‘A point of comparison’: Francine Kiefer on how one beat informs another (audio)

The first thing that struck me about Francine Kiefer was her intensity. She was the Monitor’s congressional correspondent at the time, and I remember thinking I’d never seen anyone get so excited about their beat. She happily gushed about the staff at the press gallery, readily gave advice on getting quotes from members of Congress, and constantly assured me that the Hill overwhelms everyone at first.

I was also struck by how Francine could sustain such passion after decades on the job. She's been a reporter for about 30 years, most of them with the Monitor. Besides Congress, she’s covered the fall of the Berlin Wall, 9/11, and multiple White House administrations.

She’s since moved to Southern California to become our West Coast bureau chief. But I’m very grateful to have benefited from both her energy and her wisdom while our paths crossed in Washington. In this audio special, Francine and I talk about how she balances experience with openness, adapts to a changing reporting landscape, and takes a personal interest in her readers.

“Rethinking the News” is a podcast that aims to make room for constructive conversations across a range of perspectives, and bring Monitor journalism straight to your ears. To learn more about the podcast and find new episodes, please visit our page. 

This story was