Brit Hume facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Brit Hume
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Hume in 2004
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Alexander Britton Hume
June 22, 1943 Washington, D.C., U.S.
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| Education | University of Virginia (BA) |
| Occupation | Journalist Political commentator |
| Known for | Chief White House Correspondent for ABC News (1989–1996) Chief Political Analyst for Fox News (2008–present) Host of Special Report (1996–2008) Host of On the Record (2016) |
| Spouse(s) |
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| Children | 2, including Sandy |
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Alexander Britton Hume (born June 22, 1943), known as Brit Hume, is an American journalist and political commentator. He worked for 23 years at ABC News. There, he helped with shows like World News Tonight with Peter Jennings, Nightline, and This Week. From 1989 to 1996, Hume was ABC News's main reporter at the White House.
Later, Hume spent 12 years at the Fox News Channel. He was the managing editor in Washington, D.C. and hosted Special Report with Brit Hume. After he stopped hosting Special Report in 2008, he became a senior political analyst for Fox News. He also appeared regularly on Fox News Sunday.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Brit Hume was born in Washington, D.C.. His parents were George Graham Hume and Virginia Powell Hume. His family has some Scottish roots.
Hume went to St. Albans School in Washington, D.C. He was there at the same time as Al Gore. In 1965, he graduated from the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Virginia. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English.
Journalism Career
Starting in Print News
Hume began his career working for newspapers. He worked for The Hartford Times, United Press International, and the Baltimore Evening Sun. From 1970 to 1972, he worked for a writer named Jack Anderson.
In 1971, Hume wrote his first book. It was about the problems faced by coal miners. He reported on how some companies and unions treated miners unfairly.
Hume also reported on important political stories. One story was about a company called ITT. It suggested that the Nixon administration might have favored ITT after the company gave money to a political event. He also reported on secret documents about the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971. Because of these reports, Hume and his family were briefly watched by the Central Intelligence Agency in 1972.
In 1973, Hume became an editor for MORE magazine. This magazine looked at how the news was reported. In 1974, he published his second book, Inside Story.
Working at ABC News (1973–1996)
In 1973, Hume started working for ABC News. He became a reporter in 1976. For 11 years, he covered news from the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate. In 1979, Hume was nominated for an Academy Award for his work on a documentary called The Killing Ground.
Hume reported on the presidential campaigns of Walter Mondale in 1984 and George H. W. Bush in 1988. In 1989, he became ABC's main reporter at the White House. He covered the presidencies of George H. W. Bush and Bill Clinton. He worked closely with famous ABC anchors like Peter Jennings and Charlie Gibson.
Moving to Fox News (1996–Present)
In 1996, Hume left ABC to join the Fox News Network. At his last news conference as ABC's White House reporter, President Clinton praised him. Clinton said Hume had done an "extraordinary, professional job" for both Republican and Democratic presidents. Hume became the managing editor for Fox News in Washington.
Special Report with Brit Hume (1998–2008)
After joining Fox News, Hume discussed starting a new news show. In 1998, a big news story began, and Hume decided to launch his show right away. Special Report with Brit Hume started that evening.
Hume said that the show grew in popularity. Major events like the 2000 election and the Florida vote recount helped the show gain many viewers. People who wanted reliable news coverage during these times tuned in. For several years, the show was the most watched cable news program in its time slot.
In July 2008, Hume announced he would retire as the anchor of Special Report at the end of the year. However, he would stay at Fox News in a different role. On December 23, 2008, he hosted his last episode as anchor. He announced that Bret Baier would take over. Hume continued to work for Fox News as a senior political analyst. He also remained a regular guest on Fox News Sunday.
In 2010, on Fox News Sunday, Hume gave advice to golfer Tiger Woods. He suggested that Woods should turn to Christianity to help with his personal problems.
On the Record (2016)
On September 6, 2016, Hume became the anchor of On the Record. This happened after the show's previous anchor, Greta Van Susteren, left Fox News. Hume hosted the program until the end of the 2016 elections. His first show as host of On the Record attracted 2.4 million viewers. This was a big increase in viewers for the show. On November 4, 2016, it was announced that Tucker Carlson would host a new show in that time slot.
2020 U.S. Presidential Election Commentary
In 2020, Hume commented on the 2020 United States Presidential election. He was part of Fox News's election night coverage. He joined other journalists like Chris Wallace, Juan Williams, and Dana Perino for the special broadcast.
Personal Life
Brit Hume is a conservative. He once said in 2006, "Sure, I'm a conservative, no doubt about it. But I would ask people to look at the work."
Hume was previously married to Clare Jacobs Stoner. Their son, Sandy Hume, was a reporter for The Hill newspaper. Sandy Hume was known for reporting on a political attempt to replace Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich in 1997. The National Press Club honors Sandy Hume's memory with an annual award for political journalism. After his son's passing in 1998, Brit Hume said he committed his life to Jesus Christ.
Brit Hume's daughter, Virginia Hume (born 1965), wrote for The Weekly Standard. She worked for 25 years in public relations and political communication. She also served as a deputy press secretary for the Republican National Committee in 1996.
In 1993, Hume married Kim Schiller. She was a vice president and Washington bureau chief for Fox News before she retired in 2006.
Awards and Honors
- Emmy Award for his reporting on the Gulf War (1991)
- American Journalism Review "Best in the Business" award (twice) for his White House reporting
- Sol Taishoff Award for Excellence in Broadcast Journalism (2003)
- Writer of The Killing Ground (film), which was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature
