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December 2007 Dan Rather, Helen Thomas Join GW’s Kalb Report
The role of White House correspondents, the political pressures after Sept. 11, 2001, and the increasing secrecy of presidential administrations were among the topics NBC News’ David Gregory; former CBS anchor Dan Rather; The New York Times’ David Sanger; and longtime White House bureau chief for United Press International Helen Thomas discussed with host Marvin Kalb on The Kalb Report, Nov. 26. The sold-out program, taped before an audience of more than 600 students, faculty, club members, and journalists at the National Press Club, was the second of four forums on democracy and the press in the 2007-08 series. The journalists discussed the challenges reporters face during White House news briefings, polarization within the press, and the difficulties in obtaining information from the Bush administration. “During the campaign [presidents] always promise an open administration, but the moment they step into the Oval Office, all information belongs to them, which I think belongs in the public domain,” said Thomas, who has covered every president since John F. Kennedy. “You have to scrounge to get it. The secrecy is so endemic.” Gregory agreed that assessing what is newsworthy from the White House takes skill and experience. “You’re up against a huge machine and your job is to try to not only work sources but also know your subject,” he said. “You have to know the president you’re covering and understand what he’s saying, what he’s not saying, what he’s leaving unsaid. You have to learn how to analyze based on a set of facts and to discern where the news is.” Kalb and the panelists also debated whether the press shied away from asking “the tough questions” after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Rather said that after Sept. 11 journalists feared being labeled “unpatriotic” or “un-American” if they challenged the administration. “We journalists cannot duck our own responsibility and our own accountability,” said Rather, who is currently the anchor and managing editor of Dan Rather Reports on HDNet, a national high-definition network. “We did not live up to the highest standards of American journalism. We didn’t do it in many, many cases because we were afraid.” The Kalb Report is jointly produced by GW, Harvard University’s Shorenstein Center, and The National Press Club, and is underwritten by a grant from the Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Foundation.
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