Marcus Benigno is chief communications and marketing officer at the ACLU of Southern California.

Marcus joined the SoCal affiliate in 2013 as a new media strategist, and since 2016, he has led he communications and media advocacy arm for the affiliate, including oversight of the ACLU SoCal’s Bill of Rights Awards honoring activists and luminaries like Mark Ruffalo, Viet Thanh Nguyen, Rita Moreno, Eva Longoria, Brittney Griner, Will Ferrell, Harper Steele, Greg Berlanti, among others.

Previously, Marcus was a freelance correspondent abroad, reporting for domestic and international outlets including the Nepali Times, Egypt Independent Public Radio International’s America Abroad Media and the United Nations Integrated Regional Information Networks (UN-IRIN).

Marcus was a Mellon professor of practice at Occidental College, where he taught a course on media theory and social movements.

Marcus earned his degree from McGill University in International Development Studies. He is currently a member of the board of directors for the Los Angeles Neighborhood Land Trust.