Paul Duke

Who was Paul Duke?

Paul Duke was an American newspaper, radio and television journalist, best known for his 20-year stint as moderator of Washington Week in Review on PBS.

A native of Richmond, Virginia, Duke attended the University of Richmond where he majored in English. After he graduated in 1947, he became a sportswriter for Associated Press in Richmond. Within a few years, he was reporting on major national stories, particularly the struggle for Civil rights. His byline became known nationally and, after ten years with the organization, AP rewarded him with a permanent assignment to its Washington bureau.

He covered the 1960 Presidential campaign for The Wall Street Journal and in 1963 joined NBC News as a Capitol Hill reporter. After 11 years with the network, he moved to PBS to become their esteemed low-key moderator of Washington Week In Review. The previous host, Duke's former NBC colleague, Robert MacNeil had given up his post to start PBS' nightly news and analysis program The Robert MacNeil Report. Duke continued his hosting duties for a record twenty years, as Washington Week in Review became the longest-running series on PBS, won an Emmy Award and gained an audience of 4.6 million.