The NPR Politics Podcast

50 Years Of NPR's Political Coverage

May 31, 2021

Mara Liasson, NPR's astute national political correspondent, and Nina Totenberg, a legendary legal affairs journalist, reminisce about their groundbreaking contributions to political coverage. They delve into NPR's early challenges, including the chaos of reporting during Watergate. Highlighting the pivotal role of women journalists, they discuss the evolution of political narratives, significant impeachments, and the media's impact on Supreme Court nominations. Their anecdotes reveal the mix of personal and professional challenges faced by reporters over the past 50 years.

28:01

Creator website

Episode guests

Nina Totenberg

Mara Liasson

AI Chapters

Episode notes

Intro

2min

Navigating Chaos: Early NPR Days and the Weight of Watergate

3min

Contrasting Emotions in Impeachment History

2min

Evolving NPR: Women and Political Coverage

4min

The Downfall of a Supreme Court Nominee: A Marijuana Scandal

2min

Women in NPR: Pioneers of Political Reporting

15min

This month NPR is celebrating its 50th anniversary, and to commemorate the moment we're looking back on the women who shaped how NPR has covered the biggest political stories. Linda Wertheimer, Nina Totenberg, and Mara Liasson built NPR's political coverage from the ground up and take us into the rooms where history was made.

This episode: White House correspondent Scott Detrow and White House correspondent Ayesha Rascoe.

Connect:
Subscribe to the NPR Politics Podcast here.
Email the show at nprpolitics@npr.org
Join the NPR Politics Podcast Facebook Group.
Listen to our playlist The NPR Politics Daily Workout.
Subscribe to the NPR Politics Newsletter.
Find and support your local public radio station.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

Remember Everything You Learn from Podcasts

Save insights instantly, chat with episodes, and build lasting knowledge - all powered by AI.