Matt Malone

Malone entered the Jesuits in 2002. After completing his novitiate in Syracuse, New York, he earned an M.A. in philosophy at Fordham University, studying under the renown Jesuit philosopher and teacher, W. Norris Clarke, S.J. From 2007-2009, Malone was an associate editor at America, where he covered U.S. politics and foreign affairs and oversaw the first re-design of the magazine[7] in more than a decade.

Malone led America Media, formerly known as America Press, from 2012 to 2022. During his tenure, he developed and implemented a strategic plan for transforming the weekly print magazine into a multi-platform media company. Malone leveraged the equity in the organization’s headquarters building[8] in Manhattan to invest in new technology, hire staff members and redesign the magazine and website. As of 2018, America Media had grown to include a staff of 45 employees with an annual budget of $10.5 million and an endowment of nearly $40 million.[8] As of 2021, America Media reported 1.1 million unique digital visitors per month and a growing number of print and digital subscribers—the highest numbers in the organization’s history.[9] During Malone’s tenure, in conjunction with a number of Jesuit journals throughout the world, America published the first interview with Pope Francis.[10] During his tenure, America also published: the first issue of a Jesuit magazine written and edited entirely by women;[11] the most comprehensive survey of American Catholic women ever conducted;[12] and the first journalistic interview with then-Vice President Joe Biden following the death of his son, Beau.[13] Malone's profiles and interviews include former U.S. House Speaker John Boehner,[14] Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards,[15] Broadway icon Vanessa Williams,[16] and human rights activist Kerry Kennedy.[17] Since 2012, America Media has won a record-number of awards and has twice been named magazine of the year by the Catholic Media Association, which honored the organization for “setting an incredibly high bar for intellectualism and spirituality.”[18] Malone announced in 2021 that he would step down as president and editor in chief in the autumn of 2022.[19] He resigned both positions on November 30, 2022.[20]

Malone has provided analysis and commentary on ecclesial and political events for most major news networks. He is a consultant for NBC News. He has provided commentary for NBC Nightly News,[21] Hardball with Chris Matthews,[22] Morning Joe,[22] the BBC, NPR,[23] the PBS NewsHour[24] and the Charlie Rose Show.[25] His work and ideas have been featured in The New York Times,[26] The Washington Post[27] and The Wall Street Journal,[28] among others. He is the author of “Catholiques Sans Etiquette” (Catholics Without Labels), a book concerning the church and politics, which was published by Salvator Press in Paris.[29]