Reporting from Washington: The History of the Washington Press Corps

by Donald A. Ritchie

Donald Ritchie offers a vibrant chronicle of news coverage in our nation's capital, from the early days of radio and print reporting and the heyday of the wire services to the brave new world of the Internet.
Beginning with 1932, when a newly elected FDR energized the sleepy capital, Ritchie highlights the dramatic changes in journalism that have occurred in the last seven decades. We meet legendary columnists--including Walter Lippmann, Joseph Alsop, and Drew Pearson --as well as the great investigative reporters, from Paul Y. Anderson to the two green Washington Post reporters who launched the political story of the decade--Woodward and Bernstein. We read of the rise of radio news--fought tooth and nail by the print barons--and of such pioneers as Edward R. Murrow, H. V. Kaltenborn, and Elmer Davis. Ritchie also offers a vivid history of TV news, from the early days of Meet the Press , to Huntley and Brinkley and Walter Cronkite, to the cable revolution led by C-SPAN and CNN. In addition, he compares political news on the Internet to the alternative press of the '60s and '70s; describes how black reporters slowly broke into the white press corps (helped mightily by FDR's White
House); discusses path-breaking woman reporters such as Sarah McClendon and Helen Thomas, and much more.
From Walter Winchell to Matt Drudge, the people who cover Washington politics are among the most colorful and influential in American news. Reporting from Washington offers an unforgettable portrait of these figures as well as of the dramatic changes in American journalism in the twentieth century.

Genres: Journalism, History, Nonfiction

432 pages, Hardcover

First published February 1, 2005

Reviews

[Judine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This has a lot of fascinating stories about the behind the scenes things that happened in the Press Corps; I read about the AP and UPI wire services, and it told in depth about how Merriman Smith ("Smitty") worked as UPI's Washington bureau chief, including winning a Pulitzer of his coverage of the Kennedy assassination (Did you know the reporters in Washington knew about the shots BEFORE the reporters covering Kennedy in Dallas because of the wire service?). While it (out of high profile necessity) spends most of a chapter on Watergate, it does provide new angles (it was Lesley Stahl's first assignment), and it points up the changing face of news reporting, thanks to television and the internet. While it's a book you have to concentrate on to appreciate, it's fascinating stuff for political geeks.

[Herman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Donald Ritchie offers an awesome account of news coverage in our nation's capital, from the early days of radio and print reporting and the heyday of the wire services to the brave new world of the Internet.
Beginning with 1932, when a newly elected FDR energized the sleepy capital, Ritchie highlights the dramatic changes in journalism that have occurred in the last seven decades. We meet legendary columnists--including Walter Lippmann, Joseph Alsop, and Drew Pearson --as well as the great investigative reporters, from Paul Y. Anderson to the two green Washington Post reporters who launched the political story of the decade--Woodward and Bernstein. We read of the rise of radio news--fought tooth and nail by the print barons--and of such pioneers as Edward R. Murrow, H. V. Kaltenborn, and Elmer Davis. Ritchie also offers a vivid history of TV news, from the early days of Meet the Press, to Huntley and Brinkley and Walter Cronkite, to the cable revolution led by C-SPAN and CNN. In addition, he compares political news on the Internet to the alternative press of the '60s and '70s; describes how black reporters slowly broke into the white press corps (helped mightily by FDR's White House); discusses path-breaking woman reporters such as Sarah McClendon and Helen Thomas, and much more.
From Walter Winchell to Matt Drudge, the people who cover Washington politics are among the most colorful and influential in American news. Reporting from Washington offers an unforgettable portrait of these figures as well as of the dramatic changes in American journalism in the twentieth century.

[Elleonora Tambunan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A comprehensive documentation and a slight of tell-tale about the press comunity in Washington, D.C. Captivating writing style. Recommended for non-scholars who seeks for observation on the past media life in DC.

[Emily Holt]

This book provides a bit of hope, through a historial lens, for journalists caught in the economic downturn.