In a city synonymous with crisis management, Judy Smith has long been the face of the high-stakes practice.
And when that work invariably collides with the press, Smith – who has counseled presidents, corporate titans, entertainers and professional athletes – is looking for journalists she knows and trusts.
“The people that I go to are people that I have relationships with, people that I trust, people that have demonstrated that they keep their word,” Smith told the National Press Foundation’s Paul Miller Washington Reporting Fellowship class. “And I think for all of you, relationships are … important because there’s so many different places that people can go” to share information.
“Relationships matter. I don’t think that’s an old thing; I think that’s a consistent thing.”
Smith, whose career inspired the character Olivia Pope in the hit television series “Scandal,” said source building requires a constant investment of time and energy.
Judy Smith Reflects on Trailblazing Career and Advocacy for Women of Color
Smith said her foray into entertainment was not planned, but she believes it provided a collective and needed boost to women of color.
“The thing that I learned about the show, and the reason why I did the show was probably not what a lot of people think,” Smith said. “But I was shocked … I had found out that there hadn’t been a Black woman that played the lead in television in 30 years,” Smith said. “It was right there. I had to be able to do it. And what was interesting was I got calls from two network presidents that called afterwards to apologize, and they said that they apologized for not having the courage to take the leap because they were afraid that it was going to be unsuccessful.”
Across a career that included a stint in President George H.W. Bush’s White House, Smith said her work has been guided by one overriding principle.
“My moral line: I don’t lie. The truth is the truth. And that’s important. I think credibility that we have in the marketplace, people believe what we say because we tell the truth, as unpleasant as that might be … so you might as well just face into it and just get it out the way.”
Access the full transcript here.
