Reporter Helen Thomas Gets An HBO 'Thank You'

No punches pulled: "I think that presidents deserve to be questioned, perhaps irreverently, to bring them down a size," says White House correspondent Helen Thomas. Will Hart/HBO hide caption
No punches pulled: "I think that presidents deserve to be questioned, perhaps irreverently, to bring them down a size," says White House correspondent Helen Thomas.
Will Hart/HBODocumentarian Rory Kennedy, who's won acclaim and awards for her documentaries American Hollow and The Ghosts of Abu Ghraib, turns her lens on legendary White House correspondent Helen Thomas.
On the job since 1943, Thomas took over the White House beat for UPI in 1960, and she's covered every president since John F. Kennedy, earning the nickname First Lady of the Press. When she first took her seat in the White House press room, she was one of a mere handful of women in the White House press corps.
Thank You, Mr. President: Helen Thomas at the White House reflects on Thomas' career and offers glimpses into her life outside the press room. The film premieres tonight, Aug. 18, on HBO; Fresh Air's TV critic has a review.