Helen Thomas

[no_hypocrisy]

How many Arab–American journalists are there in the United States? The National Arab American Journalists Association reached almost 150 members in its first three years, according to its founder, nationally syndicated columnist Ray Hanania. About half of them work in mainstream, non-Arab–American media. In comparison, the national Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) has some 9000 members.

If pressed to name a single Arab–American journalist, most people could probably only reply, “Helen Thomas.” Now a senior columnist, Thomas has been a White House reporter since President John F. Kennedy’s day. She was the first woman officer of the National Press Club, first woman president of the White House Correspondents’ Association, first woman member of the Gridiron Club and, for decades, entitled to ask the first or second question during presidential press conferences. In 2000, the SPJ created an annual Lifetime Achievement Award—and named it after Thomas.

For Arab–American journalists, she set the bar high. The trouble is, how many Helen Thomases can there be in the future? Where is the next Helen Thomas coming from?



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