John Dimsdale

Washington, D.C. Bureau Chief, Marketplace

SHORT BIO

John Dimsdale has spent almost 40 years in radio. As the former head of Marketplace’s Washington, D.C., bureau, he provided insightful commentary on the intersection of government and money for the entire Marketplace portfolio.

As Dimsdale notes, “Sooner or later, every story in the world comes through Washington,” and reporting on those issues is like “… going to school with all the best professors and then reporting to listeners what I found out at the end of the day … Can you believe they pay me to do that?”

Dimsdale began working for Marketplace in 1990, when he opened the D.C. bureau. The next day, Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait, triggering the first Gulf War, and Dimsdale has been busy ever since.

In his 20 years at Marketplace, Dimsdale has reported on two wars, the dot-com boom, the housing bust, healthcare reform and the greening of energy. His interviews with four U.S. Presidents, four Hall-of-Famers, broadcast journalist Walter Cronkite, computer scientist Sergey Brin, U.S. District Court Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson and former U.S. Vice President Hubert Humphrey stand out as favorites. Some of his greatest contributions include a series on government land-use policies and later, a series on the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste disposal site.

Before joining Marketplace, Dimsdale worked at NPR, the Pennsylvania Public Television Network, Post-Newsweek Stations and Independent Network News.

A native of Washington, D.C., and the son of a federal government employee, Dimsdale has been passionate about public policy since the Vietnam War. He holds a bachelor’s degree in International Studies from Washington College in Chestertown, Md., and a master’s degree in Broadcast Journalism from the University of Missouri in Columbia, Mo.

Dimsdale and his wife, Claire, live in the suburb of Silver Spring, Md., and when not working, he enjoys traveling, carpentry, photography, videography, swimming and home brewing.

Latest Stories (983)

Older workers facing softening job market

May 3, 2012
A record level of unemployed workers are dealing with long-term unemployment -- including one particular group.

Delta Air Lines is buying its own refinery

May 1, 2012
The airline has had enough of price hikes and supply interruptions. But whether the airline can run a refinery is another question.

New push for public banks

Apr 27, 2012
They are already in North Dakota and Chicago. Now there's a move to get more state and local governments to use them instead of big private banks.

Supreme Court to hear arguments on Arizona immigration law

Apr 23, 2012
The U.S. Supreme Court next week hears arguments for and against several contested sections of Arizona's new immigration law -- which makes it a crime for undocumented immigrants to live or work in that state.

What to learn from this season's earnings

Apr 19, 2012
The corporate earnings reports are flooding in this morning, with companies like Southwest Airlines and Verizon telling us how they did in the first part of this year. In recent quarters, companies have padded their profits by cutting costs.

Gas prices inch down, but for how long?

Apr 19, 2012
They always seem to come down slower than they went up, but gasoline prices are beginning to ease -- there could be more relief in sight.

Warren Buffett battling cancer, holding on to company

Apr 18, 2012
Billionaire investing legend Warren Buffett has been diagnosed with early-stage prostate cancer. The CEO and chairman of Berkshire Hathaway is assuring shareholders his disease is not life threatening.

Citigroup shareholders: 'No' on proposed executive pay

Apr 18, 2012
Citigroup shareholders said no dice to a hefty pay package for senior executives, including a $15 million salary for Citigroup's CEO.

President Obama targets oil price manipulators

Apr 17, 2012
President Obama announced a new crackdown on illegal manipulation of oil prices by traders. He's asking for stronger regulations, bigger penalties for violators and more cops on the regulatory beat.

Senate rejects Warren Buffett tax rule

Apr 17, 2012
The Senate yesterday rejected the so-called Warren Buffett Rule, a minimum tax on millionaires. It was a mostly party-line vote: Democrats saying "aye," Republicans "nay."