Washington Week

{{Short description|American public affairs TV program}} {{Use mdy dates|date=January 2020}} {{Infobox television | image = Washington Week with the Atlantic logo.svg | caption = | alt_name = {{plainlist| *''Washington Week in Review'' {{nowrap|(1967–2001)}} *''Washington Week with the Atlantic'' {{nowrap|(2023–present)}} }} | creator = | presenter = {{plainlist| *John Davenport (1967–1968) *Lincoln Furber (1968–1969, 1971, 1973–1974) *{{nowrap|Max Kampelman (1969–1971)}} *Robert MacNeil (1971–1973) *Paul Duke (1974–1994) *Ken Bode (1994–1999)<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Shepard |first1=Alicia C. |title=Unplugged |url=https://ajrarchive.org/Article.asp?id=526&id=526 |access-date=January 28, 2017 |magazine=American Journalism Review |date=June 1999}}</ref> *Gwen Ifill (1999–2016) *Robert Costa (2017–2021) *Yamiche Alcindor (2021–2023) *Jeffrey Goldberg (2023–present)}} | narrated = Paul Anthony | theme_music_composer = | opentheme = | endtheme = | composer = | country = United States | language = English | num_seasons = 58 | num_episodes = over 2,000 | producer = | location = David M. Rubenstein studio at WETA-TV in Washington, D.C., U.S. | editor = | runtime = 30 minutes | company = WETA-TV (1967–1971, 1976–2021)<br>National Public Affairs Center for Television (1971–1976)<br>NewsHour Productions (2021–present) | network = NET | first_aired = {{Start date|1967|2|23}} | last_aired = {{End date|1970|10|02}} | network2 = PBS | first_aired2 = {{Start date|1970|10|08}} | last_aired2 = present }} right|thumb|Logo used from July 20, 2018 to August 4, 2023 '''''Washington Week''''', originally titled as '''''Washington Week in Review''''' and billed as '''''Washington Week with the Atlantic''''' since 2023, is an American public affairs television program, which has aired on PBS and its predecessor, National Educational Television, since 1967. The program is produced by WETA-TV in Washington, D.C. Since 2023, the program has been moderated by editor-in-chief of ''The Atlantic'', Jeffrey Goldberg. Unlike other panel discussion shows, which encourage informal (sometimes vociferous) debates as a means of presentation, ''Washington Week'' consistently follows a path of civility and moderation. Its format is that of a roundtable featuring the show's moderator and two to four Washington-based journalists.

==History== ''Washington Week'' premiered as ''Washington Week in Review'' on February 23, 1967 on National Educational Television and was picked up by PBS in 1970. Since its first episode in 1967, the program's announcer has been Paul Anthony.<ref>{{cite web|title=Washington Week {{!}} The Backstory: The Voice of Washington Week|website=YouTube |date=February 22, 2013|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zX48Xds5Ys |access-date=January 3, 2020}}</ref>

In 1971, Robert MacNeil took on the task of hosting the series after temporarily replacing Furber following the departure of Max Kampelman,<ref>{{Cite news |date=December 6, 1971 |title=NPACT puts MacNeil in moderator's chair |url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/71-OCR/1971-12-06-BC-OCR-Page-0045.pdf |access-date=April 8, 2026 |work=Broadcasting |pages=45}}</ref> and would move on after anchoring PBS's Watergate coverage to found PBS's first weeknight newscast, ''The Robert McNeil Report'', which would eventually become the ''PBS News Hour''; in 1973, Furber temporarily returned as moderator, from 1974, Paul Duke served as host and moderator,<ref>{{Cite news |date=January 21, 1974 |title=Duke to NPACT |url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/74-OCR/1974-01-21-BC-OCR-Page-0041.pdf |access-date=April 8, 2026 |work=Broadcasting |pages=41}}</ref> until he was succeeded in 1994 by Ken Bode.

