CBS News lost a legend this weekend. Many may not know of his incredibly unique position with CBS News and the White House. Mark Knoller may be the only person in Washington, D.C., who was revered by both Republican and Democratic presidents.
Mark had news pumping through every cell in his body. He began working at the Associated Press and was a star radio reporter for more than 13 years. Then, on a fateful trip to Helsinki with Secretary of State George Schultz, and a breakfast with Zirinsky in a hotel neither could pronounce, he was intrigued when she asked: Are you ready for more responsibility and a new challenge?
It took some arm-twisting but Mark took the plunge, joining the CBS News Washington bureau, running the assignment desk. He would be at CBS News for 32 years. It was and is one of the most critical jobs in the bureau. It was the heartbeat — who would cover what, where the crews were needed. Covering the city of intrigue and secrets was not an easy task. He did a great job, but there was a hole in his heart: He didn’t want to send others to cover stories he wanted to report on. He needed to be back reporting, writing, broadcasting. He convinced CBS News that he would be more of an asset in becoming the CBS White House radio correspondent, and so it was.
For those who never saw the working space at the White House — what we lovingly refer to as the CBS WH phone booth (picture above) — it was a physical challenge: Three people in a space the size of a closet, including the fastidious late Bill Plante. Here comes Mark Knoller – a man of some size. But it didn’t matter — Mark with his sources, helping everyone, size didn’t matter. Mark, with his editorial intuitive sensibility and his distinctive radio voice was right where he was supposed to be.
Mark earned his status as a Washington legend because he was, in fact, the unofficial records keeper of presidential statistics. He was, in fact, the savant of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. Every day, he would log every moment, act, utterance of the president obsessively detailing in an archive of text files and spreadsheets. From the obscure or mundane bits of presidential trivia, he would have an answer to any question in seconds (better than AI). President Obama made 1,818 speeches, remarks and public comments and the president used a prompter 689 times. You can’t beat that bit of knowledge. The White House would often call him for stats: How many times has Bill Clinton been to Chicago?
Scott Pelley says he was a “green correspondent who couldn’t find his way from the Rose Garden to the Oval Office. “Every word I said, everything I did, I checked with Mark First.”
Mark spent about 90 minutes each workday combing through the president’s schedule, transcripts, and pool reports, distilling the day into a factual record. He would add a short explanation about what was in the news that day, putting the official tick-tock into some context.
By the way, in case you were curious, President Obama played 38 basketball games outside the White House.
Tom Cibrowski, president and executive editor of CBS News, said: “Mark Knoller was the hardest-working and most prolific White House correspondent of a generation. Everyone in America knew his distinctive voice and his up-to-the-minute reporting across eight Presidential administrations.”
Former CBS News White House correspondents who worked closely with Mark also offered their heartfelt admiration:
Norah O’Donnell: “Mark Knoller was simply the best.”
Major Garrett: “Mark Knoller defined what it means to chronicle and cover the White House.”
Chip Reid: “Mark wasn’t just a respected colleague, he was a dear friend. Yes, he helped me enormously with his knowledge of the White House.”
Jim Axelrod: “As impressive as Mark Knoller’s sweep of knowledge about the White House and the presidency was – it was surpassed only by his generosity toward his many friends and colleagues.”
When Mark left CBS News, Susan Harmon was with him and supported him until the end.
A personal note, having traveled all over the world and spent most holidays with many presidents over more than a decade and with Mark Knoller: He was selfless – funny, warm and quirky. You had to love that man. And one fact he didn’t have any stats for: Having had hundreds of meals with Knoller, I don’t think he ever ordered anything but a hamburger, ever! I didn’t keep track, but I bet in some secret place in some secret file there is a number of every hamburger and every place in the United States and abroad where and when one was consumed.
Knoller was missed when he left CBS News, and his memory lives in so many of our hearts.
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