Covering Trump: The Presidency and the Press in Turbulent Times

November 28, 2016
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Covering Trump:  The Presidency and the Press in Turbulent Times

ANN ARBOR—A panel of national journalists and a political science expert will offer analysis about the presidential election and its tempestuous aftermath during a public discussion Dec. 2 at the University of Michigan.

The group will discuss criticism of the media, what journalists, pollsters and political experts missed, what they got right, and the path forward in covering an unprecedented presidency and divided country.

Lynette Clemetson, director of Wallace House at U-M, said it is important to hear from reporters who have covered the presidential election from the beginning.

“It is even more important to turn our attention to what comes next,” Clemetson said. “We are entering uncharted waters. As much as news organizations need to to examine their coverage priorities, news consumers need to become astute in assessing the flood of information coming at them and the role and function of a free press in society.”

Jon Morgan, an editor in the Washington bureau of Bloomberg News since 2010, will serve as moderator.

The panel includes alumni of the U-M Knight-Wallace Fellowships for Journalists who covered the campaign and will report on the transition, as well as a former Livingston Awards winner and a U-M expert who follows elections and voting behavior.

Wallace House and the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts will present the event, scheduled from 4-5:30 p.m. in B1580 Blau Hall at Ross School of Business.

“Covering Trump: The Presidency and the Press in Turbulent Times” is free and open to the public.

Panelists Craig Gilbert, Vincent Hutchings, Tracy Jan, Laura Meckler, and Katie Zezima

Jon Morgan, an editor in the Washington bureau of Bloomberg News since 2010, will serve as moderator.

Panelists:

  • Craig Gilbert is the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Washington bureau chief and author of “The Wisconsin Voter” political blog. Gilbert has covered every presidential campaign since 1988 and has written extensively about the electoral battle for the swing states of the industrial Midwest.
  • Vincent Hutchings, U-M professor of political science, is an expert on public opinion, elections and voting behavior. He studies demographic change and its effect on voting behavior and how campaign communications are designed to appeal to various group identities.
  • Tracy Jan is a national political reporter who covered the campaign for The Boston Globe. She focused primarily on the GOP, including Christian evangelicals, Ted Cruz and Donald Trump. In December, she will join The Washington Post to develop a new beat on the intersection of race and the American economy.
  • Laura Meckler is a staff writer with The Wall Street Journal, where she covered the Democratic presidential primary and Hillary Clinton’s campaign. She has covered presidential politics, the White House, changing American demographics, immigration and health care.
  • Katie Zezima is a political reporter for The Washington Post, where she covered Obama White House. She chronicled the campaigns of Kentucky Senator Rand Paul and Texas Senator Ted Cruz from start to finish and before switching to enterprise reporting on social issues riling the election in its final months.

Committed to fostering excellence in journalism, Wallace House at the University of Michigan is home to the Knight-Wallace Fellowships and the Livingston Awards, two programs that recognize exceptional journalists for their work, leadership and potential.

The Knight-Wallace Fellowships offer exceptional journalists an opportunity to pursue an academic year of sabbatical studies for professional and personal growth. Experienced, highly motivated professionals from all facets of journalism are invited to apply now at wallacehouse.umich.edu/knight-wallace.