audiences interested in free speech and new media. She taught a course on free-speech issues as a Harvard Institute of Politics Visiting Fellow in the Kennedy School of Government in 2017, and has also taught on this topic at The University of Chicago and Georgetown University.
Background
Ham was previously a Fox News contributor from 2007-2015, most often seen as a libertarian foil to Bill O’Reilly’s populism on his prime-time show.
She is a fourth generation journalist with roots in print and new media. Ham has written for USA Today, The Atlantic, and The Weekly Standard, and appears periodically on NPR’s "All Things Considered."