Richard L. Harkness (1907–77) was an American journalist best known as Washington correspondent for NBC News (1942–70.) His reporting shaped public understanding of U.S. government affairs.
Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he began his career as Washington correspondent for The Philadelphia Inquirer before moving into broadcasting. In the 1940s, he hosted a 15-minute daily newscast on NBC Radio, providing timely national and international updates. In 1948, he became the first journalist to anchor a regularly scheduled NBC television newscast from Washington, interviewing government officials weekly.
Harkness played a key role in presidential election coverage, joining Chet Huntley and David Brinkley for NBC’s 1960 election night broadcast, where he explained computer vote tabulation, then a new technology. He served as president of the National Radio Correspondents Association (1945.) After retiring from NBC (1972,) he joined President Gerald Ford’s anti-drug abuse program as a press representative.
More: Wikipedia • READ: Works by Richard Harkness
Committee: A group of the unwilling, picked from the unfit to do the unnecessary.
—Richard Harkness
Topics: Business, Committees
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