From 1971 to 1976, the show was produced under National Public Affairs Center for Television.<ref>{{Cite news |date=August 30, 1971 |title=Public broadcasting gets it together |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/71-OCR/1971-08-30-BC-OCR-Page-0046.pdf |access-date=July 15, 2023 |work=Broadcasting Magazine |pages=46}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=September 27, 1971 |title=NPACT hires former NBC newsman |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/71-OCR/1971-09-27-BC-OCR-Page-0038.pdf |access-date=July 15, 2023 |work=Broadcasting Magazine |pages=38}}</ref> Therefore during the show's run under NPACT, it spawned two spin-off series, ''Thirty Minutes With...'' (later known as ''Washington Straight Talk'' from 1973 to 1975 after being nameless in PBS' press release of the fall 1973 schedule<ref>{{Cite news |date=August 8, 1973 |title=PBS takes wraps off fall line-up |url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/73-OCR/1973-08-06-BC-OCR-Page-0021.pdf |access-date=April 4, 2026 |work=Broadcasting |pages=21}}</ref>), aired from 1971 to 1975,<ref>{{Cite news |date=April 5, 1971 |title=PBS fills five days of programming |url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/71-OCR/1971-04-05-BC-OCR-Page-0038.pdf |access-date=April 4, 2026 |work=Broadcasting |pages=38}}</ref> originally hosted by Elizabeth Drew, and later a rotation of guest panelists after Drew left, and ''Washington Connection'' in 1974, which was among the programs cancelled by the new programming cooperative.<ref>{{Cite news |date=June 10, 1974 |title=In Brief |url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/74-OCR/1974-06-10-BC-OCR-Page-0007.pdf |access-date=April 8, 2026 |work=Broadcasting |pages=7}}</ref>

In 1979, the Ford Motor Company was assigned as its first corporate underwriter, a tradition that had continued for 20 years.<ref>{{Cite news |date=June 25, 1979 |title=Monitor |url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/79-OCR/BC-1979-06-25-OCR-Page-0063.pdf |work=Broadcasting |pages=63}}</ref> In 1999, Dalton Delan fired Bode.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/tv/features/daily/feb99/bode23.htm |title=Ken Bode's Bad 'Washington Week' |last=Kurtz |first=Howard |date=February 23, 1999 |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=November 14, 2016}}</ref> On October 1, 1999, Gwen Ifill became the host of the program until her death on November 14, 2016. A successor was not announced immediately. Ifill shortened the program's name as ''Washington Week'' on February 9, 2001, two years after she took over, as a sign that "the show would spend more time looking forward."<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2006/11/10/DI2006111000360.html |title=Washington Week |last=Ifill |first=Gwen |date=November 30, 2006 |newspaper=The Washington Post |publisher=Nash Holdings |access-date=April 21, 2017}}</ref> On April 20, 2017, WETA announced that Robert Costa of ''The Washington Post'' would become the next moderator of ''Washington Week''.<ref name="Costa">{{Cite news |url=https://www.pbs.org/weta/washingtonweek/video/2017/04/meet-robert-costa-new-washington-week-moderator |title=Meet Robert Costa, new Washington Week moderator |date=April 20, 2017 |website=PBS.org |access-date=April 20, 2017}}</ref>

On January 8, 2010, ''Washington Week'' began broadcasting in high definition, with broadcasts presented in letterboxed and pillarboxed format for viewers with standard-definition television sets watching either through cable or satellite television. The program also introduced a new set and upconverted its existing graphics package to HD.<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://archive.org/details/WETA_20100109_010000_Washington_Week |title=Washington Week - January 8, 2010 |date=January 8, 2010 |last=Ifill |first=Gwen |type=Video}}</ref>

[[File:Chatting after - Washington Week taping - Hanna Theatre (28375386491) (cropped1).jpg|thumb|left|Ifill and other personalities chat after filming a special edition at the Hanna Theatre in Cleveland during the 2016 Republican National Convention]]

