In May of 2000, Thomas left United Press International to become a syndicated columnist for Hearst Newspapers. She continued to write about White House politics but expanded her palate to include national affairs and topics of her choosing.

With the inauguration of George W. Bush in early 2001, Thomas was shunned as the president became irritated with her tough and often provocative questions. She lost her front row seat, was moved to the back row, and no longer was called upon by the press secretary. Since September 11, Thomas has been an advocate of press freedom on a large scale. She continues to argue that reporters “played dead” for much too long after the attacks in New York and Washington, afraid that they might be called unpatriotic. With the onset of the Iraqi war, Thomas’s fight expanded to government secrecy. She pleaded with the White House to release information, saying that secret documents and conversations could not be tolerated. According to Thomas, everything but the most vital military secrets needs to be shared with the public got a kick out of working on the police beat.  Learning how to go on air with only a single moment’s notice proved to be most valuable throughout the duration of Schieffer’s career.

Soundbytes


Click here to listen to Helen Thomas talk about her infamous phrase "Thank you, Mr. President."

Click here to listen to Helen Thomas talk about post 9-11 journalism.

Click here to view the audio transcrips as a Microsoft Word document

Click here to view the audio transcrips as a .pdf file (requires Adobe Acrobat to view)

JOHP :: Helen Thomas Resources::

Early Life

China and Hollywood

Life after United Press International

Advice for Young Journalists

Thomas on Controversy and the Future