Ben Waxman

After college, Waxman was hired as a reporter to cover state and local government for a joint project between Philadelphia Daily News and WHYY-FM called “It’s Our Money.” During that time, he wrote about government corruption, criminal justice reform, the state budget, and other topics. Waxman also appeared regularly as an analyst in local media, including WHYY’s Radio Times and local television stations. “It’s Our Money” was named Best Blog by the Philadelphia Citypaper in 2008. Waxman left the project in May 2011.

Waxman left the DA's Office to return to his consulting firm, A. Waxman & Company, in 2019.

Longtime criminal defense and civil rights attorney Larry Krasner announced in February 2017 that he would be a candidate for Philadelphia District Attorney. Waxman worked on the campaign as spokesperson through the November election, which Krasner won by a 3-1 ratio. Waxman then served in the same role during the transition before being appointed Director of Communications in the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office after Krasner was inaugurated.

Waxman has been highly critical of President Donald Trump since the 2016 election, telling City & State PA that he was "looking for new ways to fight Trump...I'm not giving him a chance." He told the Philadelphia Jewish Exponent in a separate interview that traditional political approaches by Democrats had failed to prevent Trump from being elected and the party needed to consider alternative forms of engagement. Waxman also encouraged millennials to run for political office at a local post-election panel discussion, stressing the need for grassroots organizing tactics such as door-to-door canvassing.

Waxman is also involved in local civic activism, serving on the board of the Center City Residents Association and was elected in 2014 to the 8th Ward Democratic Executive Committee. He Is also on the board of the Philadelphia Jewish Labor Committee.

Waxman was hired by State Senator Vincent Hughes as Communications Director in May 2013. As Hughes’ primary spokesperson, Waxman was regularly quoted in media outlets throughout the state and maintains an active presence on social media. Waxman played a role in several legislative campaigns, including raising the minimum wage, expanding health insurance, and increasing funding for public education through a tax on natural gas drilling. Waxman was named to Billy Penn's "Who's Next: 18 young Pennsylvania's shaping politics" and Politics PA's "Pennsylvania’s 2014 Rising Stars: 30 Under 30."

After leaving journalism, Waxman joined the staff of the United Food and Commercial Workers as part of a campaign to unionize Walmart employees. He then worked on the Pennsylvania campaign against the so-called "Voter ID" law during the 2012 election.

Ben Waxman (born February 9, 1985) is a prominent Philadelphia-based journalist, activist, and consultant. He is the editor of UpdateVirus.com, an online news portal focused on the coronavirus outbreak in Pennsylvania. He most recently worked as the Director of Communications for District Attorney Larry Krasner and the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office.