New York Public News Network Capitol Bureau Chief Karen DeWitt is retiring after 34 years in Albany. Her career began after she graduated with a journalism degree from SUNY Genesco, starting in the early 1980s during Mario Cuomo’s governorship.
DeWitt previously worked for New York City WINS-AM, and has contributed to several print publications, including Adirondack Life and Metroland. Her final day on air is June 21.
Her exemplary work in journalism earned her several accolades, including the Walter T. Brown Memorial award from the Legislative Correspondents Association and the 2009 Media Person of the Year award from the Women’s Press Club of New York State.
Over the years, DeWitt has covered six governors and numerous significant political events, including major budget disputes, COVID-19, and groundbreaking legislation like the legalization of same-sex marriage in 2011. She was a key player in the establishment of the New York Public News Network, which officially unified in January.
Reflecting on the evolution of journalism, DeWitt noted to North Country Public Radio News Director David Sommerstein that, “We had a lot more access to the politicians. But really since the advent of the internet and social media, the politicians don’t need us reporters the way they did. They have their own social media feeds. They have their YouTube channels. They can shape the content how they want without, you know, those pesky reporters shooting down their premises, finding the flaws in their reasoning.”
In her retirement, DeWitt looks forward to pursuing hobbies outside of journalism, such as hiking and kayaking.
