First Lady of the Press Corps Helen Thomas in Austin Tonight

In her more than 60 years as Washington reporter---covering every president since JFK---Helen Thomas has earned respect, admiration, and a front-row seat in the press room. She’s also earned a reputation for her no-holds-barred questions---a reputation that got her booted to the back of the room and virtually ignored by the current administration.

Now Thomas is directing her questions---and her barbs---at her fellow journalists. In her latest book, Watchdogs of Democracy?: The Waning Washington Press Corps and How It Has Failed the Public, Thomas argues that today’s journalists have become “subdued, compromised lapdogs” unwilling to push the powers-that-be for real answers on the crucial issues of the day: homeland security, the economy, and the invasion of Iraq.

According to Booklist, “Thomas offers a cogent, bracing assessment of the deteriorating state of journalistic ethics. . . . Thomas is as engaging as she is wise and passionate in this invaluable history of White House reporting.”

Thomas will speak about her book tonight at the Austin Marriott at the Capitol as a guest of the Writers’ League of Texas. To practice what she preaches, Thomas will open the floor for a press corps-style Q&A after her reading.

UDPATE: SOLD OUT

Tickets are available in advance or at the door for a $5 donation. All proceeds benefit the Writers' League of Texas.

Helen Thomas Reading
Thursday, July 6 (tonight)
7 p.m.
Austin Marriott at the Capitol
701 E. 11th St.
$5 in advance or at the door
SOLD OUT