Brian Karem
Born
Brian James Karem

(1961-03-10) March 10, 1961
Louisville, Kentucky, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
Alma materUniversity of Missouri (BA)
Occupation(s)Journalist, writer
Years active1983-present
Employer(s)Playboy, CNN
Known forJailed for not revealing sources
Notable workMarked for Death, Shield the Source, Innocent Victims, Above the Law
Spouse
Pamela J. Russell
​
(m. 1983)​
Children3
Websitejustaskthequestion.com

Brian James Karem (born March 10, 1961) is White House correspondent for Playboy[1] and political analyst for CNN.[2] He also hosts the "Just Ask The Question" podcast.[3]

In 1991, Karem received the National Press Club Freedom of the Press award for refusing to reveal his sources in a story related to the killing of a police officer in Texas.[4][5]

Early life and education

Karem was born on March 10, 1961, in Louisville, Kentucky. His great-grandfather emigrated to the United States from Lebanon.[6][7] After finishing Seneca High School in 1979, he attended the University of Missouri in Columbia, Missouri, playing football and graduating with a degree in journalism in 1983.[8][9] The same year, he married his wife, Pamela J. Russell.[10]

Career

In 1983, Karem joined The Montgomery County Courier in Conroe, Texas, as sports editor.[11] After leaving the Courier in 1984, Karem switched to television joining WKYT-TV in Lexington, Kentucky, as a political reporter.[12]

He returned to Texas in 1986 to work at KMOL-TV in San Antonio. In 1990, Karem was jailed in contempt of court for refusing to reveal the name of a source who arranged an interview with a suspect involved in killing a police officer.[13][14][15][16] The United States District Court for the Western District of Texas refused Karem's appeal for release, stating "Karem has no right to refuse to disclose the names of his confidential sources." Karem's additional appeals were denied first by the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals and then the United States Supreme Court.[17] Karem was released after he complied with authorities following a phone call with his source, Debora Ledesma.[18] Ledesma, however claimed that she never asked for confidentiality, contradicting Karem's claims.[19]

During the Gulf War, he was one of the first reporters to enter Kuwait City after its liberation.[20] During the National Drug Summit in San Antonio, Texas in 1992, Karem asked then President George H. W. Bush to comment on claims referring to the event as a "joke".[21] Karem lost his job after the incident but later gained an interview with Sam Donaldson on ABC and a mention from The Tonight Show host Jay Leno.[22]

Following his termination from KMOL, Karem joined the television program, America's Most Wanted as a producer and correspondent.[23] While covering the war on drugs, he became the first American journalist allowed inside Pablo Escobar's palatial prison after Escobar's escape from Colombian authorities.[24] In 1997, Karem joined WDAF-TV in Kansas City, Missouri, as an investigative reporter.[25][26] While at WDAF-TV, Karem alleges that his superiors suppressed a story on the pesticide chemical, Dursban, prompting him to leave the station.[27]

Between 2004 and 2018, Karem served as the executive editor of the Montgomery County Sentinel in Rockville, Maryland, and authored the Editor's Notebook, a column covering Montgomery County, Maryland.[11][28] Between 2012 and 2015, he was also the publisher for MoCoVox.Com, an online content provider.[23]

While covering the Trump presidency, Karem gained attention for his interactions with administration officials. On June 27, 2017, Karem confronted then deputy White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders on "inflammatory" comments about the performance of the press while covering President Donald Trump.[29] One year later, Karem confronted Sanders again on the Administration's policy of seizing children from their parents at United States border crossings, saying "Come on, Sarah, you're a parent! Don't you have any empathy for what these people are going through? They have less than you do. Sarah, come on, seriously."[30]

On July 11, 2019, following an event at the White House Rose Garden, Karem called conservative social media representatives in attendance "a group of people eager for demonic possession." The remark prompted Sebastian Gorka, a former deputy assistant to President Trump and now a radio talk-show host, to confront Karem, yelling across the lawn: "And you're a journalist, right?" Karem replied with what some consider a taunt saying, "Come on over here and talk to me, brother. We can go outside and have a long conversation."[31] Accusing Karem of issuing a threat, Gorka walked across the lawn yelling, "You're not a journalist! You're a punk!" in front of a row of White House media and cameras.[32]

Following the July 11 incident, the White House Press Office suspended Karem's press pass on August 2, 2019.[33] Karem filed a lawsuit in response before U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, Judge Rudolph Contreras blocked the suspension.[34][35] On June 5, 2020, Judge David S. Tatel of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled the White House Press Office wrongly suspended Karem's press pass.[36][37]

In 2023, Karem wrote an article for Salon alleging that "MAGA and Christian nationalism" were bigger threats to the United States than Hamas.[38] The article was later retitled "Far-right MAGA theocrats: Most dangerous threat to America".[39]

Music

Karem is the lead singer of the Rhythm Bandits Band, playing shows in Montgomery County, Maryland.[40]

