Mark Silva is a national correspondent in the Washington Bureau of Tribune Newspapers, which serves the Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times, Baltimore Sun and several other newspapers. He is primarily responsible for editing the Internet report of the Washington Bureau and produces the bureau's political blog, The Swamp.
Prior to the merger of the Tribune Co. bureaus in November 2008, Mr. Silva was White House correspondent for the Chicago Tribune. He joined the newspaper in August 2004 and covered the conclusion of the '04 presidential campaign, which he had started covering in Florida. He leads the newspaper's White House coverage and has traveled nationally and abroad with President Bush. He has traveled extensively in Europe, Asia, Australia and Africa with the president as well as the first lady, and with Vice President Dick Cheney. Silva also covers national politics, and covered Florida politics for 25 years, as well as the presidential elections of 2000 and 2004 nationally.
He was political editor for The Orlando (Fla.) Sentinel from 2001-2004, covering state and national campaigns. He had reported for The Miami (Fla. ) Herald for 21 years, and was senior political writer for The Herald until May 2001, covering the presidential election that ended with a 36-day battle over disputed Florida ballots in his home town at the time, Tallahassee. He had served as state capital bureau chief for 15 years. He paid some dues coming out of Columbia many years ago, reporting for small daily newspapers in North Carolina and Michigan before moving to the Miami Herald. He is a 1976 graduate of the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, with a M.S., and Brown University, 1975, with a B.A. and major in English literature.