Steven L. Scully (born September 17, 1960)
is an American broadcast journalist. He is the former host and producer for its morning call-in show ''
Washington Journal'', as well as ''
The Weekly'', C-SPAN's podcast.
Scully served on the board of the
White House Correspondents Association
The White House Correspondents' Association (WHCA) is an organization of journalists who cover the White House and the president of the United States. The WHCA was founded on February 25, 1914, by journalists in response to an unfounded rumor t ...
for nine years, including as president from 2006 to 2007.
In October 2020, Scully was temporarily suspended from C-SPAN for falsely claiming his Twitter account was hacked.
Early life and education
Scully was born in
Erie
Erie (; ) is a city on the south shore of Lake Erie and the county seat of Erie County, Pennsylvania, United States. Erie is the fifth largest city in Pennsylvania and the largest city in Northwestern Pennsylvania with a population of 94,831 a ...
,
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
to Hubert L. "Hoot" Scully and Elizabeth Jane North "Betty" Scully.
He was the 14th of 16 children, including five sets of twins.
Scully received a 1982 undergraduate degree with honors in communication and
political science
Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and power, and the analysis of political activities, political thought, political behavior, and associated constitutions and la ...
from
American University in Washington, D.C. during which he completed a 1980–81 study abroad program at the
University of Copenhagen
The University of Copenhagen ( da, Københavns Universitet, KU) is a prestigious public research university in Copenhagen, Denmark. Founded in 1479, the University of Copenhagen is the second-oldest university in Scandinavia after Uppsala Unive ...
. He served as an intern for Sen.
Joe Biden from September to October 1978 and in Sen.
Ted Kennedy
Edward Moore Kennedy (February 22, 1932 – August 25, 2009) was an American lawyer and politician who served as a United States senator from Massachusetts for almost 47 years, from 1962 until his death in 2009. A member of the Democratic ...
's media affairs office in early 1979 earning college credits.
Scully then earned a
Master of Science
A Master of Science ( la, Magisterii Scientiae; abbreviated MS, M.S., MSc, M.Sc., SM, S.M., ScM or Sc.M.) is a master's degree in the field of science awarded by universities in many countries or a person holding such a degree. In contrast t ...
degree in journalism from
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston, Illinois. Founded in 1851, Northwestern is the oldest chartered university in Illinois and is ranked among the most prestigious academic institutions in the world.
Charte ...
’s
Medill School of Journalism
The Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications is a constituent school of Northwestern University that offers both undergraduate and graduate programs. It frequently ranks as the top school of journalism in the Unite ...
graduating ''magna cum laude'' in 1984.
Career
Scully began his journalism career in 1981-82 as a weekend newscaster on WAMU
WAMU (88.5 FM) is a public news/ talk station that services the greater Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. It is owned by American University, and its studios are located near the campus in northwest Washington. WAMU has been the primary Nation ...
, the American University-based radio station. Following his undergraduate degree, he worked as a reporter and anchor for Erie's WSEE-TV
WSEE-TV (channel 35) is a television station in Erie, Pennsylvania, United States, affiliated with CBS and The CW Plus. It is the flagship television property of locally based Lilly Broadcasting, and is a sister station to NBC affiliate WICU-TV ...
in 1982 and 1983. He returned to WSEE after completing his graduate studies in 1984. After a stint as a Washington, D.C.-based correspondent for WHBF-TV
WHBF-TV (channel 4) is a television station licensed to Rock Island, Illinois, United States, serving as the CBS affiliate for the Quad Cities area. It is owned by Nexstar Media Group alongside Burlington, Iowa–licensed CW owned-and-opera ...
in Rock Island, Illinois, he joined WHEC-TV
WHEC-TV (channel 10) is a television station in Rochester, New York, United States, affiliated with NBC. Owned by Hubbard Broadcasting, the station maintains studios on East Avenue in Downtown Rochester and a transmitter on Pinnacle Hill in ...
in Rochester, New York
Rochester () is a city in the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Monroe County, and the fourth-most populous in the state after New York City, Buffalo, and Yonkers, with a population of 211,328 at the 2020 United States census. Located in W ...
, in 1986 as a correspondent covering business, politics and local government. He also taught courses on media and politics as an adjunct faculty member at Nazareth College and St. John Fisher College
St. John Fisher University is a private liberal arts college in Pittsford, New York. It is named after John Fisher, an English Catholic cardinal and saint. It was named St. John Fisher College until July 1, 2022.
