In his year-end note to the NBC News Washington bureau, bureau chief Ken Strickland touted the D.C. staffers as a group that has “integrity, excellence, passion, and occasionally some fun.” He singled out Chuck Todd and Andrea Mitchellfor their political reporting, Pete Williams for his reporting on the Boston Marathon bombings and “Meet the Press” for its “memorable, newsmaking interviews.”
“When Deborah Turness first visited earlier this fall, she made a point to say how impressed she was with our operation and what a critical role we play in the news division’s overall success,” Strickland writes. “As Deborah continues to work with each of the shows to define their mission, she’s also excited to work with us to identify new opportunities and achieve new goals.”
The full note is after the jump.
As 2013 comes to a close, I’d like to take a moment to thank each of you for your hard work and dedication over the last year. We produced a tremendous amount for the News Group, resulting in long hours, weekends, and time away from home. Your flexibility and responsiveness has been greatly appreciated, and the work has not gone unnoticed.
We went beyond just covering the biggest headlines of this year—we broke a lot of this news ourselves across our various on-air and digital platforms, generating a lot of buzz and credit for the news division. For example:
When the White House wanted President Obama to address confusion with the health care rollout, it sought out Chuck Todd. It was this interview that prompted the President’s first real apology to the American people.
It was Andrea Mitchell who discovered that due to the government shutdown, military families were not receiving their death benefits—and we pursued the story and asked the tough questions until it was resolved by Congress.
It was Pete Williams who owned the reporting of the Boston Marathon bombings, giving viewers a clear and accurate version of events as they unfolded.
“Meet the Press” is also showing strength with a streak of memorable, newsmaking interviews and digital efforts. Heading into the midterm election season, David and team are poised to set the political agenda every Sunday and make the next political cycle more dynamic than ever.
From these and the many other examples of our recent achievements, we have incredible momentum going into 2014.
When Deborah Turness first visited earlier this fall, she made a point to say how impressed she was with our operation and what a critical role we play in the news division’s overall success. As Deborah continues to work with each of the shows to define their mission, she’s also excited to work with us to identify new opportunities and achieve new goals.
Everyone in this bureau contributes to our success– from correspondents to digital reporters, producers, editors, crews, desk assistants, our support teams and more. I’m proud to be able to work with each of you, and equally proud of the culture we’ve created here in DC. Our bureau is a home for integrity, excellence, passion, and occasionally some fun.
As we begin the New Year, we’ll continue our great work. While we don’t know what stories await beyond the horizon, I’m confident that we’re ready to take on whatever comes our way with the tenacity, strength and journalism that sets us apart.
Happy New Year,
Ken