Frank Fabian Mankiewicz II (born May 16, 1924) is an American journalist.
He grew up in Beverly Hills, California. His father, screenwriter Herman Mankiewicz, co-wrote Citizen Kane, and his uncle, Joseph Mankiewicz, directed such films as All About Eve and Cleopatra.
Mankiewicz received a B.A. in political science from University of California, Los Angeles in 1947; a master's degree from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism in 1948; and an LL.B. from University of California, Berkeley in 1955. He has been president of National Public Radio, regional director for the Peace Corps in Latin America, campaign director for 1972 Democratic presidential nominee George McGovern, and press secretary to Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, D-N.Y.
His work in politics earned him a place on the master list of Nixon political opponents. He was also an unsuccessful candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives in Maryland in 1974.
An animated parody of him appears in the Comedy Central television series Freak Show as a parking garage attendant at the Pentagon.
Mankiewicz and Lyn Nofziger were major players in halting the 1970s metrication effort in the USA, largely by convincing President Ronald Reagan to shut down the United States Metric Board.[1] In 1984, Frank Mankiewicz wrote for Quarante magazine owned by Kathleen Katz of Arlington. A piece he wrote for Quarante in 1985 was one of the first to point out how television coverage of politics had changed. The article was titled, "Politics and Media: In Search of An Angle." He wrote:
As part time advisor to Senatory Gary Hart's presidential campaign in 1984—the first I had participated in actively since 1972—I was struck by the minutae of the press' questions. The authorship of a speech—the identify of the speechwriters—seemed far more important than its content. Strategy was a primary concern—which votes are being sought? How much money has been raised for television commercials? Who will produce the commercials?....Rarely if ever does the question turn on such things as "does he have the right ideas?" or "would he make a strong—or even good—president?"
Mankiewicz lives in Washington D.C. with his wife Patricia O'Brien. His son Josh Mankiewicz is an NBC News correspondent. His son Ben Mankiewicz is a Turner Classic Movies host and a host on The Young Turks. He also served from September 2008 to September 2009 as co-host (with Ben Lyons) of At The Movies. Both Josh and Ben Mankiewicz live in Los Angeles.
| Business positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Lee Frischknecht |
President and CEO of National Public Radio 1977—1983 |
Succeeded by Douglas J. Bennet |