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March/April 2008 George Stephanopoulos Launches GW’s 2008 Public Affairs Project Conversation Series
By Julia Parmley George Stephanopoulos, ABC News chief Washington correspondent and host of Sunday morning news program This Week, discussed politics and journalism with Frank Sesno, professor of media and public affairs and Emmy Award-winning CNN special correspondent, in the first installment of GW’s 2008 Public Affairs Project Conversation Series. The interview was held in GW’s Jack Morton Auditorium on Feb. 12. Sesno started the conversation by asking Stephanopoulos about his interviews with high-profile politicians, including former President Bill Clinton, Sen. Hillary Clinton, Sen. John Kerry, and President George Bush. Stephanopoulos discussed the challenges of interviewing the Clintons after serving as President Clinton’s senior adviser for policy and strategy. He said the time he spent with the Clintons has helped him prepare for their interviews. “I try to be as tough as I can be but not get personal or antagonistic,” he said. Stephanopoulos described his system of covering presidential candidates on This Week in which he interviews the candidates at the beginning of the race and then travels with them for several days to craft a more in-depth profile. As time goes on, he studies the policies the candidates are championing and prepares to interview them in a debate-like format, but acknowledged there must be a balance between substance and sensationalism. “Often there is a tension between making the news and delivering a satisfying interview and experience for people watching at home,” he said. “I want to spend a little less time chasing the headlines and lay out the broader issues.” Stephanopoulos and Sesno also discussed the role of the media in presidential campaigns. Stephanopoulos said the Internet has “completely changed” how campaigns are run and how fundraising is conducted; however, he maintained that the difficulty of sorting fact from fiction on the Internet makes broadcast news even more important. Stephanopoulos also shared his opinions on the 2008 presidential campaigns, discussing Sen. Barack Obama’s use of powerful rhetoric and Sen. Hillary Clinton’s appeal to female voters. When asked what influenced his decision to pursue a career in journalism and politics, Stephanopoulos cited classes he took in American politics during his undergraduate years at Columbia University and his work in Sudan in 1984. He urged the students in the audience to discover their passions and to pursue them. “I came to Washington in the summer of my junior year, and it literally changed my life,” he said. “If you’re lucky enough to find something like that that energizes you, your heart, and your mind, follow it.” The Public Affairs Project Conversation Series is sponsored by GW’s Center for Innovative Media and focuses on media, public policy, politics, and culture. Over the past year, the center has hosted events with former Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge, former White House Press Secretary Tony Snow, and ranking generals and experts in Iraq. Programs are coordinated in collaboration with GW’s Homeland Security Policy Institute and the Elliott School of International Affairs.
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