Exit Interview: Amy Chance

CAPITOL WEEKLY PODCAST: Amy Chance, the longtime political editor of The Sacramento Bee, announced her retirement at the end of last month. Her departure ends 25 straight years of California politics and government coverage. Chance joined The Bee as its City Hall reporter in 1984, moving two years later to the Capitol Bureau to cover the second term of Gov. George Deukmejian. Since then, she has reported on most of the state’s major political figures, from former governors Pete Wilson , Gray Davis, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jerry Brown, to U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein and current Gov. Gavin Newsom.

We invited her to talk about her career, the biggest stories she’s covered, and the advice she gave to her reporters once she reached the editor’s desk.

Plus – Who Had the Worst Week in California Politics?

Episode Notes

:30 What got you started in political coverage?

2:42 “Menopausal Women Nostalgic for Choice”

3:08 From Contra Costa to Sacramento

6:04 The gender equation

9:26 “I would have sworn Pete Wilson hated me”

10:29 Inside the Governor’s press office

12:25 “Jerry Brown was interesting, I have to say”

17:11 Reporting vs. Editing

22:19 Are we seeing the return of Yellow Journalism?

26:44 What now?

32:04 #WWCA