Marc Shaffer

For more than two decades, Marc Shaffer has been directing, writing and producing critically acclaimed documentary films and news programs for American television. His work has explored a wide swath of American life, from healthcare, to the new economy, U.S. foreign policy, the environment, criminal justice, civil liberties and government integrity. In addition to Gang War USA (National Geographic Channel, 2011), a partial listing of his credits includes Marijuana Gold Rush (2011) and Interrogating Saddam (2010) for the National Geographic Channel; Rollover: The Hidden History of the SUV (2002) and Bigger than Enron (2002) for PBS FRONTLINE; and Blueprint America: The Road to the Future (2009) and the four-hour series Remaking American Medicine (2004), which aired as national prime-time PBS specials.

Shaffer has twice been nominated for national Emmy awards and his many awards include the Sigma Delta Chi Award for Community Service from the Society of Professional Journalists, the Cine Special Jury Award, four Cine Golden Eagle Awards, top honors from the Association of Health Care Journalists and many others. Shaffer is the recipient of two health-care related journalism fellowships, the Kaiser Family Foundation Media Fellowship and the Rosalynn Carter Fellowships for Mental Health Journalism. Shaffer was raised in Berkeley, graduated with honors in American Studies from the University of California at Santa Cruz.