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David Gregory (journalist)

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For other people with the same name, seeDavid Gregory.
David Gregory
David Gregory at his home in Washington, DC
Born
David Michael Gregory

(1970-08-24)August 24, 1970(age 53)
Los Angeles,California,U.S.
EducationAmerican University(BA)
OccupationTelevision host
Notable credit(s)Meet the Press(2008–2014)
NBC News Chief White House Correspondent (2001–2008)
Spouse
​
(m.2000)​
Children3
Parent(s)Carolyn Fitzpatrick Gregory
Don Gregory

David Michael Gregory[1](born August 24, 1970) is an American television personality and the former host ofNBC News'Sunday morning talk showMeet the Press.[2]Gregory has served as aCNNpolitical analyst since 2016.

Early life and education[edit]

Gregory was born inTarzana, Los Angeles,California,and raised inEncinoandVan Nuys,[3]the son of Carolyn (née Fitzpatrick), an account manager, andDon Gregory(originally Don Ginsburg), a film and theatrical producer.[1][4]His father wasJewishand his mother wasIrishCatholic.[3]

Gregory was educated atBirmingham High School,a co-educational public high school in theLake Balboadistrict ofLos Angeles,followed by theAmerican UniversityinWashington, D.C.,from which he graduated in 1992. While there, he worked for the campus television station,ATV - American University Television,and received a degree inInternational Studiesfrom theSchool of International Service.He was also a member of theAlpha Sigma Phifraternity. Gregory was named the School of International Service's alumnus of the year in 2005 and sits on the Dean's Advisory Council.[5][6]

Career[edit]

Early career[edit]

Gregory began his career at the age of 18 as a summer reporter forKGUN-TVinTucson, Arizona.Gregory also worked for NBC'sSacramento, California,affiliateKCRA-TV. [7][8]

Relationship with the Bush White House[edit]

Gregory was assigned by NBC to the press corps coveringGeorge W. Bushwhen heran for president in 2000.During the campaign, Bush threw a party for Gregory's 30th birthday, complete with cake, on the campaign plane.[9]Bush nicknamed Gregory "Stretch" because of his height (6'5 "),[10]and also "Dancing Man," for Gregory's occasional propensity to display his dance moves.[11]

After the election, Gregory became a White House correspondent for NBC. The conservativeMedia Research Centernamed him 'Best White House Correspondent' for his coverage of Bush's first 100 days.[12]Gregory held this position until taking theMeet the Pressjob in December 2008.

Michael Chertoff,a Bush appointee, attended ababy showerfor Gregory's children.[13]

He also participated withKarl Rove,Bush's chief advisor, in a dancing skit for theRadio and Television Correspondents' AssociationDinner inWashington, D.C.[14]

Today[edit]

Gregory had been the substitute co-anchor atWeekend TodayforLester Holtfrom 2003 to 2014. He filled in forMatt LaueronTodayfrom 2005 to 2014. Gregory had anchoredNews Chat,Crosstalk NBCandNewsfronton MSNBC from 1998 to 2000.

NBC Nightly News[edit]

Gregory also filled in on NBC NewsWeekend Nightly NewsandNBC Nightly Newsfrom 2005 to 2014.

Imus in the Morning[edit]

Gregory also filled theImus in the Morningtime slot onMSNBCafter theDon Imuscontroversy involving theRutgers Universitybasketball team whileMSNBCsearched for a permanent host. He served as a guest host in the morning time slot forMSNBC(while also beingsimulcastonWFAN) for one week in May. The morning radio program was known asGregory Live.

Race for the White Houseand1600 Pennsylvania Avenue[edit]

From March 17, 2008, through December 5, 2008, Gregory hosted a show on MSNBC weekday evenings, which replacedTucker Carlson'sTucker.[15]The show was calledRace for the White Houseuntil the conclusion of the2008 U.S. Presidential election.From November 5, 2008, forward the show became known as1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.[16]Gregory was replaced byDavid Shuster,who was named as the new host for1600 Pennsylvania Avenuestarting with the December 15, 2008 show.

MSNBC anchor for election coverage in 2008[edit]

Due to internal fighting among the staff at MSNBC, Gregory was appointed as anchor on MSNBC during the presidential debates and the 2008 election.[17][18][19][20]On November 4–5, he teamed withRachel Maddow,Eugene Robinson,Chris MatthewsandKeith Olbermannas commentators on thepresidential election.

Gregory interviews Secretary of StateHillary Clintonand Defense SecretaryRobert Gatesin 2009

Meet the Press[edit]

Gregory became the moderator ofMeet the Press,beginning with the December 14, 2008, episode when he was introduced by interim moderatorTom Brokaw.[2]The ratings fell, and he was replaced in 2014.[21]

During Gregory's tenure atMeet the Press,the show's ratings fell to their lowest in 21 years and it regularly placed third among Sunday morning news shows.[22]The Washington Postreported that NBC hired a "psychological consultant" to assess Mr. Gregory.[23]NBC did not deny this, saying it had hired a "brand consultant" to evaluate how Gregory connected with the audience.[24]On August 14, 2014, NBC announced Gregory would leave the parent network, with his hosting duties assumed byChuck Todd.[24]On August 17, 2014,Andrea MitchellhostedMeet the Press,and paid brief tribute to Gregory's career at NBC, saying, "In 20 years with NBC News, David has done it all.... Through all the years, David has been true to the traditions of this program and NBC News."[25]

CNN[edit]

Gregory was hired by CNN as a political commentator for the 2016 U.S. Presidential election season.[26]

Controversy[edit]

Press secretary conflicts[edit]

Gregory's interaction with Bush'spress secretarieswas contentious at times, garnering media attention in several instances. Numerous commentators have used these incidents to characterize Gregory's reportage as proof of the news media'sleft-wingbias.[13][27]Gregory has toldHoward Kurtzthat "it's easy to divert attention against a familiar whipping boy" and that "I provide fodder for critics who say, 'Aha, they're out of control.'"[13]

On January 23, 2009,The Daily BeastcolumnistAna Marie Coxstated thatBarack Obamastill has not discovered "this administration's David Gregory." She used Gregory as ametaphorfor a White House foil, and she described this as a figure that could be interpreted as either "tough, news-oriented, and no-nonsense or showy, superficial, and self-indulgent."[28]

High-capacity magazine display[edit]

On the December 23, 2012 broadcast ofMeet the PresswithNational Rifle Association of America(NRA) chief executiveWayne LaPierre,Gregory displayed what he identified as "a magazine for ammunition that carries 30 bullets."[29][30]NBChad requested permission from theMetropolitan Police Department(MPD) to include a high-capacity magazine in the segment and were denied.[31]Gregory displayed the magazine on the show, with media reports noting D.C. Code 7-2506.01(b) prohibits the possession of magazines with a capacity in excess of "10 rounds of ammunition."[32][33][34]

On December 26, 2012, MPD spokesmen confirmed the launch of an inquiry.[35]When asked byCNNon December 27, 2012, if he thought Gregory should be prosecuted, NRA presidentDavid Keeneresponded, "No, I don't think so... I really think what David Gregory did while he was inadvertently flouting the law was illustrating in a very graphic way, perhaps not intentionally, but in a graphic way just how silly some of these laws are."[36]Other gun rights advocates argued that not charging Gregory would show D.C. police to be hypocritical in enforcing gun laws.[37]

On January 8, 2013, a spokeswoman for D.C. police chiefCathy L. Laniersaid her department had completed its investigation into the matter and referred it to the office of theDistrict's attorney generalto determine if Gregory would be prosecuted. D.C. attorney generalIrvin B. Nathanannounced three days later that although Gregory had violated the law, no charges would be filed against him or any other NBC employees. Stating, "despite the clarity of the violation of this important law, because under all of the circumstances here a prosecution would not promote public safety in the District of Columbia nor serve the best interests of the people of the District to whom this office owes its trust."[38][39]

Glenn Greenwald and Edward Snowden[edit]

On June 23, 2013, David Gregory posed a question to journalistGlenn GreenwaldthatThe Washington Postdescribed as a "gotcha inquiry"[40]containing "a veiled accusation of federal criminal wrongdoing, very much in the tradition of 'how long have you been beating your wife'".[41]According to theLos Angeles Times,"Gregory's questiondisguised a loaded assumption"[42]that Greenwaldaided and abettedNSAleakerEdward Snowdenbefore asking: "[W]hy shouldn't you, Mr. Greenwald, be charged with a crime?"[43]Greenwald responded vigorously in objection to the question. The accusation itself became a news story.[44][45]The New York Timessaid, "If you tease apart his inquiry, it suggests there might be something criminal in reporting out important information from a controversial source."[46]The Poynter Institute wrote, "The obvious defense is that he was merely asking a question that evinced a viewpoint advanced byU.S. Rep. Peter KingandWashington Postcolumnist Marc Thiessen—that publishing secrets is law-breaking. "[45]Opinion columnistFrank Richcalled Gregory's charges "preposterous," questioning Gregory's own journalistic credentials and asking why he didn't also make similar accusations againstWashington PostreporterBarton Gellman,who also published Snowden's leaks.[47]

Personal life[edit]

Since June 2000, Gregory has been married toBeth Wilkinson,[1]aMethodist.[48]Wilkinson is a former federal prosecutor, formerFannie Maeexecutive vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary, and[1][49]a lawyer representing four ofHillary Clinton's closest aides in the FBI's investigation of Clinton'semail scandal.[50][51]They met while Gregory was covering theOklahoma City bombingas a reporter and Wilkinson was serving as prosecutor on the case.[13]They have three children.

