It was my extreme pleasure to see White House correspondent Helen Thomas tonight. She spoke at my hotel for the Women's Economic Council Foundation. I helped carry in her books for the autograph session. Standing right next to her while she was introduced to attendees, I was in awe. "The First Lady of the Press," a journalist who has been covering the White House since 1960 and asking the toughest questions of the most powerful men day in and day out, was right there beside me.
Living in a country with freedom of the press is, of course, a beautiful and cherished thing. I think about a female journalist covering the President in the year 2006 and it's no big deal. And then I think about Helen Thomas, a female journalist covering the President in the year 1960 and I marvel at her accomplishments, both for herself and for her gender. It was an honor to be near her tonight.
Her latest book is titled Watchdogs of Democracy?: The Waning Washington Press Corps and How It Has Failed the Public. It's available online and at your local library, but I'd recommend supporting local favorites Bookman Bookwoman in Hillsboro Village. It's one of Nashville's best.
1 comment:
Ol' Helen's seen it all hasn't she?
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