Bill Nigut, the veteran journalist whose career in Atlanta media goes back to the early 1980s, plans to retire from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and the “Politically Georgia” podcast on Jan. 31 after Donald Trump is inaugurated as president.
“This is my choice and it feels like the exact right moment for me to put an end to my political journalism career,” said Nigut, 77, who helms the daily podcast, which is also heard at 10 a.m. weekdays live on 90.1/WABE-FM.
He made the official announcement near the end of Friday’s show.
“I really want to complete the election cycle,” said Nigut, noting that he wants to assess Trump’s cabinet appointments and watch what he does his first week as president again.
Three AJC political reporters will remain on “Politically Georgia”: Washington correspondent Tia Mitchell, political columnist Patricia Murphy and politics reporter Greg Bluestein.
Nigut, a Chicago native, has had a long career in Atlanta. He spent 20 years at WSB-TV covering politics from 1983 to 2003, then went into the nonprofit world, running the metro Atlanta Arts & Culture Coalition for three years and the Atlanta-area Anti-Defamation League for seven years. He joined Georgia Public Broadcasting in 2013 and oversaw the popular “Political Rewind” show for nearly a decade.
AJC publisher Andrew Morse hired Nigut soon after he left GPB to lead the new “Politically Georgia” podcast.
“Bill is a singular talent,” Morse said, “and his steady hand, baritone voice and love for all things politics helped us launch the ‘Politically Georgia’ show and take it to new levels. … I’m grateful for all Bill has done for us this past year and we will miss him.”
Mitchell said she had never done live radio before: “Bill taught us the ropes on how to roll with the punches, scriptwriting and booking guests. He put us on the right track. It won’t be the same show without him.”
Bluestein said he has nothing but admiration for Nigut’s skills. “He’s always helped foster civil discussion with the goal of making his listeners, viewers and readers more enlightened and informed while holding our leaders from both parties accountable.”
Indeed, Nigut was proud of how he was able to bring guests from both parties to the table.
“There are very few people, no matter their partisan ties, who aren’t willing to accept invitations to do our show,” he said.
Credit: Katelyn Myrick
Credit: Katelyn Myrick
And while he enjoys days when the show has guests, his favorite times are simply the four of them analyzing the political stories of the day: “Patricia has turned into a fabulous columnist. Greg is the hardest working man in journalism. Tia is so embedded in what’s going on in D.C. I’m going to miss the chance to work with all of them.”
After he leaves, Nigut wants to write about the intersection of culture and theater, an early passion. He and his wife, playwright Janece Shaffer, regularly visit New York City to see Broadway shows. Before journalism, he pursued an acting career in both Chicago and New York and trained at The Second City Theater in Chicago.
“I truly believe theater is transformative,” he said. “Kenny Leon is my wife’s close friend. We are always in New York when he has a new play.”
Nigut said he never imagined finishing his journalism career with the AJC. “I am truly honored to be here,” he said. “I really mean that.”
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