First Lady Of The Press

By Rachel Stockman

Although she might not want to admit it, Helen Thomas is the most highly respected journalist - both by her colleagues and politicians who she has covered in the White House pressroom. Thomas, who has been a staple to the front row of the White House Press corps and has covered every President beginning with John F. Kennedy. Known as "the first lady of the press," Thomas has never been afraid to ask the tough questions. "I just keep asking penetrating and I think strong questions," she said. "Obviously they [the administrations] don't like that and

obviously you are not going to get an answer. But the question is important. The question goes into the record - goes into history and it's important."

When Thomas began her journalism career, the industry was primarily male dominated. You had to be tough, and persistent to make it as a woman in the newsroom. "But now, luckily, I don't think that is true anymore," Thomas said.

After 57 years as a reporter for United Press International, she recently resigned to become a White House correspondent and syndicated columnist for Hearst Newspapers. Thomas says that there is rarely a dull moment when you are covering an administration. "There are quiet moments, but when there are, you fasten your seat belts because you know there is never a day without news. Something is going to happen, especially if it's too quiet."

So what keeps her going? "I thinks it's exciting to always be part of the world," she said. "You certainly are when you are in journalism," she said. "It's an education everyday. It's a great privilege to cover the White House. You are covering everything from tricky track to war to peace - that's the latitude that you have. I think it's a great honor to cover presidents and their families and to tell the world what's going on."

But her venerated seat in the front row of the surprisingly small White House pressroom has recently been taken away. The current Bush administration has found her no nonsense hard-hitting style to hamper their ability to control the news. As a result, Thomas has been pushed to the back of the room and she rarely gets called on. A January 2003 press briefing with then Press Secretary Ari Fleischer greased the wheels for the administration's actions. In this briefing, Fleischer and Thomas got into a fairly heated question and answer battle over what Thomas referred to as the "taking of innocent lives in Iraq."

"This is the most secretive administration that I've ever covered," Thomas said of the current George W. Bush administration. "It's our job to question them [White House administrations] and make them accountable. If they aren't questioned they could rule as kings or a dictators so the press are the only forum, the only institution in our society that can question a president. When they shut down on information that I think belongs to the American people it obviously redounds very bad for democracy."

Lately, Thomas has been rather outspoken about her dislike for the current president's policies. As for the upcoming election, Thomas said, "It's boiled down to two people. I'm not going to say who ... but I think that it will be nice for a change."

While Thomas admired Lyndon B. Johnson "because of his domestic program, Medicare, Civil Rights Act, Voting Rights for blacks for the first time in the South, federal aid to education - to all levels from Headstart through college, public housing, public health, he did the things to help the poor, the sick and the maimed," her favorite president was President Kennedy. She attributes this to his great wit, warmth, and great goals. "Anyone who would say we are going to land men on the moon in a decade obviously had great vision or else he's reading science fiction," she said. But she's quick to add, "I respect them all [the presidents] because they hold the highest office in this land. They have the trust of the American people."

Journalists like Thomas know that they are only as good as their last story - that it's their daily challenge to unearth the truth for a public that needs to be informed. "There will always be news as long as there are people on this planet," she said. "And as long as you care about the world and care about the issues and care about war and peace and what's happening to mankind, I think you will be always interested in working."