Howard Fineman Death: Howard Fineman, a veteran political correspondent who spent three decades covering the corridors of power in Washington for Newsweek magazine, cable news punditry, and later the frontiers of online journalism. Fineman, who was 75, died Monday at his home in Washington from pancreatic cancer.
Who Was Howard Fineman?
Howard Fineman was a witty, encyclopedic political reporter who dominated the fast-evolving world of Washington journalism for nearly 40 years, moving effortlessly from daily news coverage to the pages of Newsweek magazine to cable news punditry and later to the frontiers of online journalism. He was born on November 17, 1948, in Pittsburgh. After beginning his career at The Louisville Courier-Journal in Kentucky in the early 1970s, Mr. Fineman arrived in Washington in the late ’70s, writing first for The Courier-Journal and then for Newsweek, where he spent nearly 30 years as a reporter and editor.
Howard Fineman’s Career
He was part of what might be called the post-Watergate generation of journalists. No longer directly fired by the scrappy, crusading spirit of the young Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, Mr. Fineman and his cohort brought a polished professionalism to their task, matched with a dogged ambition that fit the Ronald Reagan era in Washington.
It was a more collegial time, both between political parties and between them and the news media. Mr. Fineman soon gained renown as one of the fastest and most productive reporters, able to work sources for the sort of slow, steady drip of scoops that define success among Washington journalists.
His work helped Newsweek stand out at a time that many people consider a golden age for newsmagazines. Alongside colleagues like Gloria Borger, Michael Isikoff, and Evan Thomas, Mr. Fineman created a weekly report that blended breaking news with measured analysis and context, setting the tone for how people in Washington and the nation discussed them.
Tributes
Fineman’s longtime friend Chris Matthews, the former MSNBC host, said Fineman was first and foremost “a hard-nosed reporter” who took an unflinching look even at the disease that was killing him. “He knew what was coming, and he knew it was going to be bad,” Matthews said. “I remember we had lots of talks on his porch. He faced his doom.”
MSNBC’s Chris Jansing became emotional Wednesday as she recalled being a rookie political reporter when she first met Fineman. “I was in awe of him, ” Jansing said, her voice cracking. “My admiration for him as a person and a journalist is limitless.”
Noting that Fineman’s son, Nick, is a senior producer on her program, Jansing added, “We send our love and condolences to the entire family. This is a tremendous loss, and we love you all.”
