Judy Keen Reporter, News View Judy's pool report from Sept. 11, 2001 White House correspondent Judy Keen has been a reporter for USA TODAY since 1987. Keen has been a political junkie since writing her first professional news story - for her hometown newspaper in Austin, Minn. - on the day Richard Nixon resigned in 1974. Since then, she has covered city councils, state legislatures and four U.S. presidents. She has known the current President Bush for 10 years and was USA TODAY's lead reporter on his presidential campaign. Prior to joining USA TODAY, Keen worked for newspapers in Ohio, Illinois and California. She studied journalism at the University of Minnesota.

Q: Please tell us about your job with USA TODAY.

A: I cover the White House, which is a challenging job - but a fun one, too. With my two partners on the beat, I'm responsible for keeping track of all the news made by President Bush and his administration.

Q: In many of your articles, you often describe not only what is happening, but how people are reacting to what is happening. What did you focus on during the aftermath of 9/11? In other words, how did you decide what you would cover, i.e., what's important and what people want to or should know, given that there were so many angles to this story?

A: Sept. 11 was certainly a memorable day, and one that tested my professionalism at a time when I - like everyone else in America - was scared and worried. I was traveling with the president that day. We started our day in Florida and I was with him at a school in Sarasota when he was told of the terrorist attacks. As many as 100 reporters, TV crews and photographers travel with the president, and we take turns being in the "pool," which is a small group of media (one newspaper reporter, one magazine reporter, 2 wire service reporters, 3 photographers, 1 TV camera crew and 1 radio reporter) who stay close to him, including riding in his motorcades and on Air Force One. That "pool duty" is rotated among newspaper reporters alphabetically, and as luck would have it, that was my day for pool duty, so I flew with him from Florida to Louisiana, where he made his first public statements on the attack. Once I was back in Washington, it was fairly easy to identify what readers would most want to know: What was Bush doing? How would the United States respond? How did the president feel about what was going on? How good a job did he do keeping people informed and easing their fears? It was a day and a story I'll never forget.

Q: What was it like being on AirForce One during a time of national crisis? How did you feel? What were you thinking about, etc.?

A: Well, I was amazed, just like everyone else. Air Force One has the capability to tune in TV signals from the stations on the ground below, so we watched live TV footage of the disasters in New York and Washington. None of us knew if there would be more attacks. For a while, we didn't know where Air Force One was going or when we'd return to Washington. But I was working, and my professional instincts kicked in. I kept track in my notebook, minute by minute, what was happening on the plane and how people (reporters, White House staff, Secret Service agents) were reacting to what we saw on TV. When we spotted fighter jets off the wings of Air Force One (they were there to ensure that a jet didn't try to fly into the president's plane), I noted the time in my notebook. Once the day was over, it was my responsibility to write down everything that happened so my report could be shared with all the newspaper reporters who weren't there.

Q: How often do you get to travel with the president? What places have you been to? Which have been the most interesting?

A: I'm so lucky to have been able to travel to incredible places. Just this year, I went to Russia, Italy, Germany and France with President Bush. I also traveled with Vice President Cheney to 14 countries in the Middle East, including Egypt, Qatar, Oman, Saudi Arabia and Israel. That was quite an adventure. Not all trips are as exotic. As I write this, I'm in Waco, Texas, where the press corps stay when Bush is at his ranch in nearby Crawford, Texas.

Q: What special preparations do you make when you know you are going to be traveling with the president?

A: I do research, much of it on the Internet, about the places we'll be visiting and the people the president will see. I also research the issues he'll be talking about. When he travels in the United States, I try to learn about the political issues in the communities he visits. And I pack carefully: tape recorder, tapes, lots of batteries, cell phone, notebooks, etc.

Q: How would you describe the president? What is he like on a personal level?

A: I first met President Bush more than 10 years ago, when I was covering his father's last presidential campaign in 1991 and 1992. Our current president is a very friendly, charming fellow. He's also funny - and smarter than some people think. I've had the chance to introduce him to my mom and other members of my family, and he's always been very sweet to them, which means a lot to me.

Q: The Bush White House has tried to keep many of its strategies for fighting terrorism out of the media. What are your thoughts about this?

A: It's the job of the media to find out as much as we can about the war on terrorism and other matters. After all, the government represents the American people and is paid for with their tax dollars. And our society prides itself on openness. But there have been occasions when something I or other USA Today reporters have learned has been kept out of the newspaper because publishing the information could jeopardize national security or put U.S. troops at risk. But I believe those decisions have to be made very carefully.

Q: Looking back, how did Sept. 11 affect you both professionally and personally?

A: I live in downtown Washington, D.C., just a block from the headquarters of the FBI. So I did feel real fear in the first weeks after the terrorist attacks. My mom and my sisters wanted me to get the heck out of town and move home to Minnesota. But I love my job, and I truly feel privileged to have the opportunity to cover and write about important events and people. So I'm staying put. The events of Sept. 11 also made me realize that I'm not just covering news - I'm covering history. I feel really lucky.

Q: How do you feel about journalism as a profession? What is your favorite part about your job? Least favorite?

A: I adore my job. I decided when I was in sixth grade that I wanted to be a reporter, and I have never regretted it. I love the travel; I love being a witness to important events; I love the creativity of writing what I see and learn so that readers can tap into my insights. I don't dislike anything about my job, but it's definitely time-consuming. The late nights and constant travel keep me away from my husband too much! Thank goodness he's a patient guy.