Panelists: Scott Lindlaw, Daniel Schorr, and Helen Thomas

The panelists discuss their history in journalism, their political views, and their analysis of the news stories of the day. Moderated by Orville Schell, Dean, UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism.

All three agree the United States is at a tipping point in its history.

Thomas calls the Bush administration the most secretive administration she has covered. Although she says she enjoys being a columnist, she believes the reporting in the newspapers should be “just the facts, ma’am.” Rejecting the notion that one can analyze the White House Press Corp as a single body, she says its members are beginning to no longer fear being labeled “unpatriotic” for asking tough questions. She further states that the press is neither blatantly liberal nor blatantly conservative. She laments media consolidation on the quality of journalism. She details how presidents treat reporters they do not favor. Thomas believes journalism is the greatest profession.

Both Thomas and Schorr believe the press has gotten softer over the last twenty-five years, blaming both media consolidation and the need of journalists to ask soft questions to frequently get on C-SPAN coverage of the press conferences.

Schorr is, in his words, “profoundly pessimistic” in about the state of journalism. He states the president has been at odds with the media ever since the Nixon administration. However, he notes that what the president says to the public while on television does much more to influence public opinion than anything the media can do. He believes television is a medium of emotions, with journalism on television a part of entertainment.

Lindlaw thinks morale among the press is low. He also notes that journalists are middle and upper-middle class instead of their traditional working class status, saying this is why some things don’t get reported. He notes the public’s growing appetite for partisan journalism, but hopes objective journalism will remain the majority of coverage. Lindlaw believes some journalists still ask hard questions, such as when he asked President Bush how many more soldiers will die in Iraq.

Schell asks the panelist numerous questions from the audience about press secretaries and, particularly, Ari Fleischer.