Ben Hethcoat is a documentary filmmaker and digital storyteller whose work bridges politics, journalism, and culture. As Senior Video Producer at Crooked Media, he oversees video production and post-production for flagship shows including Pod Save America, Pod Save the World, Runaway Country with Alex Wagner, and Assembly Required with Stacey Abrams. He also leads Crooked’s original digital series and rapid-response programming, as well as live show productions.

Hethcoat’s feature documentary debut, Coroner to the Stars, explores the life and legacy of Dr. Thomas Noguchi, Hollywood’s controversial Chief Medical Examiner-Coroner. Sponsored by The Japanese American National Museum, the film was selected for the Tribeca Film Institute & CNN Films American Storytellers’ Lab and has screened at numerous film festivals worldwide, earning multiple awards along the way — including Audience Awards at Slamdance (2025) and Tallgrass (2025), and the Grand Jury Award at Kanazawa (in Japan).

Prior to Crooked Media, Hethcoat was a digital producer at Marketplace from American Public Media, where he created original series including “I’ve Always Wondered” and “Economics on Tap,” translating complex economic stories into engaging, accessible videos.

He is a member of the Writers Guild of America-East and has spoken at SXSW on the rise of YouTube as the leading platform for podcast distribution.

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