News Releases

RTNDA Honors Sam Donaldson of ABC News

LAS VEGAS—Sam Donaldson, who spent most of his long career at ABC News covering politics, said he’s “apprehensive” about some of the political coverage on radio and television this year, suggesting that journalists haven’t been tough enough in questioning the candidates.

“It’s not our job to tear them down or fall in love with them,” he said. “It’s not our job to promote them. It’s our job to bring people facts about them and to question them.

“Don’t be rude--you know it’s my maxim,” Donaldson said, drawing laughter from the audience. “But ask the questions. Your job is not to win a popularity contest. Don’t give anyone a pass.  Keep on them.” 

Donaldson said that journalists collectively should hang their heads for not pressing hard enough for answers before the invasion of Iraq. When it comes to covering candidates, he added, “Don’t be afraid to ask every question that you think is appropriate to find out what they believe in and what they have in store for us if they’re elected.” 

Donaldson’s comments came during a ceremony Monday at which he received the 2008 Paul White Award from the Radio-Television News Directors Association at RTNDA@NAB in Las Vegas.

Angie Kucharski, past chairwoman of RTNDA, presented Donaldson with the sterling silver Paul White bowl, which has inscribed on it the names of all past recipients. “His dedication to the craft, pursuit of the truth and his passion for excellence has been an inspiration to all of us,” Kucharski said. RTNDA president Barbara Cochran said Donaldson “embodies the best qualities of journalism, independence, courage, integrity and fairness.”

In accepting the award, Donaldson said he’s concerned by some of the changes he’s seen in his 47 years in journalism. Technology that allows the news to reach audiences immediately has a flip side, he said. “We have no time to think about it.” Competition has also put more pressure on journalists to get stories on the air faster, Donaldson said. “Matt Drudge doesn’t let the facts get in the way of a good story. That’s not what we do, that’s not what Paul White did.”

ABC’s Washington bureau chief Robin Sproul called Donaldson “a force of nature” and “the most recognized White House correspondent ever.” Since Donaldson joined ABC News four decades ago, he has mentored and challenged young staff, and has become a digital pioneer, launching an Internet news program in 1999. “Sam has never met a platform he didn’t like,” Sproul said. “If there’s a platform to deliver news, Sam wants to be on it.” 

Donaldson began his broadcast career in 1959 as a television announcer for KRLD-TV, the CBS affiliate in Dallas. Two years later, he moved to Washington, where he spent six years reporting for the CBS affiliate, then called WTOP-TV. He joined ABC News in 1967 as Capitol Hill correspondent, and was named chief White House correspondent a decade later. From 1981 to 1996, Donaldson was a regular interviewer on This Week with David Brinkley. From 1989 to 1999, he co-anchored PrimeTime Live with Diane Sawyer. Donaldson launched the first regularly scheduled news program on the Internet in 1999. He now hosts a daily half-hour show, Politics Live, on the ABC News Now digital channel. 

RTNDA established the Paul White Award in 1956 to honor the broadcast news pioneer who served as the first news director at CBS. The award recognizes an individual’s lifetime contribution to electronic journalism. Past recipients include Christiane Amanpour, Charles Gibson, Charles Osgood, Ted Koppel, Dan Rather, Peter Jennings, Tom Brokaw, Barbara Walters, Ed Bradley, Bob Schieffer, Jane Pauley, Pauline Frederick and Edward R. Murrow.

--Deborah Potter is the executive director of NewsLab in Washington.