Susan Rasky

Sr. Lecturer
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Susan Rasky was the congressional correspondent for The New York Times. A winner of a George Polk Award for National Reporting, she began her career in Washington, D.C., covering economic policy for the Bureau of National Affairs, Inc. and later reported for Reuters from Capitol Hill and the White House. Rasky was a columnist and contributing editor for the California Journal as well as a frequent political commentator for the Los Angeles Times, The Sacramento Bee and NPR. She established and supervises the J-School’s California News Service, which gives students experience covering government and politics for news organizations throughout the country. She joined the faculty in 1991. Rasky received her bachelor’s degree in history from the University of California at Berkeley and holds a master’s degree in economic history from the London School of Economics.

Published Stories & Highlights:

Covering the Economy: Tips for Journalists and Economists

Nieman Watchdog

J-School Senior Lecturer Susan Rasky and Economics Professor Brad DeLong team up in the Nieman Watchdog with commentaries on how to write better economic stories. Among their tips: Report on government the same way you'd report to your siblings about the rental agent who handles your mother's Florida condo.

How Green Is The Governor?

Capitol Weekly

Sacramento Bureau reporters Claudia Lauer and Shelly Meron (Class of 2007) look at environmental politics in Capitol Weekly. Lauer finds environmentalists worried about Governor Schwarzenegger's upcoming picks for a powerful state water agency. Meron asks gubernatorial campaigns to put environmental plans on the record. Guess who's not talking.

Fact Checking the Bush Resume

The Presidential Reporting Project

A satiric résumé of President George W. Bush has been making appearances in the blogosphere and the email accounts of just about every US voter with a friend fond of forward-spam. Entertaining as it is, the resume begged to be fact checked, and students in Susan Rasky's The Presidential Reporting Project class took on the task.

Federal Campaign Finance Reform Legislation

Los Angeles Times

For Los Angeles Times, Professor Susan Rasky writes about federal campaign finance reform legislation.

State Net Articles

State Net

Professor Susan Rasky writes on California politics regularly for
State Net. State Net articles by Rasky have been catalogued at archive.org.

On the Reelection of Gray Davis

Los Angeles Times

For Los Angeles Times, Professor Susan Rasky writes about how the recall election of Gov. Gray Davis is likely to produce a classic campaign based on issues and political parties rather than personalities.

California's Political Theater, Complete With Strings

Washington Post

For the Washington Post, Professor Susan Rasky writes about how the California recall is great fun for political reporters, but is ultimately no more than cartoon populism, manipulated by political consultants.

Dispute Over SF Chronicle/Examiner Sale

American Journalism Review

For American Journalism Review, Professor Susan Rasky writes about the political and personal feuds behind the disputed SF Chronicle/Examiner sale.

Courses Taught by Susan Rasky:

Fall 2002: J24 Frosh Seminar: Real West Wing - Fall 2002

Fall 2002: J200 Reporting the News-Rasky - Fall 2002

Fall 2002: J294 Master's Project Tutorial - Fall 2002

Fall 2002: J298 Political Reporting - Fall 2002

Spring 2003: J24 Frosh Seminar: Real West Wing - Spring 2003

Spring 2003: J294 Master's Project Seminar - Spring 2003

Spring 2003: J234 Metropolis: Mining Votes in NH - Spring 2003

Spring 2003: J299 American South Workshop - Spring 2003

Spring 2003: J0 Introduction to Opinion Writing: Walter Lippmann Meets the Blog - Spring 2003

