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Driven: A Life in Public Service and Journalism from LBJ to CNN
Driven brings a seasoned perspective to today’s conversations about government, media, and the future of truth in the form of a long-awaited autobiography by Tom Johnson, an award-winning journalist who helped shape the twenty-four-hour news media as we know it. Johnson’s storied career in politics and journalism spans the Lyndon B. Johnson administration, where he was privy to painful negotiations on Vietnam and notified the president that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. had been assassinated, through the executive leadership of the LA Times and, finally, Ted Turner’s upstart CNN in Atlanta.
From his perspective “inside the room,” Johnson provides eyewitness accounts of Lyndon B. Johnson’s triumphs and disasters and his on-the-ground view of the magnificent achievements and significant shortfalls of late twentieth-century American journalism. Johnson is also candid about his lifelong struggle with depression and mental health and recovery advocacy. With more than eight decades behind him, Driven is not just Johnson’s look at the past but a chance for his story to offer guidance about finding balance in an uncertain future.
From his perspective “inside the room,” Johnson provides eyewitness accounts of Lyndon B. Johnson’s triumphs and disasters and his on-the-ground view of the magnificent achievements and significant shortfalls of late twentieth-century American journalism. Johnson is also candid about his lifelong struggle with depression and mental health and recovery advocacy. With more than eight decades behind him, Driven is not just Johnson’s look at the past but a chance for his story to offer guidance about finding balance in an uncertain future.
368 pages, Hardcover
Published October 1, 2025
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About the author
Tom Johnson
202 books20 followersLibrarian Note: There are more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
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October 19, 2025An important story of and important life led by an important man. Tom Johnson’s firsthand accounts of some of America’s most historic moments from the 1960s to 2000 are profound, thoughtful, and influential, especially as a young journalist. This ought to be required reading for our industry, and I feel incredibly grateful to get to ask Tom more questions about his life and career at our upcoming book talk.
August 2, 2025
Book Review: Driven: A Life in Public Service and Journalism from LBJ to CNN by Tom Johnson (Foreword by Judy Woodruff)
Rating: 4.7/5
A Masterclass in Insider Journalism and Public Service
Tom Johnson’s Driven is a rare memoir that bridges the golden age of American journalism and the tumultuous birth of 24-hour news, offering a seasoned perspective on today’s conversations about government, media, and the future of truth. Johnson’s career—spanning LBJ’s White House, the LA Times, and CNN—is rendered with a historian’s precision and a Southern storyteller’s charm. His eyewitness accounts of pivotal moments (e.g., delivering news of MLK’s assassination to LBJ) are visceral, while his reflections on the media’s magnificent achievements and significant shortfalls feel urgently relevant.
As a reader, I was struck by Johnson’s unflinching vulnerability about his lifelong struggle with depression—a rarity among memoirs of powerful men. His description of balancing public duty with private turmoil resonated deeply, particularly his advocacy for mental health recovery. The book’s pacing mirrors Johnson’s career: methodical during policy debates (Vietnam negotiations), frenetic during CNN’s early days, and introspective in later chapters. Judy Woodruff’s foreword adds warmth, framing Johnson as both a visionary and a humble servant-leader.
Yet, the memoir occasionally leans too heavily on institutional nostalgia. Younger readers may crave more critique of systemic media failures (e.g., profit-driven sensationalism) beyond shortfalls. A deeper interrogation of CNN’s evolution under corporate pressures would have sharpened its contemporary relevance.
Constructive Criticism
-Structural Gaps: The transition from LBJ’s administration to journalism feels abrupt. More insight into how political insights informed his editorial leadership would enrich the narrative.
-Diversity Lens: While Johnson acknowledges the “Old South’s” racial legacy (per Andrew Young’s praise), his reflections on newsroom diversity at the LA Times/CNN are sparse.
-Tech Disruption: A missed opportunity to dissect digital media’s impact on truth-telling, given his frontline role in cable news’ rise.
Summary Takeaways:
- From whispering in LBJ’s ear to shouting truth on CNN—Tom Johnson’s memoir is the All the President’s Men of media leadership.
- A Depression-era Georgia boy turned newsroom titan proves journalism’s soul survives boardrooms and breaking news.
- For fans of The Newsroom and The Years of Lyndon Johnson—this is your next obsession.
