Washington Week

{{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)
{{nowrap|Max Kampelman (1969–1971)}}
Robert MacNeil (1971–1974)
Paul Duke (1974–1994)
Ken Bode (1994–1999){{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}}
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 = WETA-TV in Washington, D.C., U.S.

| editor =

| runtime = 30 minutes

| company = WETA-TV (1967–2021)
NewsHour Productions (2021–present)

| network = NET (1967–1970)
PBS (1970–present)

| first_aired = {{Start date|1967|2|23}}

| last_aired = present

}}

File:Washington Week 2018 logo.svg

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 Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Atlantic. 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 in Review was first broadcast 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.{{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}}

In 1999, Dalton Delan fired Ken Bode.{{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}} 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 when she took over, as a sign that "the show would spend more time looking forward."{{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}} On April 20, 2017, WETA announced that Robert Costa of The Washington Post would become the next moderator of Washington Week.{{Cite news |url=https://www.pbs.org/weta/washingtonweek/web-video/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}}

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.{{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}}

File:Chatting after - Washington Week taping - Hanna Theatre (28375386491) (cropped1).jpg 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).{{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}}{{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}}{{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}}

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.{{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}}

In May 2021, Yamiche Alcindor, at the time the White House correspondent for PBS NewsHour, became the ninth moderator of Washington Week. Alcindor had previously been a regular Washington Week panelist.{{Cite news|last=Weprin|first=Alex|last2=|first2=|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}} In December 2021, WETA subsidiary NewsHour Productions began producing Washington Week.{{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}} 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.{{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}} 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.{{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}}{{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}} The first episode under the longer title, and with Goldberg as moderator, was broadcast on August 11, 2023.{{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}}

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).{{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}}{{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.}}

National Journal

On February 17, 2006, Washington Week agreed with National Journal, ensuring that at least one National Journal reporter would be on the show.{{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}} 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=

1967–1968: John Davenport
1968–1969: Lincoln Furber
1969–1971: Max Kampelman
1971–1974: Robert MacNeil
1974–1994: Paul Duke
1994–1999: Ken Bode
1999–2016: Gwen Ifill
2016–2017: Amy Walter (main interim moderator)
2017–2021: Robert Costa
2021–2023: Yamiche Alcindor
2023–present: Jeffrey Goldberg

=Regular panelists=

Tim Alberta
Anne Applebaum
Peter Baker
Molly Ball
Dan Balz
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
Mark Leibovich
Jonathan Lemire
Mara Liasson
Laura Barrón-López
David Leonhardt
Jonathan Martin{{cite web|title=Jonathan Martin|url=http://www.pbs.org/weta/washingtonweek/profile/jonathan-martin|website=Washington Week|date=July 23, 2015 |publisher=PBS|accessdate=May 13, 2021}}
Jane Mayer
Andrea Mitchell
Amna Nawaz
Hans Nichols
Tom Nichols
Toluse Olorunnipa
Susan Page
Ashley Parker
Tarini Parti
Michelle Price
Philip Rucker
Vivian Salama
David Sanger
Michael Scherer
Kayla Tausche
Ali Vitali
Amy Walter
Alexander Ward
Zolan Kanno-Youngs
Nancy Youssef

Reception

Washington Week has received generally positive reviews from television critics. Barry Garron of Current wrote, "Favor[s] balance over frivolity."{{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}} 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."{{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}}