Fall 2003: J24 Frosh Seminar: Pres Campaign Trail - Fall 2003

Fall 2003: J294 Master's Project Seminar - Fall 2003

Fall 2003: J228 The Presidential Reporting Project - Fall 2003

Fall 2003: J298 Advanced Rpt'g: Who We Are - Fall 2003

Fall 2003: J298 Background Rpt'g: Who We Are - Fall 2003

Spring 2004: J24 FSP: Pres Campaign Trail - Spring 2004

Spring 2004: J228 The Presidential Reporting Project - Spring 2004

Spring 2004: J294 Master's Project Seminar - Spring 2004

Spring 2004: J254 Opinion Writing - Spring 2004

Spring 2004: J299 Clark-Atlanta Exchange Program - Spring 2004

Fall 2004: J200 Reporting the News-Rasky - Fall 2004

Fall 2004: J24 FSP: Presidential Campaign Trail - Fall 2004

Fall 2004: J294 Master's Project Seminar - Fall 2004

Fall 2004: J228 The Presidential Reporting Project - Fall 2004

Fall 2004: J298 CA Political Almanac Workshop - Fall 2004

Spring 1999: J228 Government Reporting - Spring 1999

Spring 1999: J298 Opinion Writing - Spring 1999

Fall 1999: J297 J200 Weekly Assembly - Fall 1999

Fall 1999: J200 Reporting the News-Rasky - Fall 1999

Fall 1999: J228 Election 2000: Part I - Fall 1999

Spring 2000: J294 Master's Project Tutorial - Spring 2000

Spring 2000: J228 Election 2000: Part II - Spring 2000

Fall 2000: J24 Following the 2000 Campaign - Fall 2000

Fall 2000: J200 Reporting the News-Rasky - Fall 2000

Fall 2000: J294 Master's Project Tutorial - Fall 2000

Fall 2000: J228 Elections 2000 - Fall 2000

Spring 2001: J24 Frosh Seminar: Punditocracy - Spring 2001

Spring 2001: J294 Master's Project Tutorial - Spring 2001

Spring 2001: J298 Political & Governmental Reporting - Spring 2001

Spring 2001: J298 Opinion Writing - Spring 2001

Fall 2001: J24 Frosh Seminar: Pundits, Pollsters & Policy - Fall 2001

Fall 2001: J200 Reporting the News-Rasky - Fall 2001

Fall 2001: J294 Master's Project Tutorial - Fall 2001

Fall 2001: J298 Policy Writing Workshop (xlisted GSPP) - Fall 2001

Spring 2002: J24 Frosh Seminar: Pundits, Pollsters & Politics - Spring 2002

Spring 2002: J299 Politics Workshop - Spring 2002

Spring 2002: J234 Metropolis: Politics of Urban Growth - Spring 2002

Spring 2002: J298 Opinion Writing - Spring 2002

Spring 2005: J294 Master's Project Seminar - Spring 2005

Spring 2005: J255 Law and Ethics - Spring 2005

Fall 2005: J24 FSP: Initiative Madness - Blogging The Special Election - Fall 2005

Fall 2005: J200 Reporting the News - Rasky - Fall 2005

Fall 2005: J294 Master's Project Seminar - Fall 2005

Spring 2006: J228 Sacramento Bureau - Spring 2006

Spring 2006: J298 Covering the Economy: The Story Behind The Numbers - Spring 2006

Spring 2006: J294 Master's Project Seminar - Spring 2006

Spring 2006: J299 Washington Reporting Seminar - Spring 2006

Fall 2006: J294 Master's Project Seminar - Fall 2006

Fall 2006: J154 Introduction to Opinion Writing: Walter Lippmann Meets the Blog - Fall 2006

Spring 2007: J228 Political Reporting: The New Congress - Spring 2007

Spring 2007: J294 Master's Project Seminar - Spring 2007

Spring 2007: J298 Tales from the Ethnoburbs - Spring 2007

Fall 2007: J200 Reporting the News - Rasky - Fall 2007

Fall 2007: J211 Reporting the news-lab--Rasky - Fall 2007

Fall 2007: J294 Master's Project Seminar - Fall 2007

Fall 2007: J298 Key Issues with Faculty and Campus Experts - Fall 2007

Spring 2008: J294 Master's Project Seminar - Spring 2008

Spring 2008: J228 Political Reporting - Spring 2008

Spring 2008: J298 News 21: Presidential Election: What's at Stake - Spring 2008

Fall 2008: J24 The Presidential Campaign Trail in Print (and Occasional Film) - Fall 2008

Fall 2008: J294 Master's Project Seminar - Fall 2008

Fall 2008: J298 Key Issues with Faculty and Campus Experts - Fall 2008

Fall 2008: J228 Political Reporting - Fall 2008

Spring 2009: J255 Law and Ethics - Spring 2009

Spring 2009: J298 News 21: Metropolis - Spring 2009

Spring 2009: J294 Master's Project Seminar - Spring 2009

Fall 2009: J298 Key Issues with Faculty and Campus Experts - Fall 2009

Fall 2009: J254 Opinion Writing: The Reported Column - Fall 2009

Fall 2009: J24 Opinion Writing - Fall 2009

Fall 2009: J294 Master's Project Seminar - Fall 2009

Spring 2010: J228 Political Reporting - Spring 2010

Spring 2010: J294 Master's Project Seminar - Spring 2010

Fall 2010: J228 Political Reporting - Fall 2010

Fall 2010: J294 Master's Project Seminar - Fall 2010

Spring 2011: J254 Column Writing (formerly Opinion Writing) - Spring 2011

Spring 2011: J298 Key Issues with Faculty and Campus Experts - Spring 2011

Fall 2011: J24 Talkin' bout My Generation (and a Few of the Others) - Fall 2011

Spring 2012: J255 Law and Ethics - Spring 2012

Spring 2012: J228 Political Reporting: Election Listening Posts - Spring 2012

Fall 2012: J298 Opinion Writing - Fall 2012

Fall 2012: J24 Writing for The Berkeley Political Review - Fall 2012

Fall 2012: J228 Political Reporting: Election Listening Posts and Interactive Data - Fall 2012

Fall 2012: J255 Law and Ethics - Fall 2012

Spring 2013: J254 The Reported Column - Spring 2013

Spring 2013: J228 Political Reporting: Sources and Methods Workshops - Spring 2013

Spring 2013: J298 Advanced Opinion Writing Workshop - Spring 2013

Fall 2013: J255 Law and Ethics - Fall 2013

Fall 2013: J254 The Reported Column - Fall 2013