Review by Choice Review
Ryan, a veteran White House news correspondent for the American Urban Radio Networks, describes some of her disagreements with the press secretary's office during the first 16 months of the Trump administration. Ironically, Ryan explains, these battles included criticism of her work in 2017 by then White House aide Omarosa Manigault Newman, who subsequently published an unfavorable critique of the Trump administration. Ryan notes some of her interactions with officials from the Clinton, George W. Bush, Obama, and Trump eras. She is occasionally critical of policy issues that impact African Americans, such as whether the Trump administration should extensively support historically black colleges and universities. The book reflects Ryan's experiences and policy perspectives more than an analysis of how the Washington press corps has interacted with diverse administrations or a comparative assessment of the White House's management. Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-division undergraduates through faculty. --Robert A. Logan, emeritus, University of Missouri--Columbia
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Booklist Review
A White House correspondent through four administrations, journalist Ryan (At Mama's Knee, 2016) has seen more than her share of controversy of late. To some, she is a voice of America's better self; to others, she is a pot-stirrer. As a black woman, Ryan has consistently focused on asking questions that hold presidential feet to the fire on gender and race issues. In the current administration, though, rancorous exchanges have led to dust-ups like ""Piegate""; not being invited to the White House Christmas party; getting called ""Miss Piggy""; a public shouting match with Omarosa Manigault; the president telling her to set a meeting with the Congressional Black Caucus; and even death threats. If all this reads as soap opera, that may well be Ryan's point. Amid claims of being called ""fake"" and painted as ""the enemy,"" the press is trying to function in a toxic soup. Some readers may find Ryan's tone defensive, but when ""race lines have been drawn,"" it's hard to blame her.--Joan Curbow Copyright 2018 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
This revealing memoir from veteran White House reporter Ryan relates "the backstory of some of the major news events of 2017 and 2018." The narrative ping-pongs between the Trump administration's jarring policy shifts on issues like healthcare and the episodes, both serious and ludicrous, in which Ryan has faced off with a revolving cast of press secretaries and the 45th president himself about such topics as whether he's a racist and whether she could help line up a chat with the Congressional Black Caucus. These encounters made her a media sensation-and a target of the right wing. The book takes a sober turn as Omarosa Manigault-the president's onetime friend, aide, and unofficial black spokesperson (and former contestant on The Apprentice)-attempts to block Ryan's access to the press secretary, among other things. Although plagued by self-doubt, insults, death threats, dismissals by male journalists, and the president's characterizations of the media as the enemy of the people, Ryan champions her craft and perseveres amid the chaos. She clearly portrays the unrelenting stress of being one of the few black reporters on the prestigious White House beat, pulling back the curtain on the "emotional taxes" that African-American people endure daily in the workplace. This account will be an inspiration to those who have to fight similar battles. (Sept.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Library Journal Review
Ryan (American Urban Radio Network) here describes her experience as a White House correspondent in the Trump administration. A veteran of four presidential administrations, Ryan is shocked by the divisiveness of President Trump and has unexpectedly found herself to be the subject of several news items in the course of her reporting. She takes her job and the role of a free press seriously and uses the book to tell her side of these encounters and to defend her reputation as a journalist. Additionally, Ryan details issues affecting the black community such as health care, education, and immigration to emphasize further her responsibility to represent the interests of that constituency in her reporting. Her keen insight as a woman of color working for a minority network lends context to the questions on race that she asks during press briefings. Ryan's personal life does occasionally enter the story, as with the lengthy discussion of her former friendship with Omarosa Manigault. Verdict An intriguing insight into the challenges of reporting on Trump. Recommended for readers interested in journalism or politics.-Rebekah Kati, Univ. of North Carolina, Chapel Hill © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
The noted American Urban Radio Networks White House Correspondent and CNN analyst focuses on her experiences as a black woman reporter trying to do her job amid the hostile first year of the Trump presidency.Before Trump entered office, Ryan (At Mama's Knee: Mothers and Race in Black and White, 2016, etc.) covered Republican and Democratic administrations without achieving widespread recognition, reporting mostly for AURN since the late 1990s. Her recognition factor shot up significantly in 2017 due to the combative rhetoric aimed at the author by Trump, his White House press secretaries, and White House staffers, most notably Omarosa Manigault-Newman. After Ryan asked Trump openly about his racism, she became a hero to many citizens (in 2017, she was named Journalist of the Year by the National Association of Black Journalist) and a pariah to others (she has received many death threats from Trump supporters). Regarding her seemingly overnight fame, the author notes that she has conducted herself in the same journalistic manner for two decades but that in an era of "fake news" and "alternative facts," ideologues think of her as somehow biased against Trump and Republicans. The writing is mostly clear but is slowed by clichd languagee.g., "throw in the towel." Each chapter is worthy on its own, yet they are arranged in a puzzling manner. A chapter about health care policy precedes a chapter about Ryan unwillingly becoming the story instead of staying out of the spotlight, and policy-heavy chapters about immigration policy, indifference to historically black colleges, and women in the workplace materialize out of nowhere. Throughout the book, the author clarifies her viewpoint (shared by many) that she respects the office of the presidency but finds Trump and many of his staff members incompetent at best and often mean in petty ways.The narrative is filled with gems if readers are willing to struggle through the disorganization. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
