Helen Thomas

            Helen Thomas was most well known for her work as a White House press corps and opinion columnist. She worked for the United Press and wrote a column for Hearst Newspapers from 2000-2010. She was the first female officer for the National Press club, as well as the first female member and president of the White House Correspondents’ Association. She was a pioneer for women writers and paved the way for women writers.

            Thomas was born in 1920, and she remained active in the business until 2010, when she retired after controversial comments she made about Israel and Jews. She became a household name while serving as correspondent for John Kennedy. She fought for women’s equality and she proved to be a force in journalism. She was the only female journalist to travel with Nixon, and she traveled with each president after him, including Obama.

            Thomas was arguably the most influential woman in all of journalism. She was active for 70 years, and was known for asking harsh but important questions. In 2010, her career took a sharp turn for the worst. A reporter asked her for a comment on Israel, and she defended the Palestinian view. She was slammed as anti-Semitic and against Israel, and consequentially, she resigned. Nearly every news organization was delighted in her resignation, and Obama agreed that she made “the right decision.” After her remarks, her company dropped her, she was stripped of some awards, and her name became a joke. Some scholarships in her honor dissipated and she never regained her reputation.

            Thomas wrote until her death in 2013, and some of her previous standing was restored as reporters named her a trailblazer who redefined the limits of journalism. Her legacy will live on forever, but unfortunately, so will the stigma attached to her name.

Additional sources:

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/21/business/media/helen-thomas-who-broke-down-barriers-as-white-house-reporter-is-dead-at-92.html?_r=0

http://www.politico.com/story/2013/10/helen-thomas-jfk-went-on-date-97883.html

http://www.biography.com/people/helen-thomas-38119