History
St. John Fisher Univers ...
.
C-SPAN host
Scully joined C-SPAN in 1990 as political editor and White House
The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in ...
producer.[ Since 1990 he has been responsible for coordinating campaign programming for C-SPAN, C-SPAN.org and ]C-SPAN Radio
Cable-Satellite Public Affairs Network (C-SPAN ) is an American cable and satellite television network that was created in 1979 by the cable television industry as a nonprofit public service. It televises many proceedings of the United States ...
. As senior producer for the network's White House coverage, Scully manages a team of field producers responsible for coverage of the White House, politics and special projects. He serves as a regular Sunday host of '' Washington Journal'', a live three-hour news and public affairs program.[ He is a host and moderator for a number of other C-SPAN programs, including ''Newsmakers,'' ''Road to the White House'' and '']In Depth
''In Depth'' is a program that airs monthly on C-SPAN 2 as part of their Book TV programming, and features a different writer each month. Each interview covers the breadth of that author's writing career, and incorporates viewer calls and e-mails ...
'' on Book TV
''Book TV'' is the name given to weekend programming on the American cable network C-SPAN2 airing from 8 a.m. Eastern Time Sunday morning to 8 a.m. Eastern Time Monday morning each week. The 24-hour block of programming is focused on non-ficti ...
.[ In addition to his television work, he regularly appears on C-SPAN Radio's ''Washington Today'', a live two-hour afternoon ]drive time
Drive time is the daypart in which radio broadcasters can reach the most people who listen to car radios while driving, usually to and from work, or on public transportation. Drive-time periods are when the number of radio listeners in this cl ...
program broadcast nationwide on Sirius XM Radio
Sirius XM Holdings Inc. is an American broadcasting company headquartered in Midtown Manhattan, New York City that provides satellite radio and online radio services operating in the United States. It was formed by the 2008 merger of Sirius Sat ...
.[
Scully prepared for and served as backup moderator for all four the presidential and vice presidential debates during fall 2016. He was supposed to moderate the aforementioned second 2020 presidential debate, but the debate was cancelled when Donald Trump, the Republican nominee, refused to agree to a virtual debate after his COVID-19 diagnosis.
On October 15, 2020, the date that the second 2020 Presidential Debate in ]Miami
Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a coastal metropolis and the county seat of Miami-Dade County in South Florida, United States. With a population of 442,241 at ...
was supposed to be held, C-SPAN suspended Scully temporarily after he admitted to lying about his Twitter
Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...
feed being hacked when confronted about an exchange he had with Anthony Scaramucci
Anthony Scaramucci ( ; born January 6, 1964) is an American financier who briefly served as the White House Director of Communications from July 21 to July 31, 2017.
Scaramucci worked at Goldman Sachs's investment banking, equities, and priv ...
. According to Politico
''Politico'' (stylized in all caps), known originally as ''The Politico'', is an American, German-owned political journalism newspaper company based in Arlington County, Virginia, that covers politics and policy in the United States and intern ...
, it was not the first time Scully "used the ackingexcuse to disavow posts in his name, having done so at least twice in the past". The Daily Beast
''The Daily Beast'' is an American news website focused on politics, media, and pop culture. It was founded in 2008.
It has been characterized as a "high-end tabloid" by Noah Shachtman, the site's editor-in-chief from 2018 to 2021. In a 20 ...
reported that, in 2012 and 2013, Scully "apologized for tweets about weight loss, among other things, saying, 'Darn those hackers.'" In reference to the Scaramucci tweet, Scully apologised to his colleagues stating "I ask for their forgiveness."
Scully returned in an off-air capacity as a producer for the call-in show Washington Journal, and The Weekly, from January 5, 2021. He returned to host Washington Journal on April 5, 2021.
In July 2021, Scully departed from CSPAN to take a position as vice president of communications at the Bipartisan Policy Center
The Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC) is a Washington, D.C.–based think tank that promotes bipartisanship. The organization aims to combine ideas from both the Republican and Democratic parties to address challenges in the U.S. BPC focuses on is ...
.
