For a little over a year, “With All Due Respect” has been delivering the smartest, most prescient political news that leaders of the new economy care about. They’ve landed interviews, broken news and become the go-to show for the politically savvy.
Earlier this month, Bloomberg Politics expanded the show to one hour —from 5-6 pm ET— giving the show more time for the reporting, interviews and analysis that is helping to make Bloomberg TV a destination for political coverage.
Our team recently sat down with Bloomberg Politics executive editor, Thomas Johnson, to talk about his favorite part about covering politics, the best advice he’s ever gotten about surviving the industry and how he gets his show to stand out from the rest.
How is covering politics different?
Breaking news is breaking news. It is a race to get a story right and to add the analysis that helps people understand what it all means.
What’s the most interesting part about covering politics? What drew you to it?
Right now we are in the midst of an unprecedented campaign. There are larger than life characters and a fierce debate over the future of the country. This is exactly what drew me to politics.
How do you think your show, “With All Due Respect” is different from other shows covering politics this cycle?
We not only try to sum up for the viewer what happened each day but to give them insight they won’t find anywhere else. The on air conversation between our hosts, Mark Halperin and John Heilemann is unlike anything else on TV. And we give our guests time to speak, to make their points. But no shouting matches allowed!
Who has been your favorite person/topic to cover recently?
It might be Bernie Sanders. He was a Washington fixture for so many years and then he suddenly transforms as a candidate and a different kind of leader. It has been fascinating to watch him reach and rally his supporters.
Have there been any political stories or coverage at Bloomberg you have been particularly proud of?
On our site and show there have been many stories our team has broken which make us all proud. And there’s also those pieces that opens people’s eyes about the race. This summer we convened a focus group with Trump supporters. It was early on in the Trump story and watching the focus group made it clear he was only going to continue to rise.
What’s the best advice you’ve gotten when it comes to your industry?
I was told you need to love news and if you do, all of the long days and long nights will be worth it.