As a young man, I was inspired by the courage of Dan Rather, and I don’t mean his overly sincere sign-off to the CBS Evening News. Rather was fearless. In Vietnam, in the segregated South where he covered Civil Rights, and at the White House where he stood up to the other President with an enemies list, Richard Nixon.
Later, my inspiration came from Sam Donaldson who faced down a very popular Ronald Reagan, pointedly asking him about the Iran-Contra scandal.
To me, these giants of television journalism exhibited what White House Correspondents are supposed to be and do. So when I made it to the front row of the White House Press Room to ask President Barack Obama questions, I remembered to challenge, to ask myself: what do my viewers want to know today? Often, that meant asking a question neither the President nor his Press Secretary wanted to deal with. But they did.
Today, I am proud to have worked with many of the White House Correspondents who bravely ask President Donald Trump, tough, uncomfortable questions.
Kaitlin Collins of CNN was just emerging as a White House Correspondent, backing up my friend Jim Acosta. She has grown into a remarkable journalist. Put in the difficult position of interviewing President Trump one one-on-one — just as she was starting her big-time career — she was not successful. But over time, she has emerged as brave, challenging, and a cable star.
At NBC, Peter Alexander, Gabe Gutierrez, and Kelly O’Donnell routinely ask the questions the public has a right to hear and don’t back down. I know Kelly’s toughness firsthand. We both worked out of the small and dangerous Baghdad bureau at NBC in the early 2000s. She put on her bulletproof flak vest and ventured out into the Iraq War with the rest of the boys. If there was fear, I never saw it. That bureau, by the way, was bombed one early morning, killing two local staffers.
My former ABC News producer at the White House, Mary Bruce, is now ABC’s front line, distinguishing herself nightly on World News Tonight. She is frequently asking Trump to explain and yes, justify his efforts to diminish the other branches of government and elevate the Presidency to royalty or outright dictatorship. And moves he must be challenged on.
Ed O’Keefe and Robert Costa, both alumni of The Washington Post, make up a strong CBS News team.
To those who say the “mainstream media” is dead or dying, I reply, “I hope not.” Because without it, we lose brave journalists like those above.
And don’t forget the likes of Jonathan Swan, Maggie Haberman and Peter Baker at The New York Times, all of whom break deeply researched stories the Trump administration dismisses as “fake news”.
There are other younger reporters at all of the networks, who show promise and hopefully have time to grow. One of the changes at the networks since I left in 2018 is the pace at which correspondents make it to the top. I came to NBC News after 20 years in major markets in San Francisco, Chicago, and Los Angeles.
Then another 20 years in network news covering everything from Columbine to Sandy Hook, on the ground for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, posts in Jerusalem and London, and as a 20/20 correspondent while also covering the D.C. agencies from the FAA to the FDA, before finally getting my chance at the White House.
That experience helped me be brave in the front row and ask those uncomfortable questions. After all, the President’s ire was not as scary as a Taliban bullet.
What the nation needs now are experienced, courageous journalists challenging this president and unafraid of being labeled “enemy of the people.”
The real enemy of the people are those from friendly news outlets who fear the wrath of MAGA and only ask softballs the President wants to hear.
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Jim Avila is a weekly news television columnist for Barrett Media. An Award-winning journalist with four decades of reporting and anchoring experience, Jim worked as Senior National Correspondent, 20/20 Correspondent, and White House Correspondent for ABC News. Prior to his time with ABC, he spent a decade with NBC News, and worked locally in Los Angeles and Chicago for KNBC, and WBBM. He recently spent time in San Diego, serving as Senior Team 10 Investigator for KGTV. Jim can be found on Twitter @JimAvilaABC.
Couldn’t agree more!