University lecturer
In January 2003, Scully assumed the Amos P. Hostetter Chair at the University of Denver
The University of Denver (DU) is a private research university in Denver, Colorado. Founded in 1864, it is the oldest independent private university in the Rocky Mountain Region of the United States. It is classified among "R1: Doctoral Univ ...
and Cable Center, teaching a distance learning
Distance education, also known as distance learning, is the education of students who may not always be physically present at a school, or where the learner and the teacher are separated in both time and distance. Traditionally, this usually in ...
course on media, politics and public policy issues via a cable television connection between Washington, D.C.
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
, University of Denver
The University of Denver (DU) is a private research university in Denver, Colorado. Founded in 1864, it is the oldest independent private university in the Rocky Mountain Region of the United States. It is classified among "R1: Doctoral Univ ...
, Pace University
Pace University is a private university with its main campus in New York City and secondary campuses in Westchester County, New York. It was established in 1906 by the brothers Homer St. Clair Pace and Charles A. Pace as a business school. Pace ...
, and George Mason University. The class aired on C-SPAN and C-SPAN3, and was streamed via the C-SPAN website. He taught the course at the University of Denver until 2011. He has also taught at George Mason University in conjunction with Purdue University
Purdue University is a public land-grant research university in West Lafayette, Indiana, and the flagship campus of the Purdue University system. The university was founded in 1869 after Lafayette businessman John Purdue donated land and mone ...
and The Washington Center
The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars, less formally known as The Washington Center, is an independent, nonprofit organization serving hundreds of universities in the United States and other countries. The Washington Center ...
. He has been a faculty member at the University of California DC Program and George Washington University.
White House Correspondents' Association
Scully served nine years on the Executive Board of the White House Correspondents' Association, and was elected by his peers to serve as president from 2006 to 2007.[ Until her death, Scully's mother accompanied him to most WHCA dinners throughout the administrations of Presidents ]Bill Clinton
William Jefferson Clinton ( né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and agai ...
, George W. Bush
George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...
, and Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the ...
.
SiriusXM
On June 6, 2022, Scully began hosting a new show, ''The Briefing with Steve Scully'', on SiriusXM
Sirius XM Holdings Inc. is an American broadcasting company headquartered in Midtown Manhattan, New York City that provides satellite radio and online radio services operating in the United States. It was formed by the 2008 merger of Sirius Sa ...
satellite radio. The show will air weekdays on SiriusXM's POTUS Channel from 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM eastern time.
Recognition
According to ''Politico
''Politico'' (stylized in all caps), known originally as ''The Politico'', is an American, German-owned political journalism newspaper company based in Arlington County, Virginia, that covers politics and policy in the United States and intern ...
'', Scully is known in the media for his "evenhandedness". He was the 2009 recipient of the Fitzwater Center for Communications Award, for exemplary journalism and public service, and in the same year was recognized by ''The Washingtonian'' as one of the capital's "50 Top Journalists". John Oliver
John William Oliver (born 23 April 1977) is a British-American comedian, writer, producer, political commentator, actor, and television host. Oliver started his career as a stand-up comedian in the United Kingdom. He came to wider attention ...
has repeatedly referred to Scully as "The Most Patient Man on Television". Scully was inducted into the Pennsylvania Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 2019.
Personal life
Scully and his wife, Kathryn R. "Katie" Scully, reside in Fairfax Station
Fairfax Station is a census-designated place (CDP) in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. The population was 12,030 at the 2010 census. Located in Northern Virginia, its center is located southwest of Washington, D.C.
Geography
Fairfax St ...
, Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
. They have four children, one of which they adopted in 2008. Two others died in childhood, Carolyn in 1994 of sudden infant death syndrome
Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is the sudden unexplained death of a child of less than one year of age. Diagnosis requires that the death remain unexplained even after a thorough autopsy and detailed death scene investigation. SIDS usuall ...
(SIDS) and Jack in 1996. Scully serves on the board of both the CJ Foundation for SIDS which raises money for sudden infant death syndrome research, St. Jude's Children Hospital and First Candle which aims to increases public awareness of SIDS.[
]
References
External links
*
Steve Scully's oral history for The Cable Center's Hauser Oral History Collection, May 26, 2011
{{DEFAULTSORT:Scully, Steve
1960 births
Living people
People from Erie, Pennsylvania
Businesspeople from Rochester, New York
People from Fairfax Station, Virginia
American broadcasters
American University School of Communication alumni
Medill School of Journalism alumni
University of Denver faculty
C-SPAN people
Journalists from New York (state)
Journalists from Pennsylvania
American University School of Public Affairs alumni