ABC News Chief White House Correspondent Mary Bruce, AB ’05, shared lessons with students on building trust, navigating the media, and asking the right questions in the briefing room.
Mary Bruce, AB ’05, never planned on a career in media, much less one in front of the camera. But during a March 24 fireside chat with Peter Kastor, the ABC News chief White House correspondent shared her unexpected journey with a packed room of students, faculty, and alumni. Kastor, the Samuel K. Eddy Professor in the Department of History and vice dean of research, spoke with Bruce during her visit to campus to accept an Arts & Sciences Distinguished Alumni Award.
Based in Washington, D.C., Bruce appears regularly on “Good Morning America,” “World News Tonight with David Muir,” “Nightline,” and “20/20.” She led ABC’s coverage of President Biden’s reelection bid, his subsequent withdrawal, and Kamala Harris’s presidential campaign. Since then, she’s covered the Trump White House. She made headlines — and drew White House ire — when she questioned Saudi Prince Mohammed Bin Salman about the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi and the Trump family’s financial ties to the prince.
Bruce also worked as a senior congressional correspondent, covering both Trump impeachments as well as the confirmation of several Supreme Court justices. In 2018, she won the Joan S. Barone Award, a top honor in political journalism, for her coverage of Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation to the Supreme Court. She spent more than a decade as a producer before stepping in front of the camera when she filled in for a reporter at the last minute.
“If you want to be on air, you get one shot,” she said. “When my chance came up, I felt ready because I had watched for years.”
Here are four key takeaways from the conversation:
No job is too small when building a career
Shortly after graduating from WashU with a bachelor’s degree in history and Spanish and journalism experience at Student Life, Bruce got a job answering phones at an ABC News assignment desk. She worked nearly every behind-the-scenes job before becoming an on-air correspondent. Nights and weekends, Bruce took on roles from production assistant to editor to researcher, gaining firsthand experience alongside industry figures such as George Stephanopoulos, Jake Tapper, and Martha Raddatz.
She credits her on-camera success to hours spent in the editing room. “You have to understand how it all works together,” she said. “Anything that feels like a step in the right direction, even if you don’t know the full path, can be worthwhile.”
Crafting the perfect question takes strategy
Bruce emphasized the importance of careful listening, especially when preparing to ask questions of those in power. She spends a lot of time refining phrasing, considering what’s been said and what’s been left out. She asks herself: “How can I frame the question to get around the talking points?”
And while journalists may be competitors, Bruce said they often collaborate to get the answers. If a politician dodges a question, it’s often the job of the next reporter to keep the focus and ask a follow-up.
In times of turmoil, stay focused
When Kastor asked how it felt to have the world’s most powerful leader call her “a terrible person,” Bruce said she sees the pushback as part of her role as a journalist. “You know you are going to take some heat, but you have to stay laser-focused,” she said.
Bruce said that in moments like these, she simply tries to continue her line of courteous questioning. If the politician pivots to make it personal, that may be a sign that they do not want to answer the question. In that case, she focuses on the facts rather than seeking a “gotcha” moment.
Media have improved at countering misinformation
Many audience questions focused on trust in the media and its role in a fragmented society. Bruce noted that journalists have become more skilled at addressing misinformation.
As exaggeration and hyperbole have grown more commonplace, many in the industry were hesitant to repeat claims for fear of amplifying falsehoods. In response, broadcasters have adopted new techniques, including what Bruce calls the “truth sandwich.” Journalists preface a falsehood by alerting the audience, report what was said, and then explain why it is untrue.
“The way we package the news has changed,” she said. “You’ll hear more airing of misinformation, but it’s robustly fact-checked rather than dismissed entirely.”
The changes in how journalists handle misinformation show the field adapting to a new landscape that demands both accuracy and creativity in communicating the news, lessons that Bruce encouraged students to carry into their own work, whatever field they pursue.