On July 20, 2018, the program underwent its first significant change in presentation in years, adopting a new graphics package and a reorchestrated version of its theme music (with a new set, and music by Stephen Arnold).<ref>{{Cite web |last=P. Hill |first=Michael |date=July 23, 2018 |title='Washington Week' on PBS debuts new set, part of larger makeover |url=https://www.newscaststudio.com/2018/07/23/washington-week-new-set/?og=1 |access-date=August 13, 2023 |website=NewscastStudio}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=P. Hill |first=Michael |date=July 23, 2018 |title='Washington Week' overhauls logo, graphics and music |url=https://www.newscaststudio.com/2018/07/23/washington-week-new-graphics-music/?og=1 |access-date=August 13, 2023 |website=NewscastStudio}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=August 8, 2018 |title=Stephen Arnold Music Updates PBS' 'Washington Week' Identity With New Sonic Brand And Custom Music Package |url=https://www.shootonline.com/spw/stephen-arnold-music-updates-pbs%E2%80%99-%E2%80%98washington-week%E2%80%99-identity-new-sonic-brand-and-custom-music |access-date=August 13, 2023 |website=SHOOTonline}}</ref>

In January 2021, Costa left the program to devote his time to co-authoring an upcoming book with veteran journalist Bob Woodward; guest moderators were used in Costa's place.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Washington Week Host Robert Costa Departs Program |url=https://www.thirteen.org/blog-post/washington-week-host-robert-costa-departs-program/ |access-date=May 6, 2021 |publisher=WNET}}</ref>

In May 2021, Yamiche Alcindor, at the time the White House correspondent for ''PBS News Hour,'' became the ninth moderator of ''Washington Week''. Alcindor had previously been a regular ''Washington Week'' panelist.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Weprin|first=Alex|date=May 4, 2021|title=Yamiche Alcindor Named Moderator of PBS' 'Washington Week'|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/yamiche-alcindor-moderator-pbs-washington-week-1234947237/|access-date=May 6, 2021|newspaper=The Hollywood Reporter}}</ref> In December 2021, WETA subsidiary NewsHour Productions began producing ''Washington Week''.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Wyllie |first=Julian |date=December 6, 2021 |title=NewsHour Productions takes over management of 'Washington Week' |url=https://current.org/2021/12/newshour-productions-takes-over-management-of-washington-week/ |access-date=March 22, 2023 |website=Current}}</ref> In February 2023, Alcindor announced that she would step down to focus full-time on her job at NBC and writing her memoirs, saying that her final date as moderator would be February 24.<ref name="TheHill-2023feb13">{{cite news |last1=Mastrangelo |first1=Dominick |title=Yamiche Alcindor leaving PBS's 'Washington Week' |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/media/3856054-yamiche-alcindor-leaving-pbss-washington-week/ |access-date=February 25, 2023 |work=The Hill |date=February 13, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230215195438/https://thehill.com/homenews/media/3856054-yamiche-alcindor-leaving-pbss-washington-week/ |archive-date=February 15, 2023 |url-status=live}}</ref> After Alcindor's departure, various other journalists served as guest moderator until August 2023.

On August 2, 2023, it was announced that Jeffrey Goldberg, who has served as editor-in-chief of ''The Atlantic'' since 2016, had been named as the program's tenth moderator, and that the politics and culture publication would also enter into an editorial partnership with the television program – which was retitled accordingly as ''Washington Week with The Atlantic'' – similar to the earlier collaboration with the ''National Journal''.<ref name="ww-goldberg">{{cite press release|title=Jeffrey Goldberg named new moderator of Washington Week|url=https://www.pbs.org/weta/washingtonweek/article/2023/08/jeffrey-goldberg-named-new-moderator-of-washington-week|website=PBS|date=August 2, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240302002221/https://www.pbs.org/weta/washingtonweek/article/2023/08/jeffrey-goldberg-named-new-moderator-of-washington-week|archive-date=March 2, 2024|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title='Washington Week' Gets New Moderator, New Name|url=https://www.nexttv.com/news/washington-week-gets-new-moderator-new-name|last=Malone|first=Michael|magazine=Broadcasting & Cable|publisher=Future US, Inc.|date=August 2, 2023|access-date=August 3, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230803074616/https://www.nexttv.com/news/washington-week-gets-new-moderator-new-name|archive-date=August 3, 2023|url-status=live}}</ref> The first episode under the longer title, and with Goldberg as moderator, was broadcast on August&nbsp;11, 2023.<ref>{{cite web |title=Jeffrey Goldberg moderates Washington Week with The Atlantic |url=https://www.pbs.org/video/jeff-opening-nty6iv/ |date=August 11, 2023 |publisher=PBS |website=YouTube |access-date=March 3, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240303084318/https://www.pbs.org/video/jeff-opening-nty6iv/ |archive-date=March 3, 2024 |url-status=live}}</ref>

