Journalism & Photojournalism

Political writers Jack Germond and Jules Witcover. Their new book, Whose Broad Stripes and Bright Stars? is an examination of last year's Presidential election. In particular, the book focuses on the degree to which behind-the-scenes `handlers' determined the election's tone and outcome. The book also explores how the process of picking a president has changed in the 30 years that they have covered national politics. Germond and Witcover write the only nationally syndicated daily column devoted to politics.

Time Magazine correspondent Otto Friedrich. Friedrich talks of his work at Time and Newsweek, from his coverage of the French war in Indochina, to the essays and cover stories he now writes at Time. A collection of his essays, titled The Grave of Alice B. Toklas, has just been published.

Author and satirist Robert Kaplow. Kaplow is the leader of the satirical group, "The Punsters," which has appeared on "Morning Edition," "All Things Considered," and more recently here on Fresh Air. Kaplow himself portrays Moe Moscowitz, the hyper-kinetic self-promoter and pitchman. Kaplow also writes novels for young adults. His latest novel is titled Alessandra in Love.

Washington Post chief defense correspondent George Wilson. His new book, Mud Soldiers: Life Inside the New American Army, is an analysis of the efficiency and morale of the all-volunteer Army Infantry, the combat branch that would bear the brunt of any war, and which almost certainly sustain the highest loses. Wilson spent a year with 200 recruits, following them from basic training to maneuvers in the Mohave Desert, to their first assignments. Wilson's other books include Army in Anguish and Supercarrier.

Journalist Amy Wilentz. Her first book, The Rainy Season, Haiti since Duvalier, is an account of Haiti since the overthrow of President-for-Life Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier, and of how the country's hope for reform gave way to despair when it was clear Haiti's new leadership couldn't, or wouldn't, reverse 40 years of chaos and stagnation. The book is also an account of how Wilentz was transformed by the story, of how the epochal change Haiti was going through, and its stunning contrast of poverty and corrupted wealth, overwhelmed her first assumptions.

Book Critic John Leonard reviews From Beirut to Jerusalem, Thomas Friedman's account of his ten years covering the Middle East for The New York Times.

Veteran TV journalist David Brinkley. His book, Washington Goes to War, was a surprise best-seller last year and has just been released in paperback. The book, based on Brinkley's personal experiences and reflections, told the story of Washington in the early 40s, and how both the government and town itself were transformed by the responsibilities thrust on them as a result of the war.

Pennebaker, who died Aug. 1, pioneered a cinéma vérité style of filmmaking in documentaries like Bob Dylan: Don't Look Back and The War Room. Originally broadcast in 1989.

The New York Times correspondent's new book is called From Beirut to Jerusalem, about Arab-Israeli conflicts in the Middle East. He joins Fresh Air to discuss how cultivating a network of contacts, coming to terms with the frequent violence he witnessed in Lebanon, and how those experience affected his reporting in Israel.

The Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist and former White House correspondent wanted to be a great novelist; he became a reporter and memoirist instead. His newest book, The Good Times, details his career during his 20s and 30s. He joins Fresh Air to talk about his frustrations as a Washington reporter, a particularly memorable interview with President Johnson, and how his writing changed as a columnist.

Baker's new memoir, a sequel to his book Growing Up, chronicles his career as a reporter during his twenties and thirties. Book critic John Leonard says that the story, like Baker's New York Times columns, twists and turns to explore the fraught inner workings of journalism.

Maureen Corrigan has regularly read the Sunday New York Times wedding announcements. She says the kind of information that's printed -- and the kinds of couples who are highlighted might say as much about the paper's editorial slant as much as it does the current state of marriage.

Buckley co-founded the National Review and hosts the television program Firing Line. His new book, On the Firing Line, includes transcripts of some of his interviews. Buckley studied at Yale and later joined the CIA. Throughout his professional career, he has sought to revitalize the political right and the Republican Party.

Forsyth's latest book, called The Negotiator, imagines the relationship between the United States and the Soviet Union in the 1990s, several years after the Glasnost reforms. He left home to become a bullfighter, and later worked a journalist in Europe and Africa. Forsyth was once accused of raising money to oust a dictator in Equitorial Guinea -- a claim that was never substantiated.

Navy intelligence analyst Jonathan Pollard was arrested by the FBI for giving classified information to the Israeli government. DC Bureau Chief for The Jerusalem Post Wolf Blitzer reported the story, and had unprecedented access to Pollard in prison. Blitzer's new book about the affair is called Territory of Lies.

Vecsey has a new book called A Year in the Sun, about his career in sports journalism. He writes for The New York Times, and covers the lives of athletes both on and off the field.

Political editor for the Boston Globe Ben Bradlee, Jr. has a new book about the National Security official, called Guts and Glory. He joins Fresh Air to discuss North's early life and his forthcoming trial for his involvement in the Iran-Contra affair.

The veteran sports journalist has a new book called The Heart of the Order, which collects his baseball columns from the past five years. He joins Fresh Air to talk about the respectful way he interviews and writes about athletes, managers, and owners -- and how this approach has enriched his reporting.

In 1934, twenty-one-year old Philby became a spy for the Soviet Union. British journalist Phillip Knightley conducted several interview with him, which became the basis for his biography, called The Master Spy.

Stahl hosts the CBS show Face the Nation. She joins Fresh Air to discuss President Reagan's tightly-controlled engagement with the media, the sometimes vindictive nature of past administrations, and how she conducts effective interviews.