R.I.P.: Mark Knoller, Longtime CBS Radio White House Correspondent

Mark Knoller, a veteran CBS News radio correspondent renowned for his meticulous chronicling of U.S. presidents, passed away at 73 in Washington, D.C. 

Knoller recently has been struggling with diabetes and declining health, though the specific cause was not disclosed.

Knoller was a towering figure in the White House press corps, often called an unofficial presidential historian. Frustrated by the absence of a centralized record of presidential activities, he took it upon himself to document every speech, trip, golf outing, pardon, veto, and vacation. 

“I keep a daily log of everything the president does,” he once said, detailing his exhaustive lists of travel, Camp David visits, and more. His records filled a critical gap in American history.

“Mark Knoller was the hardest-working and most prolific White House correspondent of a generation,” said Tom Cibrowski, president and executive editor of CBS News. “His distinctive voice and up-to-the-minute reporting spanned eight presidential administrations.”

As a CBS Radio correspondent, Knoller worked grueling hours, staying late to update his records long after others left the White House. Remarkably, he shared his vast database freely with reporters, historians, and even White House aides, believing the public deserved transparency.

Born February 20, 1952, in Brooklyn, New York, Knoller’s passion for journalism began early. After graduating from New York University, he started at WNEW Radio as an intern, later joining the Associated Press Radio Network in 1975. In 1988, while covering a trip with Secretary of State George Schultz, CBS News producer Susan Zirinsky encouraged him to join CBS’s Washington Bureau as an assignment editor. Unfulfilled in that role, Knoller soon landed his dream job as a White House correspondent for CBS Radio, covering Presidents George H.W. Bush, Clinton, George W. Bush, Obama, and Trump’s first term. 

He retired in 2020, earning numerous journalism awards along the way. In his later years at CBS, vocal issues limited his radio work, prompting Knoller to embrace Twitter (now X). Posting frequently, he shared White House news and his signature stats, amassing 300,000 followers with his wit and insights.

Colleagues remembered him warmly. “Mark Knoller was simply the best, a legendary White House journalist who was a delight to be around,” said CBS’s Norah O’Donnell. Major Garrett called him “the most devoted, tenacious, and clear-eyed journalist” he knew. Jim Axelrod praised Knoller’s generosity and recalled their lively debates over James Bond films, a testament to his warmth and humor.