Woodstock Early Bird The Early Bird Gets the Worm: earlybirdtips@gmail.com

The AP reports that the former doyenne of the White House Press Corps, Helen Thomas, has died.

As someone who worked alongside various news reporters and producers in Washington DC in the 80’s in covering White House press conferences, Woodstock Early Bird can attest to Thomas’ influence and her pressing, probing presence in particular during the Reagan Administration.

She was not above a good scrap in the pursuit of the facts or the truth. We would say she raised the bar for ALL journalists, not just women.

Woodstock Early Bird makes note of her passing having been young and impressionably influenced by her – even then – senior role among the press corps.