Washington Week

Washington Week is an American public affairs television program that has been on air since 1967. It is shown on PBS and was previously broadcast on National Educational Television. The program is made by WETA-TV in Washington, D.C.

Since 2023, the show has been led by Jeffrey Goldberg, the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic. What makes Washington Week different from other discussion shows is that it focuses on being respectful and calm. Instead of loud debates, the show brings together the host and two to four journalists from Washington, D.C., to talk about important news in a thoughtful way.

History

Washington Week started on February 23, 1967, on National Educational Television. It became part of PBS in 1970. Paul Anthony has been the announcer since the first episode.

Over the years, many people have hosted the show. Robert MacNeil hosted from 1971 until he left to work on other PBS news programs. Paul Duke took over from 1974 to 1994, followed by Ken Bode. In 1999, Gwen Ifill became the host and changed the show's name to Washington Week in 2001. She hosted until her passing in 2016.

In 2017, Robert Costa from The Washington Post became the host. He left in 2021 to work on a book, and Yamiche Alcindor became the host. She left in 2023 to focus on her work at NBC and writing her memoirs. Since August 2023, Jeffrey Goldberg, the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, has been the host. The show is now called Washington Week with The Atlantic.

In 2010, the show started broadcasting in high definition. In 2018, it introduced new graphics and music. In 2024, the show moved to a new studio called the David M. Rubenstein studio.

National Journal

On February 17, 2006, Washington Week made an agreement with National Journal. This agreement made sure that at least one reporter from National Journal would be on the show. But starting January 4, 2013, this agreement was no longer in use.

Format

Since it moved to PBS, Washington Week has used a panel discussion format with a host leading the talk. The panelists are from different national media organizations.

Distribution

Washington Week is shown on PBS during prime time. Because PBS is made up of many local stations, each one decides when to air the show. Usually, it starts on Friday nights and is shown again over the weekend. You can also see it several times a week on the World Channel.

Notable personalities

Moderators

Since 1967, the show has had many hosts. Some of the well-known hosts include Max Kampelman, Robert MacNeil, Paul Duke, Gwen Ifill, Robert Costa, Yamiche Alcindor, and since 2023, Jeffrey Goldberg.

Regular panelists

The show features many regular speakers who share their ideas and opinions. Some of these speakers are Tim Alberta, Anne Applebaum, Peter Baker, Molly Ball, Dan Balz, Leigh Ann Caldwell, Kaitlan Collins, McKay Coppins, Eugene Daniels, Lisa Desjardins, Caitlin Dickerson, John Dickerson, Franklin Foer, Susan Glasser, Errin Haines, Adam Harris, Shane Harris, Stephen Hayes, Carl Hulse, David Ignatius, Weijia Jiang, Jonathan Karl, Ed O'Keefe, Seung Min Kim, Liz Landers, Mark Leibovich, Jonathan Lemire, Mara Liasson, David Leonhardt, Scott MacFarlane, Jonathan Martin, Jane Mayer, Andrea Mitchell, Amna Nawaz, Hans Nichols, Toluse Olorunnipa, Susan Page, Ashley Parker, Philip Rucker, David Sanger, Michael Scherer, Kayla Tausche, Karen Tumulty, Ali Vitali, Amy Walter, Zolan Kanno-Youngs, Nancy Youssef, and Jeff Zeleny.

Reception

Washington Week has been well-liked by television critics. Barry Garron from Current said the show favors balance over being too playful. Angelina Chapin from The Cut noted that the host's job is to keep up with news that changes all the time and make those stories easy for viewers to understand.

Sponsors

Program sponsors include:

Corporate sponsors

• Consumer Cellular

Foundations

• The Yuen Foundation
• Sandra and Carl DeLay-Magnuson
• Rose Hirschel and Andy Shreeves
• Robert and Susan Rosenbaum