Ben Feller

Ben Feller is a Managing Director at Mercury, where he leads media strategy. An award-winning writer, Ben offers strategic counsel on communications after a 20-year journalism career in which he distinguished himself as one of the finest reporters in the nation. Prior to joining Mercury, Ben served as the chief White House correspondent for The Associated Press, a premier role in which he led presidential coverage for the largest news organization in the world. He offers expertise on the media, politics, writing and public engagement, and a deep reputation for accuracy and integrity across the political spectrum. Ben has rich communications experience in the fields of education, health care, the economy, foreign policy, budgeting, elections, voter attitudes and civic affairs. Ben spent more than six years covering President Barack Obama and President George W. Bush, reporting on all facets of their domestic, foreign and political agendas. As chief correspondent, Ben helped set the tone for the press corps and often got the first question at news conferences. He also managed the AP’s White House reporting team and served as a liaison to bureaus around the globe. Ben traveled aboard Air Force One across the United States and to more than 25 foreign countries in covering the last two presidents. He has covered hundreds of topics and been published worldwide. Ben began at the AP in 2003 as a national education writer, a position he would hold for four years. In total, he spent a decade covering Washington’s policies and politics. Ben was twice honored for his excellence in reporting on the presidency. He won the Gerald R. Ford Prize in 2010, with the judges describing him as “an astute analyst of the meaning and significance of President Obama's initiatives and actions." The same year, Ben won the Merriman Smith Award for his gripping coverage of Obama's tribute to soldiers returning from war in flag-draped caskets. Ben’s full-time career began in 1993 as a reporter for the Centre Daily Times in State College, Pa. He also wrote for the News & Record in Greensboro, N.C. and The Tampa Tribune in Tampa, Fla. A native of State College, Pennsylvania, Ben graduated from Penn State in 1992 with a degree in journalism. He lives with his wife, Elisabeth, and their son, Sam, in New York City.