White House reporting pioneer Thomas not ready to give it up

Aaron Clemens

Thursday, June 29, 2000 | 10:03 a.m.

After 57 years as a journalist Helen Thomas is not ready to retire.

"I don't believe in retirement," she said.

Thomas, 79, pioneered equal treatment for women journalists during her four decades covering eight presidents. She became the first female president of the White House Correspondents Association and broke into the formerly all male National Press Club and Gridiron Club.

She spoke to the World Television Journalism Conference at the Tropicana hotel-casino Tuesday on the future of journalism and her prospects for a new job covering the White House.

"I am toying with two or three things," she said.

She would not say if she was considering returning to print or switching to telemedia but did say she is not the dot.com type. Her decision should be made in a couple of weeks, she said.

Thomas ended a nearly six-decade tenure at United Press International the day after the faltering wire service was purchased by News World Communications, founded by the Rev. Sun Myung Moon, leader of the Unification Church.

Although she has not publicly spoken about her reasons for leaving UPI, the Toronto Globe and Mail reported that a former colleague said Thomas was concerned about the integrity of her stories in a news organization controlled by the church, whose followers are often scornfully referred to as Moonies.

Thomas began her career at UPI as a writer for the local radio wire in 1943 a year after earning an English degree from what is now known as Wayne State University in Detroit. She said her love of journalism began as a high school sophomore working on the school paper.

She began her coverage of the White House in 1960 under President John F. Kennedy. To illustrate the relationship the press had with the White House, she described asking former first lady Jacqueline Kennedy what she would feed her new dog, Flipper. Kennedy responded, "reporters."

"Lincoln said let the people know the truth. I believe people can handle the truth, and they deserve it," she said. "Our mission is to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable."

She pointed out that America is the only nation where the press can question their leader. Power does corrupt but once you are at the top, you should do the right thing because you have no where else to go, she said.

When asked to compare the difference between covering Watergate with President Richard Nixon and the impeachment of President Clinton, she said Nixon's scandal was an abuse of political power for political ends while Clinton's was a personal transgression.

"The world has changed. Before, the press would not report on an issue in private life if it would not affect public life," she said.

She disagreed with the freewheeling nature of Internet reporting because it skipped the important element of editors and expressed disappointment that families are selling newspapers to big chains.

"I want two-newspaper towns. Now everyone is down to one newspaper," she said, although she was reminded by an audience member that Las Vegas still has two newspapers.