*Courtesy ‘FRIENDS & NEIGHBORS’ / Benjamin Wagner.*

Benjamin Wagner has spent his life chasing the connective power of stories — from his early days in local news to nearly two decades helping transform MTV News for the digital age, from Facebook’s News Partnerships Team to his work as an award-winning PBS documentarian and singer/songwriter. Born in Iowa and raised on the move, Wagner’s career has been shaped by a deep curiosity about how people find meaning, resilience, and belonging through shared experience.

His latest documentary ‘Friends & Neighbors’ continues that lifelong pursuit, turning his lens toward the human questions that have always animated his work: how we navigate adversity, how we show up for one another, and how storytelling can help us heal.

In our conversation, Wagner reflected on the experiences that shaped the project and why this particular story felt urgent to tell now.

The film begins from a very personal place, but opens out into a wider diagnosis of American life. What was the moment when you realized this wasn’t just your story, but a story about stress becoming part of culture?

You return to Fred Rogers’ idea of “looking for the helpers.” After making ‘Mister Rogers & Me,’ did your understanding of that phrase change while making this documentary?

You met Fred Rogers and that really had a profound impact on you because he simply wanted to listen and understand your story. He is often remembered as a gentle figure, but his work also took the emotions and experiences of children seriously. What do you think adults still need to learn from that approach?

*Fred Rogers and Benjamin Wagner.*
*Courtesy ‘FRIENDS & NEIGHBORS’ / Benjamin Wagner.*

I feel like a lot of us, including myself, don’t know a lot of emotional details about our parents and what kinds of trauma or stress they might be carrying from earlier in their lives. How did it feel to interview your parents and hear their own honest and open stories of their pasts, and did it help you on your healing journey?

Doctor Zachary Mulvihill mentioned how most people are out of line with their circadian rhythms and getting severe cortisol spikes — even touching on the point that New York is known as the city that never sleeps. In the context of the film, that title becomes quite terrifying. I know you’re based in Wilmington now, but do you have a routine in place to make sure that your senses aren’t completely overwhelmed by artificial lights, phone screens?

Wagner put emphasis on the importance of sleep and exercise to help reduce stress levels, and how the body lets you know when it’s pushing over its limits. He referenced his time at MTV and Facebook as “challenging,” and yet, kept pushing forward without acknowledging his stress. Now, Wagner is aware of his anxiety and knows how to manage it.

Wagner: “The body keeps the score, and if you’re not paying attention, the body says okay we’re gonna pause — we’re gonna stop you in your tracks so we can figure this out.”

From one musician to another, do you have a go-to song you play on guitar that immediately puts you in a good mood?