Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
Pages: 192
•
Trim: 6¼ x 9¼
978-1-5381-1336-3 • Hardback • September 2018 • $24.95 • (£18.99)
978-1-5381-1337-0 • eBook • September 2018 • $16.00 • (£11.99)
April Ryan has been a White House correspondent for the American Urban Radio Networks since the Clinton administration. In addition she can be seen almost daily as a political analyst for CNN. She has been featured in Vogue, Cosmopolitan, and Elle magazines as well as the New York Times, Washington Post, and Politico, to name a few, and has appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Anderson Cooper 360, Hardball, Meet the Press, and many other television news programs. She is the 2017 National Association of Black Journalists Journalist of the Year. She is also a 2019 Freedom of the Press Award Winner for 2019 by The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press. Ryan resides in Baltimore, Maryland.
Foreword
Acknowledgments
Introduction
Chapter 1: The Rebuke
Chapter 2: Healthcare Despair
Chapter 3: Becoming the Story
Chapter 4: Twitter Trouble
Chapter 5: Enemy of the People
Chapter 6: Examining the Black Agenda
Chapter 7: Education for All?
Chapter 8: Divided Nations
Chapter 9: Women at Work
Index
About the Author
There are times in history when having a government backstage pass might’ve been boring, or academically interesting, or perhaps just pretty cool. But April Ryan, a 21-year veteran White House reporter, is there now, at an absolutely atypical and ever-changing time, with a front row seat to this mess. Well, technically, she sits in the third row, “smack in the middle.” Ryan’s writing is conversational and accessible while also displaying impressive depth of knowledge and access. She provides, for instance, some context behind blundering generalizations made by the 45th president about healthcare, quoting not only from conversations she’s had with a senator the prez said refused to meet with him, but also from scholarly texts about health disparities for different races and socio-economic groups in the United States. Sometimes pointing the spotlight, occasionally in it, Ryan very apparently values truth—seeking it and telling it. This book gives perspective on our most recent presidential election and, though timely, will still be providing valuable insights for years to come.— BUST
This revealing memoir from veteran White House reporter Ryan relates “the backstory of some of the major news events of 2017 and 2018.”.... She clearly portrays the unrelenting stress of being one of the few black reporters on the prestigious White House beat, pulling back the curtain on the “emotional taxes” that African-American people endure daily in the workplace. This account will be an inspiration to those who have to fight similar battles.— Publishers Weekly
[Ryan's] keen insight as a woman of color working for a minority network lends context to the questions on race that she asks during press briefings.... Verdict: An intriguing insight into the challenges of reporting on Trump. Recommended for readers interested in journalism or politics.”
— Library Journal
Journalist April Ryan provides accurate, historic information and perspective for anyone contemplating the 2018 elections and beyond. Under Fire is a must read for truth seekers and those who teach others the difference between media spin, personal commentary and current political facts.— Martin Luther King, III
"April Ryan is one of the most respected journalists in Washington for a reason -- she’s tough as nails, has a wealth of experience, and relentlessly pursues the truth. The qualities that make her a great reporter have also made her a frequent target of the Trump administration. In Under Fire, April Ryan deftly navigates these attacks to deliver a characteristically impartial account of an unprecedented time: she not only documents the chaos, confusion, and turmoil of the Trump era, but speaks to our common values, the enduring and urgent need for truth-tellers, and how the most difficult challenges can bring out the best in who we are. She is a living example of how the fire of adversity often reveals and forges greatness."— Senator Cory Booker
"April’s experience, knowledge, and judgment are on full display in this book. She understands the political process at the highest levels and has never been afraid to ask the tough questions off-record or with the eyes of the world on her or when her courage and mettle have been put to the test. All of these skills come together in a compelling volume that blends her insights with the very questions that we should all be confronting at this unique moment in history."
— Thurgood Marshall, Jr.
The noted American Urban Radio Networks White House Correspondent and CNN analyst focuses on her experiences as a black woman reporter trying to do her job amid the hostile first year of the Trump presidency.
— Kirkus Reviews
Ryan, a veteran White House news correspondent for the American Urban Radio Networks, describes some of her disagreements with the press secretary’s office during the first 16 months of the Trump administration. Ironically, Ryan explains, these battles included criticism of her work in 2017 by then White House aide Omarosa Manigault Newman, who subsequently published an unfavorable critique of the Trump administration. Ryan notes some of her interactions with officials from the Clinton, George W. Bush, Obama, and Trump eras. She is occasionally critical of policy issues that impact African Americans, such as whether the Trump administration should extensively support historically black colleges and universities. Recommended.— Choice Reviews
Ryan often asks pointed questions on policies of health care, education, and voting laws and how these affect Africans Americans. The frequent lies, along with personal and institutionally insulting responses by President Trump and his Press Secretaries is unprecedented in her two decades of working at the White House. — Utica Phoenix
• Joint winner, Freedom of the Press Awards - Rising Star (Committee for Freedom of the Press, 2019)