- Johnson doesn’t just report history; he lived it—a masterclass in ethical leadership amid chaos.
- The antidote to ‘fake news’ fatigue: a roadmap for truth-tellers from a man who stood beside giants.
Gratitude
Thank you to Edelweiss, the University of Georgia Press, and Longleaf Services for the advance copy. Johnson’s legacy—a reflection of Heaven in his heart and mind—offers solace in an era of media distrust.
Final Verdict: A must-read for journalism students and political historians, Driven balances nostalgia with hard-won wisdom. Loses half a point for sidelining 21st-century media crises, but gains stars for its humanity.
Why Read It? To witness how one man’s balance in an uncertain future might light the way for truth-seekers today.
Rating: 4.7/5
A Masterclass in Insider Journalism and Public Service
Tom Johnson’s Driven is a rare memoir that bridges the golden age of American journalism and the tumultuous birth of 24-hour news, offering a seasoned perspective on today’s conversations about government, media, and the future of truth. Johnson’s career—spanning LBJ’s White House, the LA Times, and CNN—is rendered with a historian’s precision and a Southern storyteller’s charm. His eyewitness accounts of pivotal moments (e.g., delivering news of MLK’s assassination to LBJ) are visceral, while his reflections on the media’s magnificent achievements and significant shortfalls feel urgently relevant.
As a reader, I was struck by Johnson’s unflinching vulnerability about his lifelong struggle with depression—a rarity among memoirs of powerful men. His description of balancing public duty with private turmoil resonated deeply, particularly his advocacy for mental health recovery. The book’s pacing mirrors Johnson’s career: methodical during policy debates (Vietnam negotiations), frenetic during CNN’s early days, and introspective in later chapters. Judy Woodruff’s foreword adds warmth, framing Johnson as both a visionary and a humble servant-leader.
Yet, the memoir occasionally leans too heavily on institutional nostalgia. Younger readers may crave more critique of systemic media failures (e.g., profit-driven sensationalism) beyond shortfalls. A deeper interrogation of CNN’s evolution under corporate pressures would have sharpened its contemporary relevance.
Constructive Criticism
-Structural Gaps: The transition from LBJ’s administration to journalism feels abrupt. More insight into how political insights informed his editorial leadership would enrich the narrative.
-Diversity Lens: While Johnson acknowledges the “Old South’s” racial legacy (per Andrew Young’s praise), his reflections on newsroom diversity at the LA Times/CNN are sparse.
-Tech Disruption: A missed opportunity to dissect digital media’s impact on truth-telling, given his frontline role in cable news’ rise.
Summary Takeaways:
- From whispering in LBJ’s ear to shouting truth on CNN—Tom Johnson’s memoir is the All the President’s Men of media leadership.
- A Depression-era Georgia boy turned newsroom titan proves journalism’s soul survives boardrooms and breaking news.
- For fans of The Newsroom and The Years of Lyndon Johnson—this is your next obsession.
- Johnson doesn’t just report history; he lived it—a masterclass in ethical leadership amid chaos.
- The antidote to ‘fake news’ fatigue: a roadmap for truth-tellers from a man who stood beside giants.
Gratitude
Thank you to Edelweiss, the University of Georgia Press, and Longleaf Services for the advance copy. Johnson’s legacy—a reflection of Heaven in his heart and mind—offers solace in an era of media distrust.
Final Verdict: A must-read for journalism students and political historians, Driven balances nostalgia with hard-won wisdom. Loses half a point for sidelining 21st-century media crises, but gains stars for its humanity.
Why Read It? To witness how one man’s balance in an uncertain future might light the way for truth-seekers today.
November 2, 2025
This is a fantastic memoir by someone I didn't know existed until I saw him on Amanpour. Given his influence I should have known who he was. I hope many may find him through this book. To say he was everywhere at important times is not saying enough. He seems to have interacted with everyone considered 'important'. Luckily he didn't take that all over seriously. I couldn't recommend this important book more.
January 3, 2026
What an amazing and fortunate life! Thoroughly enjoyed learning about Tom’s life in government and journalism. And appreciate so much all he has done to benefit those suffering from mental illness. Highly recommend!
October 30, 2025
What a book!! Amazing stories of people running our Government and what they do without our knowledge, of what goes on in the background of our daily lives. First real book in several decades, I'm reading without turning the pages with a mouse. Excellent book, well written and informative.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews