Rita Braver

Rita Braver
Born
Rita Lynn Braver

(1948-04-12) April 12, 1948 (age 76)
EducationUniversity of Wisconsin (BA)
OccupationNews correspondent
SpouseRobert B. Barnett
Children1

Rita Braver (born April 12, 1948) is an American television news correspondent, currently working with CBS News, and who is best known for her investigative journalism of White House scandals such as the Iran-Contra affair.

Biography

Rita Lynn Braver was born to a Jewish family[1] on April 12, 1948,[2] and raised in Silver Spring, Maryland.[3] Her father died while she was a teenager.[4] She has two sisters:[4] Bettie Braver Sugar and Sharon Braver Cohen.[5] She graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in political science, and spent a few years at WWL-TV in New Orleans as a copy girl before moving to Washington, D.C., with her husband and joining CBS in 1972 as a producer.[6]

From 1983–1993, Braver served as CBS News's chief law correspondent. She broke the story of the John Walker spy ring, as well as that of another spy, Jonathan Pollard. She also led CBS's coverage of the Iran-Contra affair. She served as CBS's chief White House correspondent during Bill Clinton's first term, and since 1998 has been chief national correspondent for Sunday Morning.[7]

Personal life

On April 10, 1972, she married Washington, D.C., lawyer Robert B. Barnett[6][8] (born 1946) whom she met in college.[6] They have a daughter, Meredith Jane Barnett (born 1978); Meredith married Daniel Ross Penn in a Jewish ceremony in Washington D.C.[9]

References

  1. ^ Los Angeles Times: "Of Secrecy and Paranoia: What Is Inman's Real Story?" by Suzanne Garment January 23, 1994 |Inman named five journalists who had treated him badly: Safire, Tony Lewis, Ellen Goodman, the cartoonist Herblock and Rita Braver. All five are Jewish
  2. ^ Murray, Michael D. (1999-01-01). Encyclopedia of Television News. Greenwood Publishing Group. ISBN 9781573561082.
  3. ^ Eisler, Kim (June 22, 2010). Masters of the Game: Inside the World's Most Powerful Law Firm. Thomas Dunne Books. pp. 86–901. ISBN 978-0312554248.
  4. ^ a b CBS News: "Rita Braver's Mother's Day wish" by Rita Braver June 4, 2012
  5. ^ Washington Post Obituaries: "Bettie Braver Sugar" November 1, 2016
  6. ^ a b c The Washingtonian: "Bob Barnett: Master of the Game - If you’re a big name in Washington, odds are Bob Barnett has done a deal or made a connection for you. If he hasn’t, you can always hope" by Kim Eisler December 1, 2008
  7. ^ Steinberg, Jacques (11 October 2007). "CBS News - Rita Braver - Lynne Cheney - TV". The New York Times.
  8. ^ New York Times: "Despite Disclosure, a CBS Report Raises Questions" by Jacques Steinberg October 11, 2007
  9. ^ New York Times: "Meredith Barnett, Daniel Penn" April 6, 2008