Hearst Hires Helen Thomas

The Associated Press, July 5, 2000

NEW YORK (AP) - Helen Thomas, who resigned her longtime post as UPI's White House correspondent two months ago, has been hired by newspaper publisher Hearst Corp. as a columnist.

Thomas, 79, will write twice a week on national issues.

Her work will be syndicated by the Hearst News Service, which serves 650 news outlets. Hearst's newspaper division publishes 12 dailies, including the Houston Chronicle and the San Francisco Examiner.

Thomas resigned from UPI on May 17, a day after the news service was sold to News World Communications Inc., the parent of The Washington Times. News World Communications was founded by the Rev. Sun Myung Moon, leader of the Unification Church.

Thomas had been a fixture of the White House press corps since the Kennedy administration, covering eight presidents for UPI. She was first hired as a $24-a-week radio scriptwriter during World War II by what was then known as United Press.