National Press Club presents Liz Carpenter documentary screening Oct. 15

Liz Carpenter, one of the most dynamic journalists and advocates of the second half of the 20th century, is featured in a documentary “Shaking it Up: The Life and Times of Liz Carpenter,” that is scheduled to be screened at the National Press Club at 5:30 p.m. on Oct. 15.

Obtain tickets online. The free event is open to Club members and two guests. To obtain tickets, members must be signed in to their NPC account.

Carpenter’s career included work as a writer, media advisor, speechwriter, political humorist and public relations expert. As a reporter for Southwestern Newspapers, she was president of the Women’s National Press Club in 1954. She was the first woman executive assistant to Vice President Lyndon Johnson and then press secretary for First Lady Lady Bird Johnson. Called the “funniest woman in politics,” she was in demand as a public speaker up until her death in 2010.

The documentary was put together by Christy Carpenter, her daughter, and Abby Ginsburg, a veteran Peabody Award-winning filmmaker. They will be joined by Don Ritchie, who has written extensively about Washington journalism and capitol history, on a panel to talk about Liz Carpenter after the documentary.

Liz Carpenter was a frequent speaker at the Press Club, and she had a cameo appearance in the Club’s centennial documentary. Christy Carpenter and Ginsburg worked closely with Club archivist Jeff Schlosberg, who put together about 40 photos and videos from the Club’s collection, many of which appear in the film.

The event is co-sponsored by the Club’s Events and History and Heritage teams.