Shanahan joined the AP in 1965, but left shortly thereafter to serve in the Vietnam War as a U.S. Army intelligence officer where he was awarded the Bronze Star and a Combat Infantryman's Badge.
[1][2] After returning from the war, Shanahan worked for the AP at their Pittsburgh bureau covering events that included the 1970 shootings at a demonstration at Kent State University in Ohio, and the assassination of United Mine Workers leader Jock Yablonski.
[1][3] He moved shortly thereafter to the AP’s Washington bureau where he covered topics that included presidential campaigns and the work of the executive and legislative branches.
Shanahan taught subjects that included Washington reporting and journalistic ethics, and he advised the student newspaper, the Hatchet.
[4] "Michael Shanahan brought a reporter's eye and a professor's dedication to his work," said Frank Sesno, director of the School of Media and Public Affairs.