Walter Ratliff

Walter Ratliff is a Washington, DC-based journalist and religion scholar. His career has taken him from the jungles of Nigeria to the steppes of Uzbekistan. Ratliff is currently producing a book and documentary about a group of Mennonites who fled Imperial Russia in search of religious freedom, and found themselves in the care of a Muslim king. He recently helped produce a documentary for German television (ZDF, Arte) on religion in American public life. He also produced a series of documentary reports for the Associated Press on Islam in Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood, Great Britain’s immigrant community and America’s prisons.

In 2004, Ratliff earned a master’s degree in Islam and Muslim – Christian Relations from Georgetown University. This followed a master’s from Wheaton College, the Evangelical academic flagship. He also holds a joint degree in Journalism and Religious Studies from the University of New Mexico.

In 2001, Ratliff launched the Washington, DC operation for AP’s online division. Just prior to joining the world’s largest newsgathering organization, he produced a documentary on Muslim-Christian violence in Northern Nigeria, and covered the funeral of executed human rights leader Ken Saro-Wiwa in the Niger Delta region.

He also worked closely with Arabs, Israelis and Europeans delivering news from the United States. He began his broadcasting career at KLYT-FM in Albuquerque, NM. He is currently the Content Manager at Associated Press Television.