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Columbia University Provost Alan Brinkley moderates a panel discussion on the responsibilities of the press when it comes to political reporting. Panelists include Joe Lockhart, the former White House Press Secretary , Todd Purdum, political correspondent and national editor of Vanity Fair, and Marcy Wheeler, a political blogger most famous for her live, in-courtroom coverage of the I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby trial.

A free and independent press is essential for democracy. The press has a responsibility to inform citizens about both the policies and actions of our government and any credible challenges to those policies and actions; to report on conditions that may require new or different government initiatives; and to raise timely questions itself about questionable policies and the rationales presented for them. How well are the media fulfilling these weighty responsibilities? What are the impediments to their fulfillment?

This discussion is part of the Fourth Annual Fall Symposium of The Massachusetts Foundation for the Humanities, entitled "No News is Bad News". The Massachusetts Foundation for the Humanities promotes the use of history, literature, philosophy, and the other humanities disciplines to deepen our understanding of the issues of the day, strengthen our sense of common purpose, and enhance and improve civic life.