JUANA SUMMERS, HOST:
Can April Ryan predict the future? She proudly claims the title of longest-serving Black White House correspondent, and I have to say, her new book, it feels a little uncanny. She wrote about press freedom, the future of the Smithsonian, struggles her kids have faced in majority-white spaces - all topics that have gone viral in recent weeks. And April Ryan knows a bit about going viral herself.
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APRIL RYAN: I am supporting...
SEAN SPICER: OK. But you know what? You're asking me a question, and I'm going to answer it, which is the president - I'm sorry. Please stop shaking your head again.
SUMMERS: That was former White House spokesperson Sean Spicer talking over Ryan back in 2017. She'd been asking about the perception of President Trump's ties to Russia. When Ryan stopped by NPR last week, we recalled what happened next.
You tweeted one word, just one word in response...
RYAN: Lawd (ph).
SUMMERS: ...And it quickly went viral. Remind me what that was.
RYAN: Lawd (laughter).
SUMMERS: Spelled L-A-W-D, to be clear. She can laugh about it now, but as April Ryan writes in her new memoir the work, at times, has been painful. The book is called "Notes On A Blacklash: When A Black Woman Goes Viral." We talked about how it's felt to cover the White House both then and now.
As we're having this conversation, we are experiencing the latest chapter in President Trump's attempt to control who was able to cover him from the White House. What do you make of the administration's latest attempt to ban specific reporters from the White House? And I'm talking about those reporters from MS NOW, Politico and CNN.
RYAN: It's the people's house, No. 1. He has no right. The Founding Fathers put in place the First Amendment - not the Second, Third or Fourth - the First Amendment - freedom of the press. He's shutting us down or trying to - thank God for the courts. He's shutting us down and attempts to shut us down so we will not report what we see. He does not want us to tell the stories that we see, and it's for the American public.
SUMMERS: It strikes me that in this moment, we're seeing something we haven't seen before, and that's a lot of public solidarity...
RYAN: Yeah.
SUMMERS: ...Between members of the White House press corps, who are saying this is...
RYAN: Now there is.
SUMMERS: ...Not normal. But why do you think it's taken so long?
RYAN: Exactly. If they would have dealt with this situation the first term, we would not be in this moment.
SUMMERS: How should it have been dealt with then so that we aren't in this situation now?
RYAN: OK. Let me be clear. The American public was saying, wow, this is different. Some were entertained by it, but others were like, this is not right. If the news organizations, especially the White House Correspondents' Association - that's an advocacy group for the White House press corps - if they would have stepped in, we would not be here today.
And so here's one of the reasons why everyone galvanized - because it's getting worse. And particularly Fox News because what if a Democratic president is in place, is elected? He could possibly do the same thing if he's not checked. So Fox knew that if, indeed, something changed down the road, we have to stand up.
SUMMERS: I think that for you and for other Black journalists who have covered the White House, Congress, campaigns - you talked about the mental gymnastics that you go through day to day, that we go through day to day. This was very familiar to me, where we have these mental calculations, right? Do we sound too sharp?
RYAN: Yeah.
SUMMERS: Do we sound too soft? Do we sound too emotional? Are we going to upset someone? That is not necessarily a calculation that our white colleagues share. Talk more about that experience.
RYAN: So if our white colleagues were to ask, let's just - a hypothetical about Nolan Wells, it would be a different story. But if I asked, I'm an activist journalist.
SUMMERS: Yeah.
RYAN: We have to know everything that's going on in the wider, broader scope of things. But when it comes down to dealing with issues of community that still has the highest numbers of negatives in every category, it's under a microscope. We belong in that room. We are part of that room. We are part of America.
SUMMERS: Over the past year, many media outlets, including us at NPR, have noted the headlines generated as the president has repeatedly attacked women who are part of the White House press corps. But this isn't new. This also happened multiple times during his first term, including to you in this moment from 2018.
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PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: The same thing with April Ryan. I watch her get up. I mean, you talk about somebody that's a loser. She doesn't know what the hell she's doing.
RYAN: (Laughter).
SUMMERS: At the time, The Washington Post noted that this was the third time that week that he had specifically demeaned and insulted Black women journalists. It's still happening. Why do you think that is?
RYAN: It wasn't checked. It was entertainment. It was news. Look at what's happening now. He's gone after Akayla Gardner. He's gone after Rachel Scott of ABC, as well, and telling her that, you know, oh, you might be used to trash, when he was talking about the reflecting pool - that's still a mess - putting money into the reflecting pool when people are having a hard time with gas prices. And then let's not just talk about these Black women. Let's talk about what he's doing to Kaitlan Collins. These women are impacted. It does make a difference. It hurts. You don't want to be known for this friction with the president.
SUMMERS: Yeah.
RYAN: You want to be known for the work that you do...
SUMMERS: That's right.
RYAN: ...And the stories that bring forth answers that solve problems or help inform the American people. This is not entertainment.
SUMMERS: I don't have to tell you this, April, but as journalists, we're all still human beings.
RYAN: Yes.
SUMMERS: We have our feelings.
RYAN: Yes.
SUMMERS: We have our opinions. Those do not go away. Yet, at the same time, there's an expectation and a responsibility to the truth, which you note in your book. There's also an expectation of some level of impartiality. How do you balance that, given everything that we've been talking about and the current landscape that exists in this country?
RYAN: It's a balance that I think I may have fallen on because at this point - First Amendment talks about the free press. We are part of the checks and balances situation that's built into this country. I am pointing out now - and some people could say that I'm wrong - but 750,000 people were purged from the Affordable Care Act, but yet, we're paying to put gold on a horse. I am talking about the fact that Haitians and Syrians lost their TPS, are having the ankle monitors put on their ankles, sent back to the countries that have travel advisories in the State Department we're not supposed to travel to. I'm jaded, to a certain extent. But maybe I am not as understanding as I was when I first hit the White House 29 years ago.
SUMMERS: Twenty-nine years.
RYAN: I see what's happening in this nation, and like Ida B. Wells said, for you and I, put a bright light on what's happening.
SUMMERS: April, one thing that I was really struck by in your book is that you were so candid, and you were so vulnerable. You talk about putting on a brave face while managing harm in private. You talk about, in great detail, stress-induced hair loss.
RYAN: Yeah.
SUMMERS: Many people would not open up about those things. What was your hope in sharing these deeply personal parts of your life with all of us?
RYAN: I've been diagnosed as having acute and chronic post-traumatic stress disorder. So, you know, every time my hair saw Trump, it left (laughter).
SUMMERS: Oh, my gosh.
RYAN: I mean, you have to make a joke about it now. But a president of the United States calls you a loser in front of the world.
SUMMERS: Yeah.
RYAN: You have to still hold your head up high, go home and let your children know the world is OK. Because if a mother is off, the whole house is off. So I had to internalize a lot of stuff. And then get the death threats - had to move my home. I'm thankful that's all I lost. If I had to lose a couple of strands, that's fine. I'm here to tell the story.
SUMMERS: I've been speaking with April Ryan. She is the longest-serving Black White House correspondent. And her latest book, "Notes On A Blacklash" is out now. April, it's been such a treat.
RYAN: It has been a pleasure to be with you. You're giving me chills. It's an honor to be here with you.
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