Gregory wroteHow's Your Faith?,a book about his spiritual journey with Judaism, being born to interfaith parents and his marriage to a Christian.[48]It was released in September 2015.

References[edit]

  1. ^abcd"Weddings: Beth Wilkinson, David Gregory".The New York Times.June 11, 2000.
  2. ^ab"NBC names David Gregory host of 'Meet the Press'".USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc. December 7, 2008.RetrievedDecember 15,2014.
  3. ^abJewish Journal: "David Gregory's Jewish roots, and how they define him" by Steve NorthNovember 5, 2015
  4. ^New York Times: "Don Gregory, Theater Producer of Solo Shows, Dies at 80" by Bruce WeberNovember 9, 2015 |"Mr. Gregory's first marriage, to Carolyn Fitzpatrick (now Carolyn Surtees), ended in divorce."
  5. ^"About - ATV History".ATV American University. Archived fromthe originalon 2013-12-15.Retrieved2008-10-05.
  6. ^"David Gregory: NBC News Chief White House Correspondent and Host, MSNBC's 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue".MSNBC. Archived fromthe originalon 2004-02-15.
  7. ^"Nightly News with Lester Holt: The Latest News Stories Every Night".NBC News.Retrieved2020-05-26.
  8. ^David Gregory on the future of the Internet -- in 1994,2014-03-14,retrieved2020-05-26
  9. ^"Gregory to host 'Meet the Press'".The Politico. 2008-12-02.
  10. ^Jose, Katharine (October 14, 2006)."NBC's David Gregory Accidentally Reveals His George Bush Impression".The Huffington Post.
  11. ^"Stretch vs. Dancing Man: The Many Faces of David Gregory".Politico.com.2 December 2008.
  12. ^"Media Research Award".Media Research Center.Archived fromthe originalon April 29, 2009.RetrievedAugust 24,2009.
  13. ^abcdKurtz, Howard (March 13, 2006)."Retorting From The White House David Gregory Is 6-5, but He Can Be A Little Short. Just Ask Scott McClellan".The Washington Post.Archived fromthe originalon November 7, 2012.RetrievedAugust 24,2009.
  14. ^Sklar, Rachel (March 29, 2007)."Correspondents Dinner: Rapping Rove, Burping Brian, and" What We Call The News "".The Huffington Post.
  15. ^Steinberg, Jacques (March 11, 2008)."At MSNBC, 'Tucker' Is Out, and David Gregory Is In".The New York Times.
  16. ^"With Race Nearly Over, Gregory's Show Gets New Name".Media Bistro.November 3, 2008. Archived fromthe originalon December 6, 2008.RetrievedNovember 5,2008.
  17. ^Bauder, David (September 8, 2008)."MSNBC: Olbermann, Matthews won't anchor political coverage".USA Today.
  18. ^Stelter, Brian (September 8, 2008)."MSNBC Takes Incendiary Hosts From Anchor Seat".The New York Times.
  19. ^Shea, Danny (August 28, 2008)."MSNBC Infighting Boils Over".The Huffington Post.
  20. ^Kurtz, Howard (September 8, 2008)."MSNBC Drops Olbermann, Matthews as News Anchors".The Washington Post.Archived fromthe originalon January 20, 2011.
  21. ^How David Gregory Lost His Job.Last summer, Gregory was let go from his gig as host of "Meet the Press." Here's an inside look at his fall from the top—and what it says about the state of TV news. By Luke Mullins. Washingtonian, December 21, 2014
  22. ^Mirkinson, Jack (August 30, 2013)."Good News For George".Huffington Post.
  23. ^Farhi, Paul (2014-04-20)."As 'Meet the Press' Struggles in the ratings, plenty of questions for host David Gregory".The Washington Post.Archivedfrom the original on April 21, 2014.Retrieved2014-09-01.
  24. ^abCARTER, BILL (August 14, 2014)."NBC Chooses Chuck Todd to Replace David Gregory on 'Meet the Press'".The New York Times.Archivedfrom the original on August 15, 2014.RetrievedAugust 14,2014.
  25. ^MacNeal, Caitlin (17 August 2014)."Watch 'Meet The Press' Say Goodbye To David Gregory (VIDEO)".TPM Livewire.TPM Media LLC.Retrieved15 December2014.
  26. ^Grynbaum, Michael (28 March 2016)."CNN Hires David Gregory as Political Analyst as 2016 Campaign Heats Up".NY Times.Archivedfrom the original on March 29, 2016.Retrieved27 December2020.
