Area of Expertise: National politics and elections, White House and the presidency, American political parties, political polling, media performance and criticism

Additional Information: Richard Benedetto is a retired White House correspondent and columnist for USA Today and political columnist for Gannett News Service. He reported on government and politics on the local, state, and national levels for nearly 40 years, retiring in 2006. He began teaching at AU in 2006, and is an occasional contributor to Politico. Benedetto is a founding member of USA Today, joining the newspaper in 1982, prior to its debut. He wrote the national newspaper’s first Page One cover story. Benedetto covered the White House for USA Today during the administrations of Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush. He has covered every national political convention since 1972 and every presidential campaign since 1984. Benedetto is the author of Politicians Are People, Too (University Press of America, 2006). In 1998, he received the National Italian American Foundation Media Award for projecting a positive image of Italian Americans.

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