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) |
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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. A journalist reports news, while a political commentator shares opinions on political events.
He worked for ABC News for 23 years. There, he helped with shows like World News Tonight with Peter Jennings and Nightline. 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 in 2008, he became a senior political analyst for Fox News. He also appeared regularly on Fox News Sunday.
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Brit Hume's 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. One of his ancestors came to Virginia after a rebellion in Scotland long ago.
Hume went to St. Albans School in Washington, D.C. He was there at the same time as Al Gore, who later became Vice President. In 1965, Hume graduated from the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Virginia. He earned a degree in English.
Brit Hume's Journalism Career
Starting in Print News
Brit 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 Jack Anderson, a writer whose articles appeared in many newspapers.
In 1971, Hume wrote his first book, Death and the mines. It was about how coal miners were treated unfairly.
Hume also reported on important stories for Jack Anderson. One story was about a company that gave money to a political event. Soon after, the government settled a legal case against that company. Another story involved secret government papers. These papers showed that the Nixon administration had favored one country during a war, even though they said they were neutral. Because of these reports, Hume and his family were briefly watched by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in 1972.
In 1973, Hume became an editor for MORE magazine, which reviewed how the press reported news. In 1974, he published his second book, Inside Story.
Reporting for ABC News (1973-1996)
In 1973, Hume started working for ABC News. By 1976, he became a full-time reporter. For 11 years, he covered news from the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate. In 1979, he was recognized 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.
Moving to Fox News (1996-Present)
In 1996, Hume left ABC to join the Fox News Network. At his last press 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 Fox News's managing editor in Washington.
Hosting Special Report (1998–2008)
After joining Fox News, Hume started planning a new news show. In January 1998, a big news story called the Lewinsky scandal broke out. Hume's wife told him he should start his show right away because people were very interested in the news. So, Special Report with Brit Hume began that evening.
Hume said that big events helped his show become popular. The 2000 election and especially the Florida vote recount brought many viewers. People wanted news coverage they could trust during that time. The show became the most-watched cable news program in its time slot for several years.
In July 2008, Hume announced he would stop being the host 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. He announced that Bret Baier would take over as host. Hume continued to work for Fox News as a senior political analyst and a regular guest on Fox News Sunday.
Hosting On the Record (2016)
On September 6, 2016, Hume became the host of On the Record. This happened after the show's previous host, Greta Van Susteren, left Fox News. Hume hosted the program through the end of the 2016 elections. His first show as host brought in 2.4 million viewers, which was a big increase 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 Coverage
In September 2020, Hume was part of Fox News's coverage of the 2020 United States Presidential election. He joined other journalists like Chris Wallace and Dana Perino. Their election night coverage won in the Nielsen ratings, which measure how many people watch TV shows.
Brit Hume's Personal Life
Brit Hume is known for his conservative views. He once said, "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. He reported 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 became more committed to his Christian faith.
Brit Hume's daughter, Virginia Hume (born 1965), has also worked in journalism and public relations. She contributed to The Weekly Standard magazine.
In 1993, Hume married Kim Schiller. She used to be 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)
- "Best in the Business" award from American Journalism Review (twice) for his White House coverage
- 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