On June 21, 2024, ''Washington Week'' moved to a new studio, designed by Eric Siegel and George Allison, called the David M. Rubenstein studio at WETA-TV facility in Washington, D.C. (sharing with programs, ''PBS NewsHour'' and ''PBS News Weekend''; name not revealed until September 20, 2024).<ref>{{Cite web |last=Dillon |first=Dak |date=June 27, 2024 |title=PBS's 'Washington Week' upgrades discussion with move to new facility, studio |url=https://www.newscaststudio.com/2024/06/27/pbs-washington-week-upgrades-discussion-with-move-to-new-facility-studio/ |access-date=November 11, 2024 |website=NewscastStudio}}</ref><ref>{{Cite episode |title=September 20, 2024 |series=Washington Week |network=PBS |date=2024-09-20 |quote=Once again from the David M. Rubenstein studio at WETA in Washington, editor-in-chief of ''The Atlantic'' and moderator, Jeffrey Goldberg.}}</ref>

==''National Journal''== On February 17, 2006, ''Washington Week'' formed an agreement with ''National Journal'', ensuring that at least one ''National Journal'' reporter would be on the show.<ref name="WETA">{{cite press release |title='Washington Week' Forges Editorial Partnership with 'National Journal' |date=April 29, 2005 |publisher=WETA |url=https://weta.org/press/%E2%80%9Cwashington-week%E2%80%9D-forges-editorial-partnership-national-journal |access-date=March 9, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140716071637/https://weta.org/press/%E2%80%9Cwashington-week%E2%80%9D-forges-editorial-partnership-national-journalational-journal-forges-editorial-partnership-national-journal |archive-date=July 16, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Jensen |first=Elizabeth |date=2006-01-30 |title=National Journal Teams With 'Washington Week' of PBS |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/30/business/media/national-journal-teams-with-washington-week-of-pbs.html |access-date=2025-07-13 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> As of January 4, 2013, the agreement is no longer in effect.

==Format== Since moving to PBS, ''Washington Week'' has used a panel discussion format moderated by a host. Panelists come from various national media organizations.

==Distribution== ''Washington Week'' is on PBS's national primetime lineup. Because of PBS's subscriber nature, local presentation of ''Washington Week'' is scheduled by individual stations, and air times vary by market. The most common airing pattern is the show leading off primetime on Friday evenings with weekend afternoon encores on most PBS member stations and several airings per week on the affiliated network, World Channel.

==Notable personalities==

===Moderators=== {{div col|colwidth=16em}} <!-- column width of 10em ; default width is 30em --> * 1967–1968: John Davenport * 1968–1969: Lincoln Furber * 1969–1971: Max Kampelman * 1971: Lincoln Furber (interim moderator) * 1971–1973: Robert MacNeil * 1973–1974: Lincoln Furber (interim moderator) * 1974–1994: Paul Duke * 1994–1999: Ken Bode * 1999–2016: Gwen Ifill * 2016–2017: Amy Walter (main interim moderator) * 2017–2021: Robert Costa<ref name=Costa/> * 2021–2023: Yamiche Alcindor * 2023–present: Jeffrey Goldberg<ref name="ww-goldberg"/> {{div col end}}

===Regular panelists=== {{div col|colwidth=14em}} * Tim Alberta * Anne Applebaum * Peter Baker * Molly Ball * Dan Balz * Paul Beckett * Leigh Ann Caldwell * Francesca Chambers * Kaitlan Collins * McKay Coppins * Eugene Daniels * Andrew Desiderio * Lisa Desjardins * Caitlin Dickerson * John Dickerson * Franklin Foer * Susan Glasser * Errin Haines * Adam Harris * Shane Harris * Stephen Hayes * Carl Hulse * David Ignatius * Weijia Jiang * Jonathan Karl * Ed O'Keefe * Asma Khalid * Seung Min Kim * Liz Landers * Mark Leibovich * Jonathan Lemire * Mara Liasson * Laura Barrón-López * David Leonhardt * Scott MacFarlane * Jonathan Martin * Jeff Mason * Jane Mayer * Andrea Mitchell * Amna Nawaz * Hans Nichols * Tom Nichols * Toluse Olorunnipa * Susan Page * Tyler Pager * Ashley Parker * Tarini Parti * Michelle Price * Philip Rucker * Vivian Salama * David Sanger * Michael Scherer * Kayla Tausche * Karen Tumulty * Ali Vitali * Matt Viser * Amy Walter * Alexander Ward * Zolan Kanno-Youngs * Nancy Youssef * Jeff Zeleny {{div col end}}

{{inc-tv|date=October 2021}}

== Reception == ''Washington Week'' has received generally positive reviews from television critics. Barry Garron of ''Current'' wrote, "Favor[s] balance over frivolity."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://current.org/2017/08/new-washington-week-host-aims-to-favor-balance-over-frivolity/|title=New 'Washington Week' host aims to favor balance over frivolity|last=Garron|first=Barry|date=August 1, 2017|website=Current |access-date=January 15, 2020}}</ref> Angelina Chapin of ''The Cut'' wrote, "[Alcindor's] job requires staying on top of a constantly evolving, 24/7 news cycle and then making those stories digestible for viewers."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Chapin |first=Angelina |date=August 16, 2021 |title=Yamiche Alcindor Knows Her Job Is Serious Business |url=https://www.thecut.com/2021/08/how-yamiche-alcindor-gets-it-done.html |access-date=June 28, 2024 |website=The Cut}}</ref>

== Sponsors == Program sponsors include:<ref>{{Cite web |title=Our Funders |url=https://www.pbs.org/weta/washingtonweek/about-us/funders |access-date=February 27, 2025 |website=Washington Week}}</ref>

===Corporate sponsors=== * Consumer Cellular

===Foundations=== * The Yuen Foundation * Sandra and Carl DeLay-Magnuson * Rose Hirschel and Andy Shreeves * Robert and Susan Rosenbaum

==See also== * ''Inside Washington'' * ''Agronsky & Co.'' * Gordon Peterson

==References== {{Reflist|2}}

== Further reading == * {{cite book |last1=Hirsch |first1=Alan |title=Talking Heads: Political Talk Shows and Their Star Pundits |date=1991 |publisher=St. Martin's Press |isbn=978-0-312-05521-9 |language=en}}

==External links== * {{Official website|https://www.pbs.org/weta/washingtonweek/}} * https://www.youtube.com/@WashingtonWeekPBS/videos <!-- * https://www.youtube.com/user/washingtonweekGI/videos --> * [http://feeds.pbs.org/pbs/weta/washingtonweek-audio pbs.org] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20080917074730/http://feeds.pbs.org/pbs/weta/washingtonweek-video pbs.org] * {{IMDb title|0409637|Washington Week}}

{{US Sunday Talk Shows}} {{PBSTV}}

Category:PBS original programming Category:National Educational Television original programming Category:1967 American television series debuts Category:1970s American television news shows Category:1980s American television news shows Category:1990s American television news shows Category:2000s American television news shows Category:2010s American television news shows Category:2020s American television news shows Category:English-language American television shows Category:Television shows filmed in Washington, D.C. Category:Current affairs shows Category:Peabody Award–winning television programs