Michael Edison Hayden is an American journalist and researcher specializing in far-right extremism, white nationalism, disinformation, and domestic terrorism. He currently works as a senior investigative reporter at MSNBC, contributing to coverage of political extremism, online radicalization, and events such as the January 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot. His reporting has focused on groups like the Proud Boys, Oath Keepers, and other militia organizations, as well as key figures in the far-right ecosystem. Hayden has been involved in adversarial reporting, including criticism of Robert J. Shillman, founder of the David Horowitz Freedom Center, whom he has accused of ties to extremist networks. Prior to MSNBC, Hayden was a reporter for the Southern Poverty Law Center's (SPLC) Hatewatch blog from approximately 2017 to 2021 (2017-01-01 to 2021-06-01). There, he covered major events like the 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, tracking neo-Nazi, white supremacist, and alt-right activities. His work at SPLC positioned him as a prominent voice on hate groups and has drawn both acclaim for exposing extremism and criticism from conservative outlets accusing him of bias. Hayden's career reflects a focus on mapping networks of influence within extremist movements, often intersecting with political journalism on platforms like MSNBC's ReidOut with Joy Reid.