Judy Woodruff

Judy Woodruff is a broadcast journalist who has covered politics and breaking news for over three decades at three major networks — NBC, PBS and CNN. Woodruff left working full time at CNN in June 2005 to pursue longer-form journalism opportunities and will continue as a consultant and occasional contributor to the cable network. For 12 years Woodruff served as anchor and senior correspondent for CNN, anchoring the weekday political program Inside Politics. At PBS from 1984 to 1993, she was the chief Washington correspondent for The MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour. From 1984 to 1990, she also anchored PBS’ weekly documentary series, “Frontline with Judy Woodruff.” At NBC News, Woodruff served as White House correspondent from 1977 to 1982 and as chief Washington correspondent for the Today Show from 1982 to 1983. She is the author of This is Judy Woodruff at the White House. Woodruff serves on the Visiting Committee for the Kennedy School. While at the Shorenstein Center, she taught a study group for students on contemporary issues in journalism.

Judy Woodruff: The High Art – and Power – of Political Stagecraft in the Age of Optics

May 30, 2016

Judy Woodruff, fall 2005 fellow and PBS NewsHour anchor, leads a conversation about how visuals can make or break a given political campaign, press conference or White House event, with former White House aide Josh King. Watch on PBS NewsHour.

Judy Woodruff: Will Clinton and Sanders Be Able to Patch Things up after Bruising Campaign?

May 16, 2016

May 16, 2016 — Judy Woodruff, fall 2005 fellow and PBS NewsHour anchor, leads a discussion with Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., and Rep. John Yarmuth, D-Ky., about what to expect post-primaries. Watch the video on PBS NewsHour.

Judy Woodruff: How Donald Trump Defied Party Wisdom to Become the Face of the GOP

May 4, 2016

May 4, 2016 — Judy Woodruff, fall 2005 fellow and PBS NewsHour anchor, leads a discussion about Trump’s win, as well as what Senator Bernie Sanders’ refusal to quit means for Hillary Clinton. Watch the video on PBS NewsHour.

Why the War Crimes Conviction of Radovan Karadzic Matters

March 24, 2016

March 24, 2016 — Two former fellows, Judy Woodruff and David Rohde, discuss the conviction of former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic, who was recently charged for genocide and crimes against humanity by a UN tribunal for his role in atrocities during the Bosnian civil war. Watch on “PBS Newshour.”

What Scalia’s Death Means for the Supreme Court’s Future

February 15, 2016

February 15, 2016 — Judy Woodruff, fall 2005 fellow and PBS NewsHour anchor, leads a discussion about the ramifications of Justice Antonin Scalia’s death on politics and the court. Watch the video.

Judy Woodruff: Democrats Aim to Define Themselves, Damage Opponents in Last Debate

January 18, 2016

January 18, 2016 — Judy Woodruff, fall 2005 fellow and PBS NewsHour anchor, leads a discussion about the takeaways from the January 16 Democratic debate. Watch the video on PBS NewsHour.

Judy Woodruff Interviews Former President Jimmy Carter

July 9, 2015

July 9, 2015 — Judy Woodruff, PBS NewsHour anchor and visiting fellow at the Shorenstein Center in 2005, interviewed former President Jimmy Carter on the PBS Newshour about the Democratic candidates for the upcoming presidential race, race relations in America, and his new memoir. Watch the interview.

Judy Woodruff: How Should the U.S. Engage With China?

June 4, 2015

June 4, 2015 — Judy Woodruff, PBS NewsHour anchor and visiting faculty member at the Shorenstein Center in 2005, speaks to Robert Rubin and Henry Paulson, both former secretaries of the Treasury, about U.S.- China relations. Watch the video on The Atlantic’s website.

The Press and the Election: A Conversation with Sunday Morning TV Moderators

August 24, 2008

August 24, 2008 – “The Press and the Election: A Conversation with Sunday Morning TV Moderators,” a panel discussion at the Democratic National Convention in Denver with Tom Brokaw, NBC News; Bob Schieffer, CBS News; and George Stephanopoulos, ABC News, and moderated by Judy Woodruff, PBS.

Conference looks at Supreme Court nomination process

March 24, 2006

March 24, 2006 — What roles do the press, political parties and interest groups play in the Supreme Court nomination process? To answer the question, the Shorenstein Center brought together some of the country’s most prominent political activists, journalists, academics and government officials to discuss the ways in which a nominee’s candidacy for the nation’s

Broadcaster Judy Woodruff explores reporters’ objectivity

September 19, 2005

September 19, 2005 — The Shorenstein Center kicked off its annual series of brown-bag lunches with “A Conversation with Judy Woodruff,” moderated by Shorenstein Center director Alex Jones. Woodruff is a broadcast journalist who has covered politics and breaking news for NBC, PBS, and CNN, and served as anchor and senior correspondent for CNN, anchoring

Shorenstein Center hosts national convention events

August 28, 2004

July 25 and August 28, 2004 — Since 1992, the Shorenstein Center has sponsored a brunch and panel discussion prior to the start of the national political conventions. In 2004, the Center was delighted to host one of these events “at home” in the John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum at Harvard on the Sunday before

Judy Woodruff delivers 2001 Theodore H. White lecture

November 1, 2001

November 1, 2001 — Ever since those horrifying moments when two passenger jetliners smashed into the World Trade Center towers seven weeks ago, Americans have been glued to their television sets with a seemingly insatiable appetite for information. And the TV networks have responded with a steady stream of around-the-clock coverage that has usurped the

Shorenstein Center hosts panel on convention television coverage

July 30, 2000

July 30, 2000 — On the occasion of the 2000 Republican National Convention, the Joan Shorenstein Center on the Press, Politics and Public Policy hosted a panel on convention television coverage. The event took place at Philadelphia City Hall, and featured numerous news-organization and political leaders. Shorenstein Center report, Is There a Future for On-the-Air