Jerry Springer has been a journalist, elected official, and television talk show host.

Springer was born in London, England, in 1944. His family was Jewish, and was trying to escape the Holocaust occurring in Europe during World War II. When Springer was five years old, his family immigrated to the United States. In 1965, he graduated from Tulane University. He earned a law degree from Northwestern University in 1968.

A member of the Democratic Party, Springer went into politics and worked as a campaign aide for Senator Robert Kennedy. After Kennedy's assassination, Springer practiced law at a Cincinnati, Ohio law firm, but he soon returned to politics. In 1971, Cincinnati voters elected him to the city council as an at-large member. He remained on the council from 1972 to 1977, when he became mayor of Cincinnati. Springer won the mayor's seat with the largest margin of victory in Cincinnati's history. However his reputation was damaged when some of his personal moral failings were revealed by the local press. Springer's time as mayor ended in 1981.

In 1982, Springer became a reporter and commentator for Cincinnati's WLWT television station. By 1984, he had become the station's lead anchor. On five separate occasions, Cincinnati residents voted Springer the city's best news anchor. Springer also received seven Emmy Awards for his political commentaries.

In 1993, Springer resigned his position at WLWT to give more time to a daily talk show that he had started in 1991. It was called The Jerry Springer Show, and it remains on the air today. Springer has received some criticism for his talk show, which is now based in Chicago, Illinois. Typically, The Jerry Springer Show invites people with unusual relationships or other problems to tell their stories. Critics argue that Springer's topics are inappropriate for television.

Springer is very concerned about social issues and actively assists such charity efforts as the Muscular Dystrophy Association, the Audrey Hepburn Hollywood for Children Fund, and the Kellman School.