Awards

  • National Press Club Freedom of the Press Award[41]
  • Pieringer Award for Valor and Journalist Excellence[41]

Books

  • Shield the Source, (New Horizon Press; 1992) ISBN 0882821040.
  • Above the Law, (Pinnacle; 1998) ISBN 0786010312.
  • Warning Signs: A Guidebook for Parents: How to Read the Early Signals of Low Self-Esteem, Addiction, and Hidden Violence in Your Kids, co-author with John Kelly. (LifeLine Press; 1998) ISBN 0786010312.
  • Spin Control: Essays and Short Stories, (Brookeville Press; 2000) ISBN 0967651611.
  • Innocent Victims, (Pinnacle; 2001) ISBN 0786010312.
  • Marked for Death, (Avon; 2005) ISBN 0060524715.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Phillips, Kristine (June 28, 2017). "'I don't like bullies': Reporter explains why he confronted Sarah Huckabee Sanders". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved June 28, 2017.
  2. ↑ Wulfsohn, Joseph (June 11, 2019). "CNN political analyst 'updates' tweet after being accused of spreading 'fake news' about Trump". Fox News Channel. Retrieved June 19, 2019.
  3. ↑ "Just Ask the Question with Brian Karem".
  4. ↑ Molloy, Tim (June 27, 2017). "Brian J. Karem, Reporter Who Defied Team Trump, Went to Jail to Protect Sources". The Wrap. Retrieved June 28, 2017.
  5. ↑ "U.S. journalists jailed for reporting to gather at National Press Club, 6 pm June 1". National Press Club. May 14, 2015. Retrieved June 28, 2017.
  6. ↑ Karem v. Trump (US District Court for the District of Columbia August 20, 2019) ("The first person I met was renowned reporter Helen Thomas, who covered the White House under ten Presidents, and who, as it turns out, knew my great grandfather from Lebanon. She offered to take me to her house and make me an authentic Lebanese dinner."), Text.
  7. ↑ @BrianKarem (January 12, 2018). "I'm the grandson of a man who immigrated from Syria (now Lebanon). My grandfather became a circuit court judge. My father a volunteer coach and mentor to hundreds. My uncles - lawyers. We came with nothing. From a s***hole we rose. That's how you make America Great" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  8. ↑ Winer, Madeleine (June 28, 2017). "White House reporter from Louisville scolds Trump press secretary about 'fake news'". The Courier-Journal. Retrieved June 19, 2019.
  9. ↑ Hooke, Matt (April 26, 2019). "Editor's Note: Writing with passion about our community". the Observer. Retrieved January 30, 2020.
  10. ↑ "Celebrate 35 years with us!". Facebook. Rhythm Bandits. December 1, 2018. Retrieved February 2, 2020.
  11. 1 2 "Brian Karem". Linkedin. Retrieved June 19, 2019.
  12. ↑ Karem, Brian (June 6, 2015). "The Demise of a Community Newspaper Affects Us All". Montgomery County Sentinel. Archived from the original on June 20, 2019. Retrieved June 19, 2019.
  13. ↑ Karem v. Priest, 744 F.Supp. 136 (W.D. Tex. 1990) ("Karem, a reporter for local television station KMOL, was subpoenaed to produce audio and video recordings as well as all written materials which concerned the shooting death of San Antonio Police Officer Gary Williams. Specifically, Karem was ordered to produce "[a]ny written, typed or tape recorded notes ... relating to any conversations allegedly with Henry David Hernandez," one of two brothers charged with capital murder in Officer Williams' death. Karem refused and was found to be in contempt. After exhausting available state court remedies, the instant federal habeas application was filed.").
  14. ↑ Asner, Marcus (1993). "Starting from Scratch: The First Amendment Reporter-Source Privilege and the Doctrine of Incidental Restrictions". University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform. 26 (3): 601. Retrieved December 17, 2019.
  15. ↑ Suro, Roberto (June 30, 1990). "Texas Reporter Is Jailed For Withholding Names". The New York Times. Retrieved June 19, 2019.
  16. ↑ "Jailed Reporter Is Freed After Source Allows Name to Be Used". Los Angeles Times. Associated Press. July 11, 1990. Retrieved December 17, 2019.
  17. ↑ Karem v. Priest, 744 F.Supp. 136 (W.D. Tex. 1990) ("Pursuant to the dictates of Branzburg, this Court concludes that Karem has no right to refuse to disclose the names of his confidential sources.").
  18. ↑ "Jailed reporter agrees to turn over notes". UPI. July 10, 1990. Retrieved September 25, 2020. Karem said he decided to comply with authorities Monday night following a telephone conference call in which a woman revealed that she helped him set up the interview with Hernandez.The conference call included attorneys representing Karem and Hernandez, an assistant district attorney and Hernandez's cousin, Debora Ledesma.
  19. ↑ "Jailed reporter agrees to turn over notes". UPI. July 10, 1990. Retrieved September 25, 2020. Ledesma confirmed during the call that she helped set up the interview, but denied she sought confidentiality from Karem, attorneys said. 'She said she did not ask for confidentiality,' Macon said. 'She said she did not realize she was the source.' In a telephone interview with reporters for the San Antonio Light Monday, Karem repeated his contention that Ledesma had requested anonymity. 'I know what was said between me and her,' Karem said. 'I know the promise I made to her. Whatever she says now doesn't matter to me. She can couch it whatever way she wants. I didn't go to jail for nothing.'
  20. ↑ "Brian Karem". René Moawad Foundation. Retrieved June 19, 2019.
  21. ↑ George H. W. Bush and Brian Karem (February 28, 1992). San Antonio Drug Summit (in English and Spanish). San Antonio, Texas: C-SPAN. Event occurs at 34:25. Retrieved August 10, 2019.
  22. ↑ Jackle, Jeanne (June 28, 2017). "Reporter who confronted White House once made waves in San Antonio". San Antonio Express-News. Retrieved June 29, 2017.
  23. 1 2 "Brian Karem Author page". Facebook. Retrieved July 12, 2019.
  24. ↑ "Brian Karem, author". Harper Collins. Retrieved June 19, 2019.
  25. ↑ "Brian Karem". Linkedin. Retrieved January 30, 2020.
  26. ↑ Karem v. Trump (US District Court for the District of Columbia August 20, 2019) ("I went on to work as the executive editor of The Sentinel Newspapers in Maryland, as a producer and television correspondent for America’s Most Wanted, and as an investigative reporter for Fox affiliate WDAF-TV in Kansas City, Missouri."), Text.
  27. ↑ Cotts, Cynthia (November 28, 2000). "Does Fox Slant the News?". The Village Voice. Retrieved April 23, 2020. But the next year, when Karem completed a report on the potential dangers of the pesticide Dursban, he met with resistance. Karem says, "I was told, 'You don't want to do this type of story. It's too difficult to do. Don't you want to be a team player?'" When Dow Chemical Company, which makes Dursban, turned down Karem's requests for an interview, WDAF sent a copy of Karem's tape to Dow, inviting the company to produce a rebuttal. When WDAF received the Dow tape, they cut out a personal attack on Karem and added the rebuttal at the end of Karem's Dursban report, which ran in February 1998. Karem calls this tantamount to suppressing the truth...But he was so traumatized by the experience that he asked Fox to buy out his contract, and he left WDAF in late 1998.
  28. ↑ "Editor's Notebook Archives". Archived from the original on April 7, 2019. Retrieved July 12, 2019.
  29. ↑ Garrett, Major (June 27, 2017). "Tension continues to flare between White House and media". CBS News. Retrieved January 30, 2020.
  30. ↑ Wemple, Eric (June 14, 2018). "'You're a parent': Reporter presses Sarah Huckabee Sanders on immigration". The Washington Post. Retrieved January 30, 2020.
  31. ↑ Howe, Caleb (July 11, 2019). "New Video Shows CNN's Karem Taunting Summit Guests With 'Demonic Possession' Jab, Daring Gorka to Take Dispute 'Outside'". Mediaite. Retrieved July 12, 2019. come on over here and talk to me, brother. We can go outside and have a long conversation.
  32. ↑ Haltiwanger, John (July 11, 2019). "Former Trump aide Sebastian Gorka screamed in a journalist's face in the Rose Garden as supporters cheered". Business Insider. Retrieved July 11, 2019.
  33. ↑ Brest, Mike; Bufkin, Ellie (August 2, 2019). "White House suspends Playboy reporter Brian Karem's press pass after fight with Sebastian Gorka". Washington Examiner. Retrieved January 30, 2020.
  34. ↑ Karem v. Trump (US District Court for the District of Columbia August 20, 2019), Text.
  35. ↑ Santucci, Jeanine (September 4, 2019). "Judge rules in favor of Playboy reporter Brian Karem after White House suspended press credentials". USA Today. Retrieved January 30, 2020.
  36. ↑ Karem v. Trump (United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit June 5, 2020), Text.
  37. ↑ Johnson, Ted (June 5, 2020). "White House Wrongly Suspended Playboy Correspondent Brian Karem's Press Pass, Appeals Court Rules". Deadline. Retrieved September 7, 2020.
  38. ↑ Hall, Alexander (November 3, 2023). "Former Playboy White House reporter says 'MAGA and Christian nationalism' are 'bigger threat' to US than Hamas". Fox News. Retrieved November 10, 2023.
  39. ↑ Karem, Brian (November 3, 2023). "Far-right MAGA theocrats: Most dangerous threat to America". Salon.com. Retrieved November 10, 2023.
  40. ↑ "About the Rhythm Bandits". Rhythm Bandits official website.
  41. 1 2 Schwab, Nikki (September 10, 2018). "Young Members' "Piano Talk" features Brian Karem, Tuesday". National Press Club. Retrieved December 17, 2019.
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