The students of The Boston University Washington Journalism Program are able to take advantage of special monthly lectures and an occasional National Press Club seminar. These special events afford the students with a chance to talk to some of the most well-respected members of the world of print and broadcast journalism as well as some of the lead thinkers in Washington today. Most events are open to the public as well.
Spring 2008
Washington Post reporter Jeffrey Birnbaum speaks to Political Reporting Class
Feb. 11.
“Politicians need money, like humans need water,” Jeffrey Birnbaum told Boston University journalism students Feb. 11.
Birnbaum, a Washington Post columnist since 2004, television commentator and author, spoke to the Political Reporting class at the BU Washington Journalism Center. He talked about writing stories based on information from the Federal Elections Commission, which tracks candidates’ campaign finance reports.
Birnbaum showed students how they can access the campaign finance information by utilizing the web and provided examples of story ideas to pursue. He advised students to look for challengers who have raised more money than their incumbent opponents.
He warned students not to read too deeply into the information, because it can be deceiving. Money is a good thing and a bad thing, Birnbaum said, and all politicians require money to function.
“Politicians care only about three things: 1) Getting reelected, 2) Getting reelected, 3 Getting reelected,” Birnbaum said..
Birnbaum’s Post column, In the Loop: On K Street, focuses on business, politics and lobbying.
Spring 2007
Book Signing & Lecture
Kevin Merida & Michael Fletcher
April 10
Kevin Merida and Michael Fletcher discussed their new book about Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas with Boston University Washington Center students. Supreme Discomfort: The Divided Soul of Clarence Thomas looks inside the conflicted life of the second African-American to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court, who has been a hero to conservatives and a pariah in the black community.
“There’s something in the book for everyone. If you think he doesn’t belong on the U.S. Supreme Court and he’s done a great disservice to our country, you’ll find something in there to support your beliefs,” Merida said. “And, if you feel the opposite, you’ll find something in here that you agree with, too.”
Merida and Flectcher had to draw on interviews with Thomas’ family, friends and colleagues to paint their portrait. Thomas, a deeply private man, refused their requests for an interview. “He would say to us, ‘No offense buddy, I just don’t talk to the media.’”
Merida and Fletcher read and described vivid scenes in their book that show how race defined Thomas. On the day Martin Luther King Jr. was shot, a young Thomas was crushed when a fellow seminarian who was white yelled, "I hope the S.O.B. dies.” And, after graduating from Yale Law School, Thomas was aggravated when he received no offers from major law firms.
“He still keeps all the rejection letters in a tidy stack,” Merida told students.
Both Merida and Fletcher are Boston University alumni. They say they have been best friends since they roomed together in college and have always dreamed of co-authoring a book.
“It helped to renew our friendship in some ways,” Merida said.
Christopher Griffin- March 20
Recent developments in Asia will ultimately affect American strategy toward the region, especially China, Christopher Griffin, a research fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, said in a talk at the BU Washington Center March 20.
If the United States wants to continue to engage China on an economic level, Griffin said Americans will have to accept China's robust, anti-democracy. Griffin also posed the question: Is a more authoritative government more effective?
“What we want from China is also what we fear,” he said.
Griffin, who specializes in Southeast Asian and U.S. relations, also discussed the recent agreement on North Korea's nuclear program and China's involvement in those negotiations.
“North Koreans are the only Stalinesque regime left on earth,” he said
As the six-party talks over Korea enter a new stage, Griffin gave some scenarios as to how U.S. relations with other Asian countries will evolve.
“We have largely snubbed Japan in our policy,” he said.
Griffin speaks both Japanese and Mandarin Chinese and has studied in Japan. He regularly writes for AEI's Asian Outlook series and is also the associate editor of the Armed Forces Journal.
Fall 2006
Chris Mooney, November 16
Science and politics intersected at the Boston University Washington Center as author Chris Mooney spoke about the attack on science by the federal government.
"It is a daunting task to discredit information given in a world of free speech," said Mooney, who dissected issues from stem cell research to global warming in his book “The Republican War on Science.”
"We have the right to evaluate politicians," added Mooney, and that is exactly what he has set out to do by spotlighting the governments tendency to glaze over legitimate scientific research.
Not only pointing the finger at government officials, Mooney recognizes that scientists "have to change the way they communicate about their work."
As a journalist, Mooney also puts accountability on the media. "It is journalists’ duty to help people understand; we need to reform the way the media reports science."
Mooney said the media can help the general public be more informed about scientific research and aware of legislation affecting science. From here, Mooney said, "people can make a difference at the ballot box, and I guess we did on November 7."
The collision of politics and faith in this country is transforming the attitude of American society, according to PBS NewsHour senior correspondent Ray Suarez . With more than 25 years of experience, covering everything from immigration to education and politics, Suarez shared insight on his new book “The Holy Vote” during a visit Oct. 26 to the Boston University Washington Center. His book explores the polarization of American politics and how it has been inundated with debates over moral issues such as gay marriage, abortion and the display of the Ten Commandments.
