The Presidency and the Press

Event Details

Paul Duke, a former Associated Press, Wall Street Journal, NBC, and Washington Week reporter, addresses the complex relationship between the presidency and the press. Duke comments that it is difficult to pursue the truth in Washington for it is regarded ?as a precious commodity.? Likewise, he states that the political process is characterized by change and inconsistency, mentioning contradictions from the Kennedy administration to the Reagan administration. Furthermore, he acknowledges the fact that people tend to get mad when the press points out inconsistencies among presidents since they want the news to reflect their bias. Duke goes on to discuss the continuous attempts by various White House administrations to manage, manipulate, and control the flow of information from Washington while staging events that try to make the president look good. At the same time, he mentions that certain people in the press industry criticize the power of the press, believing they should ?make peace with the government.? However, Duke resorts to the First Ammendment to state that the right of people to be informed must be preserved. In the question and answer section, Duke comments on the irresponsible press, the lack of attention awarded to Congress by the press, the attempt of politicians to use television to their advantage, and the validity of various newspapers and magazines.