For a long time CBS News Radio Correspondent was 73
Mark Knoller, the old CBS News Radio Correspondent and Veteran Political Journalist, died in Washington, DC he was 73.
CBS News confirmed his death on Saturday and noted that he had been in poor health and suffered from diabetes.
Knoller was editor and radio reporter for CBS News from 1988 to 2020. He was a legend among Journalists of the White House for his status as an unofficial presidential statistician.
“His frustration about the lack of a central database of daily presidential actions inspired him to take on the enormous burden to keep closely recorded reports of every presidential act, movement and expression, which filled an immense emptiness in American history,” ” CBS News’ Chip Reid wrote in his death notice for Knoller.
“Mark Knoller was the hardest working and most productive correspondent of the White House of a generation,” said Tom Cibrowski, CBS News President and Executive Editor. “Everyone in America knew their distinctive voice and his current report in eight presidential administrations.”
Knoller was born in Brooklyn and aimed his sights on a career in journalism as a youth. He graduated from New York University and started his career as a copy writer and then radio reporter at Wnew Radio. In 1975 he joined the Associated Press Radio Network.
Knoller moved to CBS after a meeting in 1988 with the famous CBS news producer Susan Zirinsky led to a vacancy at the eye network. Knoller first came in as an assignment editor, but after a few years he moved to his dream job, as Reid described it, as a correspondent of the White House for CBS Radio.
Former CBS News colleagues offered a tribute to Knoller.
“Mark Knoller was just the best, a legendary journalist of the White House who was a pleasure to be in the neighborhood,” said CBS News Senior Correspondent Norah O’Donnell. “His work was his life. He was friendly, funny and always merciful in sharing his encyclopedic knowledge of the presidency. His CBS family loved him and we will miss our friend.”
Major Garrett, the main correspondent of the White House of CBS News, said Knoller “defined” the role of the Correspondent of the White House.
“Mark was the most dedicated, persistent and clear journalist I once had the honor to know. As long as I live, I will count to the greatest blessings of my life that I could work next to him,” Garrett said.
Jim Axelrod, main investigation correspondent for CBS News, mentioned the generosity of Knoller with colleagues.
“As impressive as Mark Knoller’s Sweep or knowledge about the White House and the presidency was – it was only surpassed by his generosity towards his many friends and colleagues,” said Axelrod. “And he always answered with kindness, class and a genuine desire to help.”
