Department of Communication to host political journalism panel on April 7

Dan Lothian

As a former White House Correspondent for CNN, Dan Lothian was never sure what the day would bring when he woke up in the morning. From press conferences at the White House to long flights on Air Force One during campaign season to sleeping in a tent in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Lothian has done it all and reported about it to day after day to an audience of millions.

“It was a grind, but it was exhilarating. I had to pinch myself when I walked through the gate of the White House with my own press pass for the first time,” he said.

Lothian will be telling many other stories during the panel discussion, “Presidential Campaigns and The Presidency” on Tuesday, April 7, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in the UTC University Center Auditorium. Sponsored by the UTC Department of Communication and the Office of Equity and Diversity, this event is free and open to the public.

Lothian will be joined by several other high-profile political journalists, including, Kenneth Walsh, the Chief White House Correspondent for U.S. News & World Report, April Ryan, the White House Correspondent for American Urban Radio Networks, Kevin Bohn, Weekend Senior Producer at CNN, and Amie Parnes, Senior White House Correspondent at The Hill. Scott Wilson, UTC alumnus and Head of Communications at Volkswagen Chattanooga, will introduce the panel.

Kenneth Walsh joined U.S. News & World Report in 1984 and has covered the presidency, presidential campaigns, and national politics for nearly two decades. He is one of the longest-serving White House correspondents in history. In reporting on the presidency, Walsh has traveled to more than 70 countries and conducted numerous interviews over the years with Presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George Herbert Walker Bush, and Ronald Reagan.

April Ryan, a 30-year journalism veteran, became the White House correspondent for American Urban Radio Networks (AURN) in 1997. She is the author of the best selling book, The Presidency In Black and White: My Up Close View of Three Presidents and Race in America. Her daily radio program, “The White House Report,” is broadcast to AURN’s nearly 300 radio affiliates. A White House historian has credited Ryan with conducting the most radio interviews with Bill Clinton during his presidency.

Kevin Bohn oversees CNN’s coverage for events and stories relating to the President, foreign policy, politics and all breaking news that occur on the weekends. In his thirty-year career with the cable network, Bohn worked with Gloria Borger and Jessica Yellin covering breaking political news and producing interviews and in-depth stories. He previously served as a producer in CNN’s White House unit from the administrations of George HW Bush and Bill Clinton. He was responsible for daily coverage along with domestic and international presidential trips.

Amie Parnes serves as the Senior White House Correspondent at The Hill, a well read political website. During her decade long career in political journalism, she traveled with the Clinton, Obama, and McCain campaigns while covering the 2008 presidential race for Politico. She appears frequently on MSNBC and has also been featured on CNN, Fox News, and other networks. She is the coauthor of the best-selling book, HRC: State Secrets and the Rebirth of Hillary Clinton.