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On Monday June 7, 2010, 89-year old Helen Thomas ended her longtime career as a White House correspondent and columnist. The announcement of Helen Thomas' retirement followed recent contoversial remarks she made about Israel in which she stated that "Jews should 'get the hell out of Palestine." According to reports, Thomas recently apologized to a Washington Post reporter and said she was "very sorry" and had "made a mistake," but failed to address the substance of her comments. Helen Thomas started covering the White House in 1960 and is recognized for covering U.S. Presidents as far back as John F. Kennedy.
Helen Thomas was also scheduled to speak at Walt Whitman High School's graduation exercises in June 2010. However, Whitman Principal Alan Goodwin announced this week that veteran CBS Television News Journalist Bob Schieffer will replace Helen Thomas. As the result of a mutual agreement with the Bethesda school, Helen Thomas withdrew her name as speaker.
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2 comments:
Jeanene,
I'm glad you brought up Helen Thomas. I think one of the most interesting things in the media this week has been how people have had a difficult time critically examining her as a public figure.
On the one hand, she was a trailblazing journalist - starting off in the middle parts of the century before women were accepted into the men's club of journalism and she had really become an incredible fixture of the White House Press room. On the other hand you have her vitriolic comments that have marred the end of her career.
Seeing the media deal with one of its own is ALWAYS interesting and I think the confusion over how to treat someone who is now defined by such polars is really interesting. Definitely a unique spin on the "scandal" issue we have talked about before.
I'm not sure if any of you have read her autobiography but it's really quite good and easy to read. She talks a lot about what it was like being the only woman in that world when she was starting out. http://www.amazon.com/Front-Row-White-House-Times/dp/0684868091
She's written a number of books I've read because I'm in the field of politics and media, but this is definitely one of my favorites.
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