Susan Rasky

Sr. Lecturer
510-642-9054  |   Send E-Mail

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:

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:

Spring 2012: Law and Ethics

Spring 2012: Political Reporting: Election Listening Posts

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

Spring 2011: Column Writing (formerly Opinion Writing)

Spring 2011: Key Issues with Faculty and Campus Experts

Fall 2010: Political Reporting

Fall 2010: Master's Project Seminar

Spring 2010: Political Reporting

Spring 2010: Master's Project Seminar

Fall 2009: Key Issues with Faculty and Campus Experts

Fall 2009: Opinion Writing: The Reported Column

Fall 2009: Opinion Writing

Fall 2009: Master's Project Seminar

Spring 2009: Law and Ethics

Spring 2009: News 21: Metropolis

Spring 2009: Master's Project Seminar

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

Fall 2008: Master's Project Seminar

Fall 2008: Key Issues with Faculty and Campus Experts

Fall 2008: Political Reporting

Spring 2008: Master's Project Seminar

Spring 2008: Political Reporting

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

Fall 2007: Reporting the News - Rasky

Fall 2007: Reporting the news-lab--Rasky

Fall 2007: Master's Project Seminar

Fall 2007: Key Issues with Faculty and Campus Experts

Spring 2007: Political Reporting: The New Congress

Spring 2007: Master's Project Seminar

Spring 2007: Tales from the Ethnoburbs

Fall 2006: Master's Project Seminar

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

Spring 2006: Sacramento Bureau

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

Spring 2006: Master's Project Seminar

Spring 2006: Washington Reporting Seminar

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

Fall 2005: Reporting the News - Rasky

Fall 2005: Master's Project Seminar

Spring 2005: Master's Project Seminar

Spring 2005: Law and Ethics

Spring 2002: Frosh Seminar: Pundits, Pollsters & Politics

Spring 2002: Politics Workshop

Spring 2002: Metropolis: Politics of Urban Growth

Spring 2002: Opinion Writing

Fall 2001: Frosh Seminar: Pundits, Pollsters & Policy

Fall 2001: Reporting the News-Rasky

Fall 2001: Master's Project Tutorial

Fall 2001: Policy Writing Workshop (xlisted GSPP)

Spring 2001: Frosh Seminar: Punditocracy

Spring 2001: Master's Project Tutorial

Spring 2001: Political & Governmental Reporting

Spring 2001: Opinion Writing

Fall 2000: Following the 2000 Campaign

Fall 2000: Reporting the News-Rasky

Fall 2000: Master's Project Tutorial

Fall 2000: Elections 2000

Spring 2000: Master's Project Tutorial

Spring 2000: Election 2000: Part II

Fall 1999: J200 Weekly Assembly

Fall 1999: Reporting the News-Rasky

Fall 1999: Election 2000: Part I

Spring 1999: Government Reporting

Spring 1999: Opinion Writing

Fall 2004: Reporting the News-Rasky

Fall 2004: FSP: Presidential Campaign Trail

Fall 2004: Master's Project Seminar

Fall 2004: The Presidential Reporting Project

Fall 2004: CA Political Almanac Workshop

Spring 2004: FSP: Pres Campaign Trail

Spring 2004: The Presidential Reporting Project

Spring 2004: Master's Project Seminar

Spring 2004: Opinion Writing

Spring 2004: Clark-Atlanta Exchange Program

Fall 2003: Frosh Seminar: Pres Campaign Trail

Fall 2003: Master's Project Seminar

Fall 2003: The Presidential Reporting Project

Fall 2003: Advanced Rpt'g: Who We Are

Fall 2003: Background Rpt'g: Who We Are

Spring 2003: Frosh Seminar: Real West Wing

Spring 2003: Master's Project Seminar

Spring 2003: Metropolis: Mining Votes in NH

Spring 2003: American South Workshop

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

Fall 2002: Frosh Seminar: Real West Wing

Fall 2002: Reporting the News-Rasky

Fall 2002: Master's Project Tutorial

Fall 2002: Political Reporting