Authors Tom Edsall, left, and Tom Schaller spoke at the Boston University Washington Center on Sept. 21, 2006, about the midterm election. (Photos by Jill Connor)
While it’s true that the Democrats may take control of Congress in November’s election, the real test will be if they can sustain that hold, according to prolific political writers Tom Schaller (Daily Kos, The American Prospect) and Tom Edsall (Washington Post, Wonkette). The two writers, who come from opposite ends of the political aisle, spoke about upcoming elections in a discussion at the Boston University Washington Center.
Citing statistics from his book, “Whistling Past Dixie: How Democrats Can Win without the South,” Schaller said that only three states voted differently in the Bush/Kerry election than in the Bush/Gore one, the smallest difference in over 200 years. He said he believes the Democrats can win the next presidential election without a Southern majority, as they almost did just that in 2000 and 2004. However, Schaller and Edsall (“Building Red America: The New Conservative Coalition and the Drive for Permanent Power”) agreed that Republicans finish elections stronger than Democrats. “The Democrats didn’t have a closing argument in the 2004 election,” Schaller told the crowd of journalism and political science students.
C-Span filmed the discussion, which was moderated by Washington Center Director Linda Killian, for a later broadcast.
Spring 2005
Major Garrett, a political correspondent for Fox News, talked about the importance of the Contract with America in the Republican Revolution of 1994. Garrett is the author of The Enduring Revolution: How the Contract with America Continues to Shape the Nation.
Eleanor Clift, contributing editor for Newsweek magazine, hit the presidential campaign trail in 2004. Along with other Newsweek staff members, Clift spent a year reporting the intricacies of political campaigning to write Election 2004: How Bush Won and What You Can Expect in the Future . Bush found success by tapping into a base of conservative Christian voters, she said. Clift is also a political analyst for Fox News and a member of the McLaughlin Group.
Azadeh Moaveni, author of Lipstick Jihad: A Memoir of Growing Up Iranian in America and American in Iran, spoke about politics and youth culture in Iran. Moaveni, who has worked as an Iran correspondent for Time magazine, said that cultural standards for dress and behavior are gradually relaxing in Iran, despite the presence of morality police. This was the result of a "lipstick jihad" launched by young people who challenged authority by wearing lipstick or open-toed shoes. Moaveni's book is one of a number of recent memoirs about Iran.
Fall 2004
On Wednesday, December 15, Nightline's Ted Koppel met with journalism students for an hour-long question and answer session at ABC's Washington headquarters. The event was arranged by Nitya Venkataraman, who has interned at Nightline this fall. Koppel discussed a range of topics, from being squeezed out of his late night time slot by David Letterman to a controversial recent Nightline episode where they read a list of soldiers' names that had been killed in Iraq. Koppel explained how the advent of satellites has changed broadcast journalism, and raised questions about whether our coverage of war is too censored, and therefore inaccurate.
On Thursday, October 14, a trio of authors joined the Washington Journalism Center to discuss their respective books - which reflect two very different styles of writing. Ronald Kessler, a former Wall Street Journal and Washington Post staffer, most recently authored the book A Matter of Character: Inside the White House of George W. Bush. Kessler explained how he developed sources for the book amid the "most secretive White House" in recent history and explained his personal transformation from supporting Democrat Al Gore in the 2000 election to his currently loyalty for President Bush. Michael Kranish and Nina Easton, a reporter and editor at the Boston Globe's Washington bureau, respectively, described their reportage of Massachusetts Senator John Kerry for the book John Kerry: The Complete Biography by The Boston Globe Reporters who Know Him Best . Kranish and Easton stressed their effort to present a completely objective biography about the Democratic presidential candidate and shared stories about digging up fresh information about the heavily covered presidential challenger. The three writers spoke extensively - and disagreed at times - about the proper use of sources. The tension between partisanship and balance, an evergreen issue in journalism, took center stage. The authors socialized with students and guests after the panel discussion and signed books for interested readers.
"Between the Debates: Perspectives on the 2004 Election" On October 7, the Boston University Alumni Club of Washington and the Boston University Washington Center co-sponsored the event "Between the Debates: Perspectives on the 2004 Election" at the Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill. Students and guests nibbled on hors d'oeuvres and sipped wine before listening to the thoughts of a distinguished foursome of guests in a panel discussion moderated by the Washington center's director Linda Killian. Joining the panel from Boston University's home campus were Tobe Berkowitz, associate dean of the School of Communications, and International Relations professor Professor Michael T. Corgan. Boston University alumni Kevin Merida, a Washington Post feature writer and associate editor who is currently working on the biography of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, and Peter Overby, the Power, Money & Influence Correspondent for National Public Radio, also participated in the event. The group fielded a range of questions, many provided by audience members, about the 2004 presidential election. Subjects moved from the presidential candidates' debate performances to the impact of the Iraq War on the election and the worth of the media coverage of the campaigning. During coffee and dessert after the panel concluded, guests continued their dialogues more informally and met the panel members.
Fall 2003
Kathryn Kross
Kathryn Kross met with BU students at the CNN office near Capitol Hill. She gave her perspective on life in the news business and ended the hour-long session with a guided tour of the CNN studio and newsroom facilities.
Spring 2003
Marlin Fitzwater, who served as the press secretary for both President Ronald
Reagan and President George W. H. Bush, spoke with students and other guests at
the Boston University Center in Washington D.C. recently about the relationship between presidential administrations and the press. Fitzwater offered some advice to Ari Fleischer, President George W. Bush's current press secretary, about handling the press in wartime.
Fall 2002
Mike McCurry
Mike McCurry, longtime political strategist and press secretary for the State Department from 1993-1995 and the Clinton White House from 1995-98, spoke with Washington Journalism Center students and Boston University alumni about his experiences as a press secretary and his thoughts on the need for improved communication between journalists and press people.
McCurry said journalists focus too much on trying to reveal corruption within White House administrations like reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein during their Watergate days and public relations people spend too much time spinning their messages. McCurry added that journalists also need to help the public become more attentive and engaged in what the government is doing.
He concluded his talk by answering a round of question on everything from how he handled the Monica Lewinsky scandal during his tenure as White House press secretary to his feelings about the outcome of the 2002 midterm elections.
McCurry is currently chairman and chief executive officer for Grassroots Enterprise, a business providing services and technologies to help organization effectively manage public affairs initiatives.
Spring 2002
Jack Germond
Mr. Germond, a legendary political reporter for the Baltimore Sun and author of Fat Man in a Middle Seat, talked about his 40 years of covering politics at the Washington Journalism Center on Tuesday, April 16.
Jimmy Breslin
On Tuesday, April 2, the always colorful Jimmy Breslin, a long-time New York reporter and Newsday columnist, talked about his new book, The Short Sweet Dream of Eduardo Gutierrez. This searing expose chronicles the life and death of an illegal immigrant worker, along with the broader issues of municipal corruption and America's deadly and controversial border policy.
Allan Gerson
Mr. Gerson talked about his book, The Price of Terror, on Tuesday, February 12. His book is an insider look at the struggle to hold accountable those responsible for the bombing of Pan Am flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland. A former diplomat and prosecutor of Nazi war criminals, Mr. Gerson served as counsel to the U.S. mission to the United Nations during the tenure of Jean Kirkpatrick. An expert in international law, he is also the author of The Kirkpatrick Mission, about his time at the United Nations.
Fall 2001
Curtis Wilkie
Journalist and author Curtis Wilkie spoke to students and alumni at the Boston University Washington Journalism Center about his new book, DIXIE: A Personal Odyssey Through Events That Shaped The Modern South, a story he says is "about coming home."
Wilkie, a former Boston Globe national writer and foreign correspondent, left the region in the late '60s during the turbulent times of racial integration. After returning to the South 30 years later, Wilkie wrote Dixie which he called "an attempt to deal with the enormous transformation that took place in the region in my lifetime."
In addition to race relations in the South, Wilkie discussed the "colorful politicians" that have "blessed and cursed" the South. He shared his experiences of writing about such famous American figures as Martin Luther King, Jr., and Jimmy Carter for the Globe. While he covered Carter's 1976 campaign for the presidency, Wilkie recalled drinking beer on Sundays in Georgia with Carter's infamous brother Billy, and remembered talking to King two weeks before he was assassinated.
Wilkie, now retired, writes occasionally for the The Boston Globe from his home in the French Quarter.
Marty Kramer, CNN Senior Producer
CNN Senior Producer Marty Kramer guided the Boston University Washington Journalism students through a tour of CNN's Washington Bureau last week.
Tom Rosenstiel
Washington Journalism students visited the headquarters of the Project for Excellence in Journalism last week and spoke with author Tom Rosenstiel about issues of bias and content quality in reporting today.
Photos by Jill Weinberg
Spring 2001
The First 100 Days: Media Coverage of the Bush Presidency
Stories from the Reporters of the BU Washington Journalism Center
| Linda Killian questions former Clinton press secretary Joe Lockhart, at a panel discussion on the first 100 days of the Bush Presidency, hosted by the Boston University Journalism Center. |
More Spring 2001 Events
Students visit the Newseum
By Dan LaVoie
Ted Koppel shares his experiences
By Jessica Schneider
NBC's Jim Hanchett shares secrets of success
By Meredith Warren
Students visit with Capitol Hill press secretaries
By LeAnne Gendreau and Anna Stechert
Managing Editor of "The Wall Street Journal" comes to BU Journalism Center
By Ron Orol
Charlie Cook Was Cookin' At BU
By Heidi Masek and Felicia Morton