  27. ^O'Reilly, Bill (December 8, 2006)."Who Is Looking Out for You as Far as Iraq Is Concerned?".The O'Reilly Factor.FOXNews.com. Archived from the original on December 10, 2006.RetrievedAugust 24,2009.{{cite news}}:CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  28. ^Cox, Ana Marie(January 23, 2009)."Game On! Obama's Clash With The White House Press Corps".The Daily Beast.RetrievedAugust 24,2009.
  29. ^"NRA Chief speaks out".Meet the Press.December 23, 2012. Archived fromthe originalon December 24, 2012.RetrievedDecember 27,2012.
  30. ^Lazo, Larry (December 25, 2012)."Washington D.C. police investigating whether NBC moderator violated law".CNN.com.Archived fromthe originalon December 26, 2012.RetrievedDecember 27,2012.
  31. ^Byers, Dylan (December 26, 2012)."D.C. police: Illegal for David Gregory to show empty gun magazine on TV".Politico.RetrievedDecember 27,2012.
  32. ^Glueck, Peter (January 11, 2013)."NBC's Gregory won't be charged for displaying ammunition clip on TV".The Washington Post.RetrievedJanuary 17,2013.
  33. ^Glueck, Katie (December 26, 2012)."Cops told NBC not to use gun clip".Politico.RetrievedDecember 27,2012.
  34. ^McCabe, Scott (December 26, 2012)."D.C. police say they denied NBC permission to use high-capacity magazine on show".Washington Examiner.RetrievedDecember 27,2012.
  35. ^Schmidt, Michael S. (December 26, 2012)."NBC's Display of a 30-Shot Gun Magazine Prompts a Police Inquiry".The New York Times.RetrievedDecember 27,2012.
  36. ^Fung, Katherine (December 27, 2012)."David Gregory Should Not Be Prosecuted: NRA President David Keene".Huffington Post.
  37. ^Williams, Clarence; Hermann, Peter (January 8, 2012)."D.C. attorney general's office to investigate display of ammunition magazine on TV".The Washington Post.
  38. ^Nathan, Irvin (January 11, 2013)."David Gregory letter".The Washington Post.Archived fromthe originalon January 16, 2013.RetrievedJanuary 18,2013.
  39. ^Wemple, Erik (January 11, 2013)."David Gregory's stunt worked!".The Washington Post.RetrievedJanuary 11,2013.
  40. ^Wemple, Erik (June 24, 2013)."David Gregory vs. Jake Tapper vis-a-vis Glenn Greenwald".The Washington Post.Archivedfrom the original on June 26, 2013.RetrievedJune 29,2013.
  41. ^Wemple, Erik (June 23, 2013)."David Gregory whiffs on Greenwald question".The Washington Post.Archivedfrom the original on June 24, 2013.RetrievedJune 29,2013.
  42. ^Mueller, Benjamin (June 25, 2013)."What's bugging David Gregory about Glenn Greenwald?".Los Angeles Times.Archived fromthe originalon October 6, 2012.RetrievedJune 29,2013.
  43. ^David Gregory spars with Glenn Greenwald,By ASSOCIATED PRESS | 6/23/13 1:23 PM EDT Updated: 6/24/13 1:40 PM EDT, retrieved from politico.com on 6/24/2013
  44. ^LoGiurato, Brett."DAVID GREGORY TO GLENN GREENWALD: 'Why Shouldn't You Be Charged With A Crime?'".Business Insider.Retrieved2020-05-26.
  45. ^abJournalists react to controversial questions David Gregory asked Glenn GreenwaldArchived2013-06-27 at theWayback Machine,by Andrew Beaujon Published June 24, 2013, Poynter Institute MediaWire, poynter.org, retrieved 2013 6 24
  46. ^Carr, David (June 24, 2013)."The Other Snowden Drama: Impugning the Messenger".The New York Times.RetrievedJune 29,2013.
  47. ^Rich, Frank (26 June 2013)."Frank Rich on the National Circus: Gay Marriage Triumphs, Roberts Be Damned".New York Magazine.Retrieved1 July2013.
  48. ^abThe Atlantic: "David Gregory's Public Discussion of His Private Faith - A conversation with the journalist about his search for closeness to God, and the future of American Jewry" by Jeffrey GoldbergSeptember 21, 2015
  49. ^"WEDDINGS; Beth Wilkinson, David Gregory".The New York Times.2000-06-11.ISSN0362-4331.Retrieved2020-05-26.
  50. ^"Clinton aides unite on FBI legal strategy".Politico. April 1, 2016.
  51. ^"Former US attorney: Clinton aides' legal strategy is 'red flag'".Fox News. June 6, 2016.

Further reading[edit]

External links[edit]

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