Under Fire

July 1, 2018
The noted American Urban Radio Networks White House Correspondent and CNN analyst focuses on her experiences as a black woman reporter trying to do her job amid the hostile first year of the Trump presidency.Before Trump entered office, Ryan (At Mama's Knee: Mothers and Race in Black and White, 2016, etc.) covered Republican and Democratic administrations without achieving widespread recognition, reporting mostly for AURN since the late 1990s. Her recognition factor shot up significantly in 2017 due to the combative rhetoric aimed at the author by Trump, his White House press secretaries, and White House staffers, most notably Omarosa Manigault-Newman. After Ryan asked Trump openly about his racism, she became a hero to many citizens (in 2017, she was named Journalist of the Year by the National Association of Black Journalist) and a pariah to others (she has received many death threats from Trump supporters). Regarding her seemingly overnight fame, the author notes that she has conducted herself in the same journalistic manner for two decades but that in an era of "fake news" and "alternative facts," ideologues think of her as somehow biased against Trump and Republicans. The writing is mostly clear but is slowed by clichéd language--e.g., "throw in the towel." Each chapter is worthy on its own, yet they are arranged in a puzzling manner. A chapter about health care policy precedes a chapter about Ryan unwillingly becoming the story instead of staying out of the spotlight, and policy-heavy chapters about immigration policy, indifference to historically black colleges, and women in the workplace materialize out of nowhere. Throughout the book, the author clarifies her viewpoint (shared by many) that she respects the office of the presidency but finds Trump and many of his staff members incompetent at best and often mean in petty ways.The narrative is filled with gems if readers are willing to struggle through the disorganization.

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July 30, 2018
This revealing memoir from veteran White House reporter Ryan relates “the backstory of some of the major news events of 2017 and 2018.” The narrative ping-pongs between the Trump administration’s jarring policy shifts on issues like healthcare and the episodes, both serious and ludicrous, in which Ryan has faced off with a revolving cast of press secretaries and the 45th president himself about such topics as whether he’s a racist and whether she could help line up a chat with the Congressional Black Caucus. These encounters made her a media sensation—and a target of the right wing. The book takes a sober turn as Omarosa Manigault—the president’s onetime friend, aide, and unofficial black spokesperson (and former contestant on The Apprentice)—attempts to block Ryan’s access to the press secretary, among other things. Although plagued by self-doubt, insults, death threats, dismissals by male journalists, and the president’s characterizations of the media as the enemy of the people, Ryan champions her craft and perseveres amid the chaos. She clearly portrays the unrelenting stress of being one of the few black reporters on the prestigious White House beat, pulling back the curtain on the “emotional taxes” that African-American people endure daily in the workplace. This account will be an inspiration to those who have to fight similar battles.