Staying “scrupulously neutral”: Steve Herman on covering the White House in the age of Trump

Steve Herman was the White House correspondent for Voice of America during the Trump administration. He joins The Kicker to talk about his new book on what it was like to cover a deeply unpredictable president—and why he believes it’s essential, even under extreme circumstances, for reporters to stay out of the political fray.

This podcast is part of “Covering the Election,” CJR’s spring special issue on news and politics in 2024. Read the whole issue here.

You can find Herman’s Behind the White House Curtain here.

Project 2025, the Heritage Foundation’s blueprint for a second Trump term, includes a chapter on remaking VOA.


Hosted by Josh Hersh

Produced by Amanda Darrach

Research